Some call me Simone. I call myself Positive. I believe that every day should be lived to the fullest; if that means getting out of bed and doing a few small things around the house, or going on grand adventures around the world, then that’s what you can find me doing. This summer, I spent two months in one of my favorite destinations in the world: Israel. With its vibrant culture, killer beaches and chaotic nightlife, Tel Aviv has it all. During normal working hours, I’d spend my days in a beautiful office interning at Boom25, a startup cash-back website. Once I’d leave work, I’d head on home and from there, head to my apartment’s rooftop to tan or trek to the beach to catch some waves. Nothing beats Israeli sunshine after a long day in the office.
After a late afternoon on the sand, I’d watch the beautiful sunset over the ocean and then eventually head to dinner and then hope to prepare for a night out on the town. Not bad, right? I really have no complaints; a beautiful summer with friends and a nice dose of Jewish hospitality.
I am Positive that the food in Israel is unlike food from anywhere else. Though my days filled with hummus, shakshouka and fresh challah are behind me, I want to share the best of TLV with you.
The world of Israeli cuisine works like this: you can get pita (bread pouches) with falafel (fried chickpea balls) and then add a dollop of hummus and pick your salads of choice whether it be Israeli salad (hummus and cucumbers), cabbage salad or some mix of onions and other spices. If you prefer chicken instead of falafel, you can opt for shawarma, which is thinly sliced pieces paired with pita. If you want a burrito-like roll instead, you can get a laffa flatbread and roll up everything inside. Yes, there is more to Israeli food than falafel, pita, and shawarma, but 90% of my diet was made up of this for the duration of the summer.
To start off, here’s some authentic Israeli food. Falafel Hakosem is known for its perfectly crispy falafel, smooth hummus, and outstanding chicken shawarma. When my friend, Sarah and I went, we arrived just minutes before the dinnertime rush. We both splurged on the shawarma plate: shawarma fresh from the grill, hummus and tahini, rice with chickpeas, fried eggplant and salads. Was it a lot of food? Yes. Did we eat every bite? No, we didn’t, but we savored every bite that we did eat before overeating.
To continue on the authentic Israeli food trend, I was often found eating the classic falafel and pita on any given day. Some of the best falafel was in Nahariya, a northern city just south of the Lebanese border. Despite the scorching Israeli summer temperatures, a warm lunch like this never fails to disappoint.
Tahini, the white dressing, is a thick paste made of sesame seeds; this is a traditional addition to falafel and pita. The red sauce is a hot chili sauce, which I don’t prefer, but it certainly adds a kick.
Well, another hummus stop Sarah and I made was to Hummus Hasan in Jaffa, Israel. Besides being actually affordable, their hummus was beyond life-changing. I never really considered hummus and pita being a whole meal, just because it’s, like, bread and a dip. But when you get hummus filled with mushrooms (my filling) or ground meat (Sarah’s choice), it can really fill you up fast. Abu Hasan is a small restaurant, so their homemade dishes allow anyone, tourist or not, to experience something really unique. On the side, Sarah and I got roasted cauliflower drenched in tahini and an order of falafel balls. We were also given shots of Arak, a licorice-flavored Israeli vodka since we were celebrating the last day of our internships. The owner was very friendly (again, Jewish hospitality), and he spoke English, which is always a plus. Here’s a snap of our feast:
Much of Israel claims that this hummus below is the best in the northern half of the country. What I consider to be a hole in the wall is known to serve the freshest of hummus with the finest tahini, paired with fluffy pita. Haifa, Israel, which is just north of Tel Aviv, is the home of Hummus Fadi, where I was treated for hummus by my Israeli friends from Nahariya. What’s amazing about this place is that if you look up their hummus online, it looks just like what I had; they give every customer their best stuff, so you’re guaranteed a good time. Here’s my classic hummus filled with chickpeas, parsley, and oil:
Moving beyond just hummus and pita, I definitely got a taste of other authentic food, too. Jaffa’s famous Old Man and the Sea is known for their impressive arrangement of salads, dips, and spreads. As soon as you sit down, you’re bombarded by beautiful Israeli waiters (think dark beards and thick accents) with large trays of over 20 small bowls of Israel’s finest salads. And did I mention these small bites are unlimited? Yep. If you and your table love the eggplant salad or the hummus or the cauliflower so much, you can get more in a matter of seconds. Beyond just these salads, my table and I got chicken skewers that were spiced and grilled to perfection. To make this meal even more memorable, we watched a beautiful sunset over the ocean as we were sitting right on the pier.
Let’s talk carbs for a moment here. Yeah, the abundance of fresh veggies and produce in Israel is great, but the small country has its own share of the finest burgers, pasta, and sweets. On the Fourth of July, my American friends and I felt the need to celebrate Independence Day, despite being over 5,700 miles from the States. We went to Vitrina Lili which is known for its fabulous creations they call burgers. I got a cheeseburger with seasoned fries and strawberry-basil lemonade to really get in the American spirit. The place was packed with Americans; I guess we weren’t the only ones who wanted to celebrate the 4th with America’s favorite food.
Another dinner consisted of pasta and more pasta and more pasta. Sara and I went to Pasta Basta, located right outside of Carmel Market, Tel Aviv’s old-school market with fruit vendors, nut stands and flying fish. At Pasta Basta, you can make your own bowl of pasta, ranging from a classic penne to other shapes that very few people could pronounce. This time around, I got Radiatori with pesto, fresh mozzarella balls, mushrooms, and fresh parmesan cheese. Sarah got Fusilli with pesto, too. A few weeks later, I returned to Pasta Basta and got Rose Radiatori (think pink pasta), which was also great. Here’s a picture of some extravagant pesto:
Pasta Basta is located right outside of Carmel Market. But when I get the chance to go into the market, I always find something good to take home. My favorite treat is the fresh babka which is sweet bread with either chocolate or cinnamon fillings. Here’s a snap of the babka ready to be taken home for a Shabbat dessert:
By this part of my blog post, I feel it’s necessary to discuss my favorite thing in the world: brunch. Plenty of mornings were spent with my friends in the muggy Israeli heat with makeshift outdoor air conditioning systems feasting on Tel Aviv’s finest brunch options.
When my sister came to visit me, she discovered this vegan gem called Anastasia. Their plant-based menu especially appealed to my vegan sister, so of course, we ate really well. I had an açai bowl with homemade granola while my sister had the Open Table spread that came with a chickpea and corn omelet, homemade grain bread and six different spreads that magically mixed well together.
Another day was spent at Bucke Cafe indulging in their specialty trays of food. I got the Vegan Tray, which consisted of a tofu scramble, roasted veggies, a green salad and (of course) hummus and tahini. Sarah got the Original Tray which was essentially the same meal but with an omelet instead of a tofu scramble. This brunch was fresh but also super hearty so it kept us full up until dinner.
Now, however, seems like a great opportunity to introduce my favorite restaurant in Tel Aviv during summer 2019: Cafe Xoho. There are no words that I can think of that can quite capture the beauty in what Cafe Xoho brings to the table, literally. Their menu offers a diverse range of vegetarian options from grain bowls to loaded bagels and fantastic breakfast burritos and smoothies.
Everything they serve is crafted to perfection; I’ve been to Cafe Xoho enough this summer to have tried just about the entire menu. However, there was one particular brunch outing that outdid itself. Of course, I was with Sarah who likes everything I like, so we shared everything. Referring to the picture below, here’s what we had, going clockwise from the top: Sarah’s yogurt bowl with homemade granola, bananas, apples, nuts; our breakfast burrito with egg, salsa, lettuce and black beans; my bulgar bowl with roasted veggies, tofu and an egg on top; and a side of grilled halloumi cheese because why not!
Sarah and I both knew this would be too much food for the two of us, so we packed up the burrito and brought it to the beach with us for an afternoon snack on the sand. Consider it the brunch that keeps on giving!
Tel Aviv is most certainly a city like no other. Many describe TLV as “Manhattan on the beach”, which is true to an extent as skyscrapers are being built there as we speak. But being from a New York suburb, I can attest that Israelis are unlike any New Yorkers I’ve ever met; Israelis are spontaneous and worldly and strong and loving. No matter where I may be from, they continued to welcome me with open arms and hearts all summer; I listened to their stories of where their families came from before Israel was Israel, and I learned about their service in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) to protect their country and their home. Israelis are loving and spunky, outgoing and courteous.
Plus, they know how to party.
I’m looking forward to getting back to Israel, whether it be for a ten-day excursion or to settle down again in a great city like Tel Aviv. With an unlimited supply of hummus, you can never go wrong.
Shalom, Israel… see you again soon.
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