Sip Well: Arcaffe

There's no arguing the fact that, although this is a city filled with lively cafes, you should still be able to drink a great cup of coffee without ever having to leave your apartment. The instant brands that people are so fond of here just don't do it for me: their taste strikes me as a bit tinny, and the caffeine never seems to hit me in quite the right way. Filter coffee is just as easy to make, especially when you're using a standard, uncomplicated french press, and the key is only to find your perfect blend of beans.

While Tazzo d'Oro may serve up my favorite coffee in the city, it's a bit of a trek for days when we need a filter refill. Enter Arcaffe, another Italian coffee transplant, which has grown into one of Israel's largest coffee chains. A popular cafe in its own right (serving decadent pastries, juices, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc.), Arcaffe also sells excellent ground coffee beans for take-away. My personal favorite is their flavorful Roma blend, which works well for espresso, Turkish coffee, or filter, and is ideal for those who prefer a stronger taste. Also offered are Cafe Creme, Mocha Creme, Toscana, and the decaf Pianissimo, each of which is recommended for a particular preparation method or two. As the beans are ground upon your order, it's possible to purchase as much or as little as you like. Pick up a 250 gram bag (or more) and ask them to slice one of their fresh loafs of bread (they are excellent and less expensive than bread found in the grocery store). This is my weekly take-away ritual and, thus far, it has served me well on many a morning.


Tel Aviv Locations:
Dizengoff Center
Rehov Basel
Rehov HaArba'a
Sderot Rothschild

www.arcaffe.co.il

Images credited to the Arcaffe website.

Shop Well: Paula Bianco

Gan HaHashmal is known as Tel Aviv's district for up-and-coming designers, but Smadar-Pola Azriel, with a jewelry line that sells at Bergdorf Goodman NYC, Colette in Paris, and Harvey Nichols in London, has already gained a heady international reputation. The fact that her Paula Bianco gems still locate a tiny storefront in such a decidedly industrial district is a testament to both the line's cool factor and the bargains that can be found by purchasing directly from Azriel herself.

Several different themes can be found throughout the store, from the selection of scarves, to the rows of tiny gold charms, to the necklaces with alphabet pendents fashioned from old stamps. Perhaps the signature Paula Bianco look, however, is her wide array of jewelry made from antique buttons, ribbons and pearls. Found in the form of earrings, headbands, rings, bracelets, and necklaces, these statement pieces fashion feminine materials into strong designs, establishing the line's perfect blend of soft glamour and tough chic.



Paula Bianco
12 Harakevet St
+972-3-6850171
www.paulabianco.biz

Images credited to the Paula Bianco website.

Art: Yael Bartana

Through no fault of my own, it's been almost over a month since my last blog post. The problem has actually been with the website itself and, now that it's fixed, I am overjoyed to be jumping back online to start updating again!

One of the things I've been most anxious to write about is the exhibition currently showing at Sommer Contemporary Art. The gallery has been transformed in order to show two of Israeli artist Yael Bartana's video works, the first from her (unfinished) "Polish Trilogy": Mary Koszmary (Dreams and Nightmares), from 2007, and Mur I Wieza (Wall and Tower) from 2009, the latter of which is having its first showing in Israel.

Mary Koszmary shows Polish activist Slawomir Sierakowski calling for a return of three million Polish Jews to their homeland. Wall and Tower imagines the actualization of his request, as a group of Israelis builds a kibbutz on the former site of the Warszaw Ghetto.

As I often volunteer at Sommer Contemporary Art, I have been able to observe the intense reactions that people have to these two works. While the responses range from absolute outrage to philosophical understanding, the point to me is that, whether you disagree with Sierakowski's vision or not, the video raises valid questions for today that are, indeed, being discussed academically. It is a testament to the strength of Bartana's art that she can confront people in such a manner, expertly evoking both emotions and discourse.

The exhibition ends May 15th.

Sommer Contemporary Art
113 Rothschild Blvd
Mon-Thurs. 10:00-6:00
Fri. 10:00-2:00
Sat. 11:00-1:00

Image credited to Yael Bartana.

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