If you are lucky enough to spend a few minutes talking with Leonardo Nourafchan who goes by Lenny Nour at his restaurant, Lenny’s Casita, you will instantly realize you a sitting at the eye of the storm. Lenny gives 100% to everything he is doing from managing 16 employees, answering questions, and talking with his loyal ustomers who drop by to grab a bite or just to say hello. And he does it with passion. As he says, “I feel blessed to do what I love” and it shows with every interaction.

Born to an Italian mother and Iranian father, Lenny grew up in Los Angeles not far from his present location in the heart of Pico Robertson. As the youngest of three sons, Lenny wasn’t the best of students and at 14 he was sent to Israel to grow up. He worked on a farm and went to find what he wanted to do for his life. After doing some soul searching and trying different jobs, he called his high-powered attorney mother and told her that he wanted to be a chef. Lenny chuckles at her abrupt answer, “Absolutely Not.”

According to his mother’s wishes, Lenny was supposed to find himself as a lawyer or a doctor. So, with a bit more maturity he moved back to Los Angeles and enrolled at Santa Monica Community College. He transferred to George Washington University where he graduated with honors in international studies. Over the next few years, Lenny lived in Europe, joined the army in Israel and tried to find his calling. At the age of 26, he found himself back in Los Angeles, working in real estate, when his boss came to him to have a heart to heart. His boss could tell that Lenny was just going through the motions and told him that he needed to find a job that matched his passion.

With all the signs and passion still burning, Lenny knew it was time. He once again told his mother that he wanted to be a chef and this time he packed his bags and moved to New York to learn from the best New York’s kosher restaurants. After stints at Doma Land+Sea, Alenbi, and Mike’s Bistro, Lenny was ready.

In 2018, Lenny moved back to Los Angeles as the head chef at Charcoal Bar and Grill. The high-end kosher restaurant was well received. In an interview at the time from Eater, he stated, “I don’t want to simply make good food, I want people to be floored when they take a bite. I want my food to etch an unforgettable memory.”

At Charcoal Lenny created his signature dish – a lamb shwarma taco. Inspired by the Mexican influences and still couched in Jerusalem Street food, the tacos became a hit! The nightly special soon became one of the most requested menu items and Lenny’s passion for flavors and invention were given fuel. Everything was in motion and then the pandemic hit.

Like most service industries, March 2020 was a punch in the gut to the restaurant industry and Charcoal was briefly closed. When the staff was laid off, Lenny was crushed. He wasn’t worried about his future, as he was concerned about his staff who were like family to him. He feared for their lack of benefits and available jobs to keep them in Los Angeles able to provide for their families.

After a month of needed relaxation, Lenny got the idea to open a Mexican kosher eatery. He got a call from his former meat supplier, and they discussed the project and the supplier told Lenny that he could use his facilities after 3 pm to develop the concept as a ghost kitchen. A week later, Lenny got his old team together and they opened, serving take-out and delivery through a small window in a back alley of Western Kosher Meat on La Brea. Word spread and Lenny’s was a hit!