A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

Ben Poremba

Ben Poremba planning new Jewish deli for spring ’23

Ellen Futterman, Editor-in-ChiefPublished May 26, 2022

Last week at a Federation event, I moderated a panel that consisted of five local Jewish restaurateurs, including Israeli native Ben Poremba, owner and chef of Bengelina Hospitality Group (Elaia, Ol io, Nixta, The Benevolent King and more). When asked...

President Barack Obama presents Ina Bass, left, and Elsie Shemin-Roth with the Medal of Honor for their father, Army Sgt. William Shemin, at the White House in 2015. Sgt. Shemin was recognized for risking his life during World War I to save the lives of others. Photo: Department of defense/Lisa Ferdinando

Mistakes to remember, Medal of Honor, Poremba’s latest

Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished April 11, 2018

To err is human...but still!Regardless of the work we do, being successful requires us to pay close attention to detail. Certainly in the case of a doctor, paying attention to detail could mean the difference between life and death. But no matter what...

Ben Poremba, at left, and his father, Jacob Poremba, at Olio restaurant last week. The senior Poremba was visiting from Israel.

New deli on horizon

Ellen Futterman, EditorPublished November 2, 2016

New deli on horizonBy now many of you have probably heard that local restaurateur and Israeli native Ben Poremba (of Elaia, Olio, Parigi and co-owner of La Patisserie Chouquette) plans to open a Jewish-style deli in St. Louis, hopefully by July 2017....

Chef Ben Poremba at Olio and Elaia, his restaurants at 1634 Tower Grove Avenue. File photo: Yana Hotter

A salute to the diversity of Israeli cuisine

By Margi Lenga Kahn, Special to the Jewish LightPublished July 6, 2016

Israeli food is the new darling of the culinary world.  Israeli-born chefs Yotam Ottolenghi, Alon Shaya and Michael Solomonov have become gastronomic superstars through their award-winning restaurants and cookbooks. The James Beard Foundation named Shaya’s...

Light Up the Night - Photos by Kriti Foster 01.jpg

Light Up the Night – Publisher’s Society event

Published September 3, 2015

The Jewish Light hosted a reception for its Publisher's Society supporters and friends at Ben Poremba's Olio and Elaia restaurants on Sunday, Aug. 25.  Award-winning chef Poremba offered a special assortment of his Israeli and Mediterranean influenced...

Chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba at Olio and Elaia, his new restaurants at 1634 Tower Grove Avenue, in the Botanical Heights neighborhood. Photo: Yana Hotter

Israeli chef Ben Poremba launches side-by-side restaurants to rave reviews

BY MARGI LENGA KAHN, SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH LIGHTPublished May 29, 2013

Ben Poremba was born and raised in Ness Ziona, Israel, north of Rehovat and south of Rishon. He is the youngest of three children, with an older brother and sister. At the age of 17, Poremba moved to Italy to attend a master’s degree program in food...

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