The Coffee Lab: Shuk Ha’Carmel’s Gem of Java

Throughout the past four months, I have established a Friday morning ritual of rushing through Shuk Ha’Carmel to purchase glistening apples, fresh eggs, aromatic mint leaves, and other necessary groceries for the week.  Especially on this day, the shuk bursts with people of all ages and walks of life.  Charming old ladies grip their Shabbat challah braids and push through the crowds with attitude while disoriented American tourists attempt to dodge the occasional raw fish smell.  As the Shabbat clock ticks, Friday mornings at the shuk emanate a mood of hectic urgency with a special touch.  I truly feel like part of the Tel Aviv culture as I rush to check the items off my list along with the other locals and visitors.  As much as I love my crazy Fridays at the shuk, I experienced something quite unique when I went to outdoor market this past Monday afternoon…

An aura of tranquility permeated the atmosphere at the shuk yesterday.  While I went with a specific purpose of purchasing Chanukah gifts for my lovely girlfriends, I still felt a sense of peace knowing that I could take my time.   After I found beautiful, handcrafted Hamsa symbols, I leisurely strolled through the shuk.  Eventually, I came upon the Coffee Lab, a specialty coffee shop nestled among the fruit stands.  The mini-café peeks out from behind the majestic tapestries hanging from the makeshift roof of the shuk.  I had noticed this place before but had never taken the opportunity to stop and smell the java.  With my Hebrew textbook in tote, I stepped into the coffee shop for a chance to study and savor a steaming Americano. 

With an industrial yet homey vibe, the Coffee Lab features gigantic stainless steel coffee machines at the café bar with approximately four stools.  The sheer amount of coffee-brewing machinery reflects the dedication to the quality beverages.  The twinkling chandelier above the espresso bar adds a touch of glamour to the ambiance.  Polychromatic pop-art images of Marilyn Monroe grace the walls, and at each of the four two-top tables, there are plush chairs with plush eggplant-colored cushions.  The sounds of smooth jazz instantly transported me to Barnes & Noble in my hometown.  I could picture myself sitting at table with my mother and two younger sisters on a Sunday afternoon.  I remember how we divided warm chocolate-chip cookie into four pieces and sipped Chai Tea lattes together. 

The cozy set-up of the Coffee Lab relaxed me, and the more I looked around, the more I was intrigued.  At the entrance, there are tattered coffee satchels that appear as though they have just come off a cargo ship from South America or Africa.  Along the walls, there are tall, cylindrical glass cases that hold a variety of coffee beans grown in different geographical areas. 

Holistically, this coffee shop reminded me that Tel Aviv acts as global city that allows individuals to feel the comfort of local culture.  In many diverse ways, Tel Aviv manifests a beautiful compromise between absorbing world cultures and preserving its own identity.  

Wishing you a week of light, love, and lattes,  

Alexis

If you can't buy it at the Shuk, don't eat it By Andrea Mann

While enjoying some time to myself, I decided to mix a little business with a little pleasure and read Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. Firstly, this book is definitely not a beach read. (Who wants to be in a bikini while reading about why you shouldn’t devour a box of Kraft Mac n Cheese?) And secondly, this is not a book to read the day after you stuff your self silly at a delicious Thanksgiving feast.  Or maybe it is because, after a third helping of stuffing, it made me seriously start to consider what it is we put into our bodies everyday.

Throughout the entirety of the book Pollan strongly criticizes the Western diet while heavily complimenting the diets of people in Mediterranean regions. So what is it that makes Mediterranean food so superior to food consumed in the Western diet? Well, Pollan imposes a few new food rules that he believes everyone should follow, such as: only shop in the outskirts of a supermarket and avoid the overly processed food piled ceiling high in the middle aisles, and, if possible, avoid the supermarket altogether and shop at the local farmers markets. Sure, in some places this may be difficult, but here in Israel this may be the easiest task ever assigned.

Shuk HaCaramel

In Tel Aviv I find it is easier (and a lot more fun) to buy all of your groceries from one of the several fruit/veggie stands that line the streets or from the huge Shuk HaCaramel at the Allenby and King George junction. As you follow the narrow and crowded center aisle South through Shuk HaCaramel you will be amazed by the abundance of stalls boasting a rainbow display of produce. Within the maze of food stalls you will be able to find any vegetable and fruit that you could possibly want (as long as it is in season), more types of cheese then you can even imagine, displays of meat that may make you quickly turn your head away, and so many bags of spices filled to the brim that your nose will likely begin to tickle. Seeing as all of the food is fresh and bright and all of the vendors are proudly rattling off cheap prices in deafening decibels, the only difficult task is deciding with which vendor to do business.

Shuk Ha Caramel

Shuk HaNamal

Although the Shuk HaCaramel is mostly under cover, there is also an Indoor Food Market that just opened its doors for the Tel Aviv winter. Even though it is 80 degrees in December, people are still trying to convince me that there is winter in Tel Aviv... I’ll believe it when I see it. But either way, the Indoor Food Market is located at the Tel Aviv Port in a brown building that reads “Shuk HaNamal”. Although it is much smaller then I had anticipated it is definitely adequate. I found the products, displays, and the indoor atmosphere to be much more gourmet than that of the Shuk. With an olive bar, a fresh pasta selection that was almost as colorful as the pepper variety, a butcher, which proudly hung its sausages from the ceiling, tasty fruit smoothies, and an impeccable spice collection, the Shuk HaNamal definitely had some delicious smells wafting through the enclosed building. On Tuesdays and Friday evenings an additional farmers market sets up right outside of the building, so you can buy your fresh produce while enjoying the crisp Mediterranean air or step inside for a little coverage.

Now this is real food. It's fresh and its in season. There is no middle man (giant supermarkets).You can ask the vendors as many detailed and perplexing questions about their products and they will surely provide you with an answer. To paraphrase Pollan’s “avoid supermarket” rule, “If you can’t buy it at the Shuk, don’t eat it”.

After finishing the book, I realized it was time to change my ways a little bit. So, I set out to pick up some fresh fruit and veggies for the week. The only downside of shopping outdoors in a big city? The bags weigh me down and very quickly begin to cut off all circulation in my wrists. I think it’s time to invest in one of those handy little shopping bag trolleys.

More info about Tel Aviv farmers markets