A scratch-made Israeli and Mediterranean bakery has opened at 3670 Erie Ave., filling the storefront left empty when Grandin Desserts closed without warning in 2025.

Koriela Bakery & Kitchen, owned by Ifat Lahyani, opened in late July with a rotating menu of kosher-certified pastries and Middle Eastern dishes. The bakery is certified kosher under Kosher Cincinnati, according to the kosher food site YeahThatsKosher.

Lahyani, a Le Cordon Bleu graduate and former student of master pastry chef Hans Bartla, brings more than 15 years of culinary experience to the shop, according to Koriela's website. She has catered hundreds of events and taught pastry workshops in both Israel and Cincinnati.

The menu draws on Moroccan, Israeli and French traditions. Offerings include croissants, éclairs, macarons, alfajores, Moroccan date cookies, pistachio Paris-Brest, cruffins in lemon, strawberry and chocolate flavors, muhallebi pudding and crème brûlée. Ingredients lean on dates, almonds, pistachios, oranges and spices like cinnamon, fennel and anise.

The Cincinnati Enquirer described the interior as "so colorfully decorated that it feels like walking into a wedding cake."

"We worked so hard for this," Lahyani told Ynet Global journalist Sharon Kidon in a video interview posted July 31. "It was a dream that finally came true."

The opening gives the Erie Avenue corridor a specialty food destination roughly three weeks after severe flooding on July 17 damaged multiple businesses, including Neko Sushi, Dovetale Bakery and Poeme, as WCPO reported. Koriela also adds a rare certified-kosher option for Cincinnati's Jewish community.

Beyond the pastry case, Lahyani offers catering for weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, kiddush lunches and corporate events.

Hours listed on YeahThatsKosher are Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bakery is closed Saturday for Shabbat. A separate directory lists shorter weekday hours, so customers can call 513-332-3173 to confirm current hours.