In 2010, Michal Lavi took a leap of faith, leaving a career in geology to pursue her creative passions—baking and filmmaking. What began as a small bike-delivery bakery has since grown into Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, a vibrant East Village kitchen that employs over 40 people serving fresh bread, pastries, and lunches.
It was here that she launched the Tzavta Salon Series, an ongoing event that blends food, art, conversation, and community. Something she evolved further with a 2019 expansion of the bakery into a restaurant, Park by Sidewalk Citizen, in Central Memorial Park.
Today, Lavi is the co-founder and owner of both Sidewalk Citizen ventures and the CEO of Odem’s World Foundation, a platform and company that’s bringing science, social justice, and art out of institutions and into communities—fostering spaces where creativity can thrive.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What made you decide to make that initial career shift from geology to something more creative, like baking and filmmaking?
We (Lavi and her partner Aviv Fried) wanted to do something that was more community-oriented, more creative, and just a bit different. It was definitely nerve-racking; I was living downtown at the time, and it came with a lot of financial insecurity. It felt like a big risk. But it was something we both felt really strongly about.
Where does your love for baking and filmmaking come from?
My partner, Aviv, is the baker. After completing his master’s, he wanted to do something with his hands, incorporate physical labour, and create a product. He is passionate about good bread, a substantial and comforting part of the meal. As for films, I have always written, and I have been a cinephile since I can remember.
What inspired you to open Sidewalk Citizen Bakery back in 2010?
Part of the inspiration for the bakery in the beginning was The Death and Life of Great American Cities, written in the 60s by Jane Jacobs at the height of the suburban sprawl. Part of what makes a city great is small businesses, walkable sidewalks, and places where people can meet, exchange ideas, and feel safe. Both Aviv and I love that notion, and it’s been sort of our guiding principle from the beginning.
Tell me about the inspiration behind the Tzavta events. What was your vision and goal in starting them out in the first place?
The inspiration was to create an intimate space for conversation, not necessarily a lecture or presentation, but something where you can learn and participate.
The larger inspiration comes from the Parisian salons of the early 20th century. They were hosted by women, and they created a rare kind of intersection for people to meet during times that were a lot more structured. So it was the first time that artists, philosophers, and rogues met together with business people or industrialists or bankers, so there was no societal or financial separation; it was where men and women could sit together and meet, and it sparked a lot of great ideas.
I started the Tzavta Salons to create an intimate space for conversation, sharing food, and connection, as well as to make learning something more intimate and less structured.
It started very small; we didn’t have big ambitions, but what happened throughout the years was surprising and kind of magical to a certain extent.
What makes the format of the Tzavta Salons unique?
Part of the charm is that it’s small and intimate. So it’s never more than 65 people, and we create a family meal inspired by our guest of honour, which is unique to that particular event. The evening starts with a shared meal; everyone sits down and eats together at communal tables. Food and drinks have the awesome side effect of alleviating hunger and social anxiety. The conversation begins after the meal. Another aspect is that we kindly ask our speakers not to use PowerPoint or visuals to avoid distractions. There’s no formal Q&A, either. Instead, people in the audience are invited to ask questions throughout.
We’ve hosted amazing people, from authors and scientists to adventurers and philosophers [including two Nobel Prize winners]. We’ve also been fortunate to collaborate with amazing institutions in Calgary like Wordfest, Honens Piano Competition, the Esker Foundation, Fluid Fest, the Philharmonic, and the University of Calgary, among others, so that’s been fantastic.
How did the opportunity to expand into Central Memorial Park come about, and what was your original vision for it?
Over the years, we’ve had a lot of opportunities to expand and open more locations, but the idea was to try and focus on one thing and do it right. What we do requires a lot of attention to detail and is very labour-intensive.
At the same time, we did want to diversify a little, have a space where we could serve different types of food, open for dinner, and host events—particularly the salons we were already doing.
We’ve known of this place (the restaurant in Central Memorial Park) for a long time because of Sidewalk Citizen Bakery, which originally started with my partner, Aviv, where we were delivering fresh bread by bicycle, totally emission-free, and this place was on the route.
So we found out that it was another restaurant that was deciding to shut down. We approached them and decided to take it on. We weren’t trying to franchise, but the location allowed us to host the Tzavtas and support new talent and ideas.
Given that the location is situated in a Calgary city park, how important was it for you to create a sense of connection and community through that space?
This location is phenomenal for so many reasons—it’s central, and it’s one of the most beautiful parks in Calgary.
The idea was always to create a community hub, something that’s approachable in how we design the menu, how we price, and how we decorate to create something warm.
It’s also a heritage park (Calgary’s oldest park), so it presented an amazing opportunity. We planted trees, including a fig tree, and designed with the park’s spirit in mind. For example, our patio fencing and vestibule take design elements from the window alcoves of the Central Memorial Library.
What kind of impact have you seen the salons have on the local community or the people who participate?
Because people spend time together, they have a chance to make a connection. Intimacy is a delicate thing, and it takes time. Because the salon’s topics cover everything from art to science and philosophy to literature, it is a fun intersection of people. So you never know who you might meet and what interesting conversation you will end up having. It’s also a time where you don’t have any distractions of phones or a PowerPoint; you’re living more connected.
You also host Chardonnay with a Cube of Ice, a bi-monthly series featuring women scientists presenting cutting-edge research. Where did that idea come from?
This one’s the rogue, “badass” sister of Tzavta and is meant to be a body and mind package. For each event, we invite a woman scientist to share her research for about 45 minutes. Rather than a sit-down meal, we pass around delicious canapés and then turn up the music for a DJ dance party. Our guest of honour shares her “summit push” (a delightfully embarrassing) playlist. Everyone dances like no one’s watching.
It has been a collaboration with WISE, Women in Science and Engineering, and really fun. Both the Tzavta Salons Chardonnay with a Cube of Ice Salons are under the umbrella of Odem’s World Foundation—creating space where science, art, and community meet in the most human way.
The foundation is something I didn’t know about going into this, but is really important to highlight in the article. Can you give me a rundown of what it is?
So last year I started the Odem’s World Foundation, which grew out of the Tzavta Salons. It’s rooted in the belief that through science, social justice, and the arts—and through the simple act of gathering for conversation — we can make the world a little better.
At its heart, the foundation builds on what we’ve been doing here: creating spaces for meaningful conversations and connection. One of our goals is to expand that model—to bring the same sense of intimacy and curiosity to different communities across the city, and eventually beyond. We want to make these experiences accessible, approachable, and inclusive and widespread geographically.
We’ll keep hosting the salons at the restaurant—it’s where it all started, and that intimacy is part of the magic. But having a foundation allows us to have a broader reach and make it more accessible so that we can sponsor and support salons in other communities. It gives us the ability to grow this movement thoughtfully. We are launching a new series this December that I am super excited about! We will announce it soon, but a small spoiler: it’s designed for kids.
“I think once you have a good idea and you can communicate it and are passionate about it, and put in the time, you’re going to find good people that will want to be a part of it.”
– Michal Lavi
Keep your eyes peeled because Lavi has another salon series in the works. Until that’s unveiled, the best way to find out about future salons is to be on Park’s email list or stop by for a bite at either location.
Park by Sidewalk Citizen Sidewalk Citizen Bakery
Location: 340 13th Ave. S.W. Location: 618 Confluence Way SE