Yael Cantor, chef and owner of Susie’s, a forthcoming Jewish-Mediterranean deli and cafe (Photo by Sharona Cantor)
Nestled at the corner of Main and Harvie streets in the Fan is a charming dark green row house that almost blends right into its surroundings. Built in 1900, its west-facing windows welcome a steady stream of natural sunlight, and inside, a mezzanine leads to a 400-square-foot space and future dining room.
It’s exactly the sort of warm, homey gem that Yael Cantor was looking for. This fall, she plans to introduce Susie’s, an all-day deli and cafe that tells the story of her Jewish and Moroccan heritage.
“I wanted somewhere small enough that I could just be there,” she says.
Still in its early phases, the forthcoming 1330 W. Main St. restaurant will be an intimate showcase of dishes from Cantor’s more recent pop-ups: a zippy arugula, fennel and grapefruit salad; crostini dotted with smoked trout dip and chopped liver; comforting tuna melts, mushroom-ricotta and schug-fennel sandwiches on rich challah bread; turmeric chicken salad; and tahini cookies. She plans to stock a deli case with packaged spreads and grab-and-go offerings such as fresh hummus and tabouli, labneh (yogurt cheese), chopped liver, and matbuha, a Moroccan roasted pepper and tomato salad.
“I always grew up in a way where food was how you showed someone you loved them. It was my grandma making matzo ball soup or tuna salad when I was craving it or my other grandma on my mom’s side making Shabbat dinner,” Cantor says. “Very much on my mom’s side a way of [saying], ‘I don’t have the time to talk, but here, I love you, I cooked this meal for you.’”
The unspoken love language runs in the family. Cantor, 31, is a firm believer in the silent, soothing power of soup, and she feels most at ease with an apron tied around her waist, prepping a meal for friends. She always saves the last bite or leftovers for her husband, Tony, a thoughtful practice she inherited from her mother.
“I see my mom do it with my dad, and I do it with Tony,” she says with a laugh.
Those generational ties are also echoed through her menu, the offerings a balance of tradition and perspective. “I think, for me, Susie’s has always been more blending all that for me because that’s how I ate,” she says.
A natural knack in the kitchen is a common thread the women in Cantor’s matriarchal circle share. Her grandmother and aunt are caterers, and her Moroccan Israeli grandmother is known for serving giant meals that feed all the cousins. There was a cookbook published 20 years ago, and Cantor’s younger sister, Danielle, aka Dee Dee, penned a collection of photo essays and short stories titled “Spreads” and also operates a mutual aid group in Israel.
“Hospitality and food is very much in my family,” she says. “It’s always been in the blood.”
Growing up, Cantor moved often, living in Maryland and abroad in Ukraine and Hungary before settling in Israel from age 11 to 21. Her mother is Moroccan Israeli, while her father is Jewish American and was born and raised in Richmond. Over a decade ago, Cantor relocated here, joining older sister Sharon. Shortly after, she began working in restaurants, hosting at Kitchen 64, where she met her husband and co-workers who became best friends, and taking front-of-house gigs at the iconic Mamma Zu and the Jackson Ward staple Saison.
For Cantor, Susie’s is a thoughtful, confident progression from the pop-up’s earlier versions. She and Tony originally launched the concept in 2020, then called Susie & Esther. When the pandemic struck, the pair were in Tel Aviv, Israel, visiting Cantor’s parents and were initially unable to leave. Sequestered inside for four months, they often found themselves gravitating toward the kitchen, finding solace in cooking and baking.
“We started cooking nonstop every day and going off of my grandmothers’ recipes and learning,” Cantor says. “Cooking kind of saved us.”
After holding a residency through The Jasper’s Friends and Family series, hosting dozens of sellout pop-ups, the duo ended up pausing operations in 2021. Not only recognizing the complexities of owning and operating a business with a significant other, the pair were also uncertain of whether they wanted to recommit themselves to the dining industry.
“That was a big thing; there’s a lot of restaurant people who have … that guilt of you want to try something, but you’ve never tried anything else,” she says. “Literally, since I was 20, all I’ve done is restaurants. But it kind of proved to me, OK, this isn’t just because it’s all you know, it’s because you love doing this.”
The break proved beneficial for Cantor, reinforcing what had been there all along. Recently securing the space on Main Street, Cantor says she has hired Alex Davis of Trade Architects and graphic designer Tim Skirven to help execute the vision. She plans to offer coffee, beer and wine, and drinks such as refreshing spritzes and americanos, and the eatery will be open for lunch and dinner.
“I want people to feel very cozy and the space to feel warm and chill and just good food that can accompany good conversation or a good book,” Cantor says. “Being able to share this food with people is more than, ‘Oh, I made money,’ it genuinely brings me joy to see people full and happy.”
Susie’s next appearance is a ticketed event on Friday, Feb. 9, in conjunction with an East Fork Pottery pop-up at Na Nin.
