Little Country, Big Appetite by Andrea Mann

I was relaxing on the gorgeous sandy Tel Aviv beach, enjoying the 90 degree cloudless skies in November, and skimming an article in Glamour Magazine about a blogger who took on a difficult weeklong food-frenzy mission. She had promised Glamour to only eat foods advertised on TV for an entire week and after about four days of sugary doughnuts, over-salted fast food, and processed frozen meals, she reported, “I had 2 hunger modes: (1) Desperately starving and (2) uncomfortably stuffed." Well, as I read this article, I too was recovering from a self-induced food coma. So, Glamour blogger, welcome to my life.

Israel may only be 8,000 square miles and not much larger than the state of New Jersey, but judging by the portion sizes at restaurants, I could easily mistake my locale for Texas. Prior to living in Tel Aviv, I thought big portions was a very Americanized concept. I can now attest to the fact that Tel Aviv restaurants have outdone American restaurants.

Take the Israeli breakfast for example. In America, it’s common to speed through the drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin that you will scarf down while sitting in highway traffic on your way to work. But in Israel, breakfast is serious business. Every café in Israel is sure to have some variation of the standard Israeli Breakfast on their menu and it is most likely served all day long. A typical Israeli Breakfast consists of: eggs prepared by your choice, an Israeli salad (finely diced tomatoes, onion, cucumber, parsley), an entire loaf of freshly baked bread accompanied with an assortment of spreads (butter, cream cheese, feta, laboneh, guacamole, tuna, olives, jam), a shot of yogurt, a freshly squeezed juice of your choice, and a hot beverage. And yes, as proved by the additional “Israeli Breakfast for Two” item on the menu, the standard Israeli Breakfast is meant for just one person.

While it’s easily sharable (and I recommend that you do), I had woken up in hunger mode #1, “Desperately Starving”, and felt the need to immediately satiate my growling stomach by driving into hunger mode #2, “Uncomfortably stuffed”, so I opted to order the wonderful Israeli Breakfast from Saquella’s for myself.

Having previously lived in Barcelona where tapas (you know, those teeeeeny-tinyyyy little bite size things) were the cities claim-to-fame, I must admit that I love eating in Tel Aviv. Between the Israeli take on bagels, in which the circumference closely resembles that of a plate, the all-you-can-eat replenishable pita and hummus at local hummus joints like Abu Dubi, and the mezze salads that are often set on the table before you even open your menu, what's not to love? 

Since moving to Tel Aviv, the terms "Food Baby" and "Food Coma" have officially entered my everyday vocabulary.

Uncork Your Wine Knowledge

TasteTLV presents an evening of 
fine wines & gourmet cheeses!

A Quiet Place in Chaotic Tel Aviv

The Backyard of Little Prince

By Laura Goldstein
    
     Ever since moving to Tel Aviv Israel I have been searching for a quiet cafe to have a moment to think and work on my assignments for Taste TLV. It has proved harder than expected considering the copious amount of cafes in this city. Most of these cafes are constantly filled with people, humming with activity, and completely open to the street. The many Tel Aviv cafes are a great place to catch up with friends and grab a great cup of coffee but all of the noise is distracting if you want to get some work done.

       After searching for a quiet place for a few weeks I was told about a café called the Little Prince. It is peaceful and secluded from the usual rush of people; I find it ideal for working on my computer. The Little Prince is tucked away just off hectic King George Street, but it feels worlds away from the busy thoroughfare.

     

That's just not kosher by Andrea Mann

It’s 90 degrees and sweat is dripping out of every pore of your sun-kissed body. You reluctantly decide to retreat from the beautiful Tel Aviv beach to refresh and rehydrate at a café a little ways away. You hear ice-cold water calling your name as you walk the few blocks in the dreadful heat. You sit down; the waitress greets you, places empty glasses on the table, and proceeds to take your order. You ask for a glass of tap water (which you must specify so as not to be charged for bottled water), your friend orders a diet coke, and you both place your sandwich order. Your friend’s diet coke arrives. You politely remind the nice waitress that you’d really love some water when she gets a chance. “Yes, 2 minutes”. Your sandwiches arrive. “Please, some water?” Halfway through your sandwich, a glass of lukewarm water, no ice, is set down. You gulp down every drop and pray she comes back with more. But, deep down, you know not to expect another glass of water until she brings the check.

Welcome to Israel. Where ice cold water with a freshly sliced lemon doesn’t appear magically before you, where dress codes rarely apply, and where strangers don’t hesitate to tell you how they really feel. Some may take pride in the laidback nature of Israeli way of life; others may argue that the directness and lack of customer service is a little too abrupt. Either way, there’s no doubt about it, Israel is definitely a fascinating and unique place.

Here’s just a little taste of Israeli culture:

Halloween in the Holy Land

Halloween night with Taste TLV at Mezcal

 By Laura Goldstein

Spending Halloween in Israel as an American you miss the carved pumpkins and crisp fall air that usually characterize the holiday. Halloween is not a big deal in Israel as the night of costumes and debauchery is the holiday of Purim in the spring.

 

The Bar at Mezcal during Halloween

As we walked from my apartment to the Taste TLV Halloween party my friend and I were conspicuous in our costumes. She dressed as a Greek goddess with a wreath of flowers on her head and I was a fairy, wings and all. We got some weird looks at my wings and her flowery headdress. Then we finally found Vital Street, it was alive with revelry with many bars overflowing with Halloween parties.