Hello, shalom and “welcome to the Middle East”, as Israel’s Omer Adam sings in his hit song, “Tel Aviv”. I briefly mentioned in my previous post that I’d be traveling to Israel for my summer adventure. Well, this trip is anything but brief as I just finished my first of two months in this beautiful country I’m calling home for the summer. Never would I’ve imagined that I would fall so deeply in love with a small state in the Middle East like I have with Israel; I wake up every day in my apartment knowing that each moment is so special here, and every sunset on the beach and bite of falafel is making these two months away from home so worth it. I have found a new home in Tel Aviv, living with the 40 other Americans on my program; together, we have conquered the public transportation system and hit up every bar in this free-spirited city. I don’t consider myself a tourist anymore, despite still struggling with the language.
I love being able to extend my social life beyond my 9 months of the year that I’m at school; living with 40 American college kids over the summer makes every day a party. However, when my parents came to town, I just had to make time for them, too. Last weekend, my parents flew into Israel from the States to tour around the country, but more importantly, to see me. They stayed in Tel Aviv for an entire weekend, so naturally, I was excited that they would take me out every day to places I couldn’t afford on my own. And when I say we ate really well, we really did.
Our first of three nights together was spent at North Abraxas on Lilienblum Street, near Allenby Street. Known for its upscale ambiance, loads of liquor and small plates for sharing, my parents finessed a reservation and we ate the night away.
We had incredible plates to share between the three of us; seasonal fruits and veggies that were paired well with Israeli spices made this an authentic meal. In no particular order, here’s what we had:
Fresh ceviche with cucumbers, onions, cilantro, and tomatoes in fresh olive oil…
We then had an entire head of roasted cauliflower (and broccoli in the background) to meet our veggie quota…
My dad and I then split the lamb kebabs, which were unbelievable. Perfectly spiced and toasted, and paired with a cucumber and onion salad, all over fresh olive oil made this a great addition to the meal…
By this point, we were getting full. But then out of nowhere comes this huge zucchini pizza with freshly shaved parmesan coating the entire pie; okay maybe it didn’t come out of nowhere… we did order it, after all. However, this pizza was undeniably the best (and only) zucchini pie I’ve ever had. Really something different…
We had some other small plates here and there, but because of the poor lighting, I couldn’t quite capture their beauty.
For dessert, my parents and I went for a classic family favorite, the baked apple crumble. It came with fresh whipped cream and a raspberry syrup on the side. It was warm and gooey, and definitely a great way to end the dinner…
This meal was one of those meals where I had to unbutton my jeans in the cab home… that’s when you know it was fantastic.
The next day was definitely a more chaotic day in Tel Aviv. It was the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, so while I was celebrating all things ~love~ around the city with my friends, my parents went exploring, too. We then met up for dinner and went across the street from their hotel to Night Kitchen. They had an option on their menu to have a “Dinner Feast” where we tell our waiter what we don’t like, and they do the rest. I first started off with Sangria with chunks of fresh fruit which was super refreshing on this hot evening. We were then served challah with 3 different spreads of jam or butter. Then came out tomato carpaccio that came with za’atar leaves and local labne cream cheese. Here’s a snap:
The next dish to come out was my personal favorite: the crispy ginger salad with salmon tartar, kohlrabi, beetroot, onion, and parsley served on toasts and drizzled with caramel soy sauce and crispy ginger. Here’s a snap of the tartar:
My dad and I had this amazing marinated steak with sea salt; however, the pictures didn’t come out too well, so just picture it in your head!
The last big plate to come out was the vegan gnocchi, which came with roasted veggies and fresh parmesan…
Since we decided on the plate tasting rather than each of us ordering something individually, all of these plates were surprises as we had no idea what was coming. So when dessert came, of course, that was a surprise, too. We had the crème brûlée lollipops that came with a raspberry tart and vanilla ice cream. Here’s a photo:
Again, this was another great meal. I enjoy sharing small plates with my parents because we all like the same things; being in a family of adventurous eaters has its perks!
The next morning, my parents and I went on a bike tour around Tel Aviv. I had already been living in the city for quite a bit, so while we were biking, I was excited to show my parents my favorite spots, like my beach hangout, my favorite bars and clubs, and my favorite cafes. We rode a total of 11 miles, down the shoreline and back up through the middle of the city. We biked during Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest), so even as our tour guide was working because he was with us that morning, the rest of the city was pretty relaxed, so it was a comfortable ride.
By the end of our tour, we were exhausted, sweaty and hungry. We cleaned up at the hotel and then went off to Benedict, Tel Aviv’s 24-hour breakfast eatery. They specialize in Israeli spreads (hummus, tahini, etc.), pancakes, mimosas and, of course, eggs benedict. Despite having to wait in line for over half an hour, the entire experience was a good time. You can get a free drink with any meal, so whether you want a glass of fresh orange juice, hot coffee or a mimosa, you’ll certainly stay refreshed. For my brunch, I had the Classic Israel Breakfast. It comes with three eggs in any style (I opted for poached eggs), and, going clockwise from the top left, labneh za’atar with crushed tomatoes, green tahini, chives cream cheese, tuna salad, and a chunk of fresh feta topped with za’atar. I had a mimosa, too, of course, and a beautiful Israeli salad comes on the side, not to mention the unlimited bread basket that really kills any diet you’re trying to start.
My dad got the bagel with half avocado and half scrambled eggs. It was so fresh and filling… my dad was most certainly a happy camper.
Later that day, my parents and I wandered to the beach to watch the beautiful late-afternoon Shabbat beach chaos. It was crowded and hot, but nothing beats watching a gorgeous sunset while sipping on wine. We didn’t do exactly that, but my parents and I went to a beachside bar with my two friends. We had drinks and watermelon while catching up and enjoying our surroundings.
This was one of those days that I can consider to be a perfect day. I spent all day with my parents (I really do love them!), ate well, biked plenty, and then introduced them to my girlfriends who are really making this summer special. Nothing makes me happier than having all my favorite people together.
For our final dinner together later that evening (we ate a lot that day… oy!), my parents and I went to Hatraklin Meat and Wine Bistro on Lilienblum Street. This small restaurant specializes in intimacy and great service. To start, my dad and I had the Beef Ceviche topped with pistachios and coriander. It was super flavorful and quite delightful. For dinner, I had the Lamb Siniya, which was a lamb kebab trio and cooked with eggplant, tomato sauce, and fresh tahini. The lamb was so well seasoned, and even though I don’t care for eggplant too much, it complemented the lamb well. My meal came in a sizzling pot, so the flavors were still cooking together when it came to my table. Unfortunately, my picture ended up being subpar, so I recommend taking a trip to Israel to try the Lamb Siniya yourself!
My parents were only in Tel Aviv with me for a few days, but don’t worry, I’m still eating well without them. In fact, I’m eating so well here that I can’t wait to share all of my #eats with you so soon! Stay tuned for more hummus (correctly pronounced hoo-moose) and shawarma and Shishi dinners (what I learned to be synonymous to Shabbat dinners). I never thought I’d eat so well for two whole months, but I’m doing just that. More #eats can also be found on my Instagram page, @SimoneSaysFood.
Referencing Omer Adam’s hit song, “Tel Aviv” again, the famous line goes “Lemme show you Tel Aviiiiiivvvvv”, so of course, I needed to show my parents Tel Aviv!
It’s now time for me to get back to the beach, then hit up a cafe, then hit the town later tonight and explore some more!
Lehitraot, see you soon.
Simone
xoxo
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