Tavlin market in Bellmore unveils renovation

Since they opened Tavlin market in 1990, the Azoulay family has regularly added new products to their Mediterranean and Middle Eastern mix. But what has amazed them since they unveiled their month-old renovation is that longtime customers are discovering products that they have always carried.

“In the past,” said Ittai Azoulay, “customers would come in, go directly to the stuff they are used to buying, and pay. Now they tell me, ‘I had no idea you had this!’ ” He credits the new shelving, a freestanding bread display, a new bakery case and the “better flow” that resulted from the decision to press a second door into service.

Tavlin (“spice” in Hebrew) has always had two culinary pillars: imported delicacies and homemade vegetarian cuisine. There’s nowhere on Long Island with a better selection of nuts and seeds (from sunflower to watermelon, available salted or not), dried fruits (raisins, dates and figs, of course, but also papaya, kiwi, mango, cherries, pineapple and carob pods). There’s oregano and mountain tea from Greece, basmati rice and chutney from India, dried mint and cracked olives from Lebanon.

The refrigerated cases sparkle with jewel-toned salads and dips: emerald tabbouleh, ruby pickled turnips, citrine turmeric cauliflower, regular or spicy hummus, rich eggplant salads — Turkish, Israeli and more — to compare and contrast. The tiny kitchen also puts out vegetable couscous, roasted cauliflower with fava beans, shakshuka (eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce) and more dishes that just need to be reheated to make a meal.

Moroccan-born Marc Azoulay landed on the South Shore after a childhood in France and a stint in Israel, where he met his future wife, Sarah, on a kibbutz. They moved to the United States to marry and settled on Long Island, where Sarah grew up. Their son, Ittai, a trained chef, had been cooking in Vermont before moving back to Long Island in 2015 with his wife, Laura Lorand, to join the business. Back then, it was Ittai who pushed for a takeout window between the kitchen and the sales floor so that customers could more easily order freshly made falafel and bourekas (filled flaky pies). Now he is proud of the pumped-up baked-goods selection that he has spearheaded.

Alongside Tavlin’s classic baklava, you’ll now find one made with maple syrup. There are brownies flavored with halvah and big slabs of basbousa, a homey semolina-coconut cake. Ittai has also translated the Middle Eastern dessert, knafeh (shredded phyllo dough surrounding a heart of cheese) into individual portions that just need a few minutes in a 350-degree oven to achieve peak gooey-ness. Tavlin’s dependable lineup of Middle Eastern breads (including a puffy, “upgraded” pita and zaatar-smeared laffa from Brooklyn’s Pita Express) now includes Ittai’s “Jerusalem bagels.” These huge, elongated rings are covered with sesame seeds (like bagels) but, because they are not boiled before being baked, are puffy and tender.

Now that Ittai and Laura are partners, Marc and Sarah can step back a bit. But, for now, they are basking in the enthusiastic response to the renovation. “It needed a facelift,” Sarah conceded, “but what’s great is that it still smells the same.”

Tavlin Mediterranean, 2828 Merrick Rd., Bellmore, 516-221-9008. Open Monday to Thursday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., closed on Saturday.