Eat Well: Brasserie

This week, I revisited Brasserie and was reminded why this recurring favorite is always a mood lifter. Despite its location in the center of the city, just across from Rabin Square, the restaurant is faithful to its eponymous Parisian aesthetic, thus not only causing it to stand out, but also making a stop here feel like a mini vacation. Large mirrors, dark wood, french doors, lines of booths, and an ample bar create a stylishly subdued atmosphere for which the clientele is eager to dress up a bit. Upbeat music plays and excellent cocktails, from caipirinhas to martinis, help along the congenial atmosphere.

The menu, written in both Hebrew and French, is filled with classic dishes from the latter's cuisine: moules frites, roasted chicken, nicoise salad, and steak tartare all make an appearance, as do mouthwatering pomme frites (cleverly wrapped in a faux newspaper) and a decadent "American style" hamburger. Expect efficient service from waiters who are dressed the part and make sure you leave room for a rich dessert.

Image credited to Haaretz.com.

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