Travel Well: The Galilee

It's almost Thursday, which means that my thoughts are automatically attuning themselves to the weekend. I haven't made many plans yet, but find myself daydreaming about the lovely day I spent last Saturday in the Galilee. Perhaps a repeat is in order?

Our car trip from Tel Aviv began with the obligatory stop for gas and coffee - both equally important when large amounts of driving at early hours is involved. Our first official visit was going to be to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth. As a Taglit alum, one of my missions living in Israel has been to even out my knowledge by catching up on the major sights of Christianity and Islam. Today was going to be all about the former, with following stops at the Mount of Beatitudes and the Jordan River.

This was my second time to Nazareth. The weather was perfect and the streets were humming with activity. I rather like the shouk here, where the prices seem lower than usual and the selection is just as varied as anywhere. The Church of the Annunciation is also always interesting, particularly because of the selection of mosaics that have been donated from around the world. I hadn't remembered them from my previous visit and was excited to view - and psychoanalyze - them all over again.

Lunch was at the absolute Nazareth staple, Diana. We went to their new branch, which is around the corner and up the hill from the one on the main street. This outpost is far more beautiful, especially considering the temperature of the day and the fact that we were able to eat outside under the stately trees. An unending selection of salads, vegetables, hummus, and meats was gorgeously presented to us, topped off, of course, by their tasty baklava. I am beyond disappointed that I didn't snap pictures of the scene, but I was honestly too overwhelmed with the feast to think of anything else.


Post-lunch, we visited the Mount of Beatitudes, where the awe-inspiring natural beauty forced me to draw my camera out of the bag. This is certainly the time of year to visit the Galilee and I felt that I was seeing an Israel I didn't know existed. Lush, green, filled with blooming flowers and acres of crops, the land looked unbelievably fertile and welcoming. The view from the church, which stretched out in both directions along the banks of the Kineret, was insurpassable. The building itself, a marble, yet surprisingly tasteful (considering it was commissioned by Mussolini, of all people) edifice nestled between the rolling hills. We trekked down a foot path to the water and stopped along the way to explore a local banana grove.

Finally, it was on to the Jordan River. A bit of a rush, as the baptismal sight there closes at 6 p.m. We had no intention of wading into the water, but a quick hand dip did the spiritual trick. At dusk, the site was fairly quiet and we bought some funny souvenirs in the gift shop on our way out; a peaceful end to a long day.

Eat Well: Cafe Sonia

Just a few posts ago, I was writing about scouring the shouk for knee-high socks to wear in the rain. Now that we've spent the last week enduring a heatwave, however, I'm turning my attention to one of my favorite "sunny day" spots, Cafe Sonia Getzel Shapira.

Cafe Sonia inhabits a hidden courtyard on a tiny, dead-end alley off of King George, and its calm atmosphere couldn't be further form the hustle and bustle of the nearby shouk. Leafy trees, a humming fountain, and pebble-covered ground all add to the relaxed, organic aura of the restaurant, which is decorated with brightly colored mosaic tables and a rainbow array of chairs.

A green glass bottle, full of icy water, is quickly brought to the table, along with menus covered in childlike drawings, its sections whimsically titled: Toasty Fairytales, Pamper Yourself Breakfasts. The back page lays out an intriguing story about how the cafe, and the street it's on, got their shared name.

The menu especially distinguishes itself in its wide selection of shakshuka, Sonia's version of which I consider to be far and away the best I've found in Tel Aviv. A traditional option is available: egg, tomato, and onion cooked with spices and served in a hot frying pan. More elaborate variations include goat cheese, mozarella and mushrooms, red meat, and a delicious creamy spinach version that is furthest from the norm. Served with a small side salad and a delicious, addictive loaf of homemade, Moroccan-style bread (cooked over stones and sprinkled with sea salt), this is an Israeli staple not to be missed.


At night, the scene at Sonia turns towards the romantic, with candles and hanging lanterns illuminating the area. But stay away on cold and rainy ones: the courtyard remains uncovered throughout the Winter and there are no heat lamps to speak of. Only about three small tables sit in-doors.

Cafe Sonia Getzel Shapira
Sunday-Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight
1 Simta Almonit
+972 57 944 2801
www.soniagetzelshapira.rest-e.co.il

Shakshuka image credited to the Cafe Sonia website.

Shop Well: H&M Arrives

Yesterday, March 11th, 2010, Tel Aviv (and all of Israel, for that matter) got its first-ever H&M store. My boyfriend is involved in the company, so I was there. At 11:00 a.m., the ribbon was cut and mayhem erupted, as people at the front of the line were literally falling over one another to get their hands on the clothes. One H&M employee was hit in the face as the crowds rushed through the entrance; another scrambled to help a woman move her stroller swiftly out of the oncoming foot traffic. Why anyone would bring a tiny baby or toddler into an environment like this is beyond me.

Besides the general fighting over garments, here are some of the oddities I observed:
1. A woman plowing people down with a double stroller that held her twins.
2. Someone walking around with a bag over her head, so as not to be photographed.
3. A woman breastfeeding in the children's section.


Totally overwhelmed by the crowd's behavior, I took the afternoon off, but made it back at 9 p.m. to see the shop close. The scene was a clothing graveyard. The store, which had looked so pristine and beautiful two evenings earlier at the VIP party, appeared to have hosted a ransacked "going out of business" sale, not an opening day. Hangers were strewn across the floor; clothes were piled upon display tables or littered in aisles; the selections of clothes on racks were entirely mismatched and misplaced. Lingerie could be found on the opposite end of the store in the children's section and vice versa. Employees informed me that four people had lost their pants in the mayhem, one had lost her dress, and one had lost her baby, who was found, eventually, sleeping peacefully in a corner.

The store, which was supposed to close at 10 p.m., stayed open until nearly eleven, in order to accomodate the continuing stream of people. When the gate finally had to closed, employees and CEOs alike stood in the entrance and created a human shield against individuals who were still trying to sweet talk or argue their way inside.

www.hm.com/il

Sip Well: Caffe Tazzo d'Oro

Since my personal vision of heaven is a place where you can arrive for your caffeine fix in the morning and then stay long enough to drink a glass of dry white wine with your late lunch, Caffe Tazzo d'Oro has become a staple in my cafe rounds. The tiled floors, the wicker chairs, the cheerily sunny light yellow walls, the plethora of electrical outlets...everything here is pleasant, comfortable, easy.

Try one of their incredible breakfasts. Or indulge in a business lunch. I like to start with the eggplant and goat cheese before moving onto their chopped cucumber, tomato, and sliced schnitzel salad with lemony tehina dressing. Ask for extra focaccia bread - it's like nothing else I've found in this city. And, being a cupcake lover in a rather cupcake-less land here, I often top off my meals with one of their little white-chocolate praline balls, which are almost too-sweet to handle, but taste just like a little glob of frosting.

And about that namesake coffee. When my boyfriend and I were in Rome last Fall, we stalked a Tazza d'Oro coffee shop near the Pantheon, literally walking day after day in the opposite direction of our intended destination just to get a ahold of one, two, three tiny cups of espresso and then a capuccino for the road. It's just that good.

Bonus: The cafe hosts live jazz on Friday afternoons around 2:30. Come early. It fills up fast.

Tazzo d'Oro
6 Ahad Ha'am
Neve Tzedek

Trend: Mink Muffs

Essie's new nail polish color Mink Muffs has been decorating my fingers for weeks now. I first got introduced to it when I was back in L.A. around New Year's when, having gotten tired of my winter reds, I decided to ask the manicure place what their newest selection was. The taupey color they produced wasn't immediately seductive, yet it turned out to be surprisingly refreshing once applied. There's something to be said for the type of clean edginess that a neutral palette can evoke - just think of 60s era nuded-out lips.

Throw on something flirty and bright to go with it. The contrast will lend a new interest and sophistication to the color. Take, for example, my post-manicure experience shopping at J. Crew. Amidst that pastel backdrop, my fingernails positively popped. So much so that the sales girl helping me began calling her colleagues over to see "the new color" she loved.

Florals and grays. Seems like the perfect combo for a Spring that, so far, has been half heatwave, half rainstorm.

Trend: Knee-High Socks

The rain can often force me to compromise my sense of style. I start pinning my bangs back, tucking comfy leggings into boots, borrowing my boyfriend's oversized sweaters, skipping all makeup, and heading out the door looking fairly like I've just rolled out of bed.

A recent stop at the shouk, however, gave me a reason to put together cute outfits again: socks. Decorative, layerable socks. Knee-high navy blue socks worn over grey leggings and under black boots; knee-high grey socks worn over black tights with brown boots; and the sexiest thigh-high thin black socks worn over bare legs or layered over black tights with tall black heels.

Cheap and warm, my new purchases are the perfect mix of fashion and practicality, keeping me covered while allowing me to slip back into a few shorter skirts and dresses. It feels good to feel cute again.

Eat Well: Joz ve Loz

There was never any question of how to start this blog...Joz ve Loz was the very first restaurant I dined at in Tel Aviv and nowhere else in the city has since trumped it.

There's something magical about this place. The tucked-away, nondescript, signless entrance. The colored lights hanging above the patio and the love poems written on every menu. The mismatched furniture. The rumored story of the place being started by a lesbian couple who have now broken off (I can't verify this one, but the place does bleed romance). The feeling of being snuggled between the highrises in a secret garden. The hum of the air conditioning system. The bikes and broken pots in the corner.

The selection changes daily, based on whatever fresh ingredients the restaurant picked up at the market that day. What never changes, however, is the fanciful, distinctly Mediterranean kick that is applied to these crisp market findings. Unexpected mixes of flavors and textures is what characterizeds almost all of the dishes.

On a recent night, there was an Asian salad with lychees, nuts, greens, and herbs. Grilled octopus on slices of toasted bread. Delicate ceviche drizzled in olive oil, with crunchy nuggets of salt, pomegranate seeds, and basil slivers. Lamb chops atop a burghul and tomato salad. Homemade pasta and gnocchi with asparagus, celery, spices and parmesan. A large, yet simple, entrecote with roasted potatoes. Small white fish encrusted with herbs, to be dipped in yogurt. Lamb roasted in the oven for six hours, served with tehina and lentils.

I usually like to drown my meals here with their house wine, a South African red. But they do have a full bar and bottled beer. One beer is served on tap: Tibe, from the Palestinian village of the same name. It's light in color, somewhat sweet in flavor. A nice option.

Dessert here is simple. Perhaps malabe, or flourless chocolate cake. Make sure to get some of their strong Arabic coffee or at least black tea with mint to gird yourself for the rest of the evening's festivities...

One caveat: The menu here is only in Hebrew, so if you can't read, you will have to smile a lot and thank your waiter for taking the time to translate. It is not an easy task to find the English words for many of their more obscure ingredients and cooking techniques.

51 Yehuda Halevi
+972 3 560 6385