Upcoming Sufganiot Crawl 2010

Sufganiot season has FINALLY returned.

This year I plan to לטעום (taste) as many flavors and bakeries as my anti-lactose stomach will not punish me for.  Prepare yourselves for a full report on each new Roladin variety my upon my return to Tel Aviv in just 4 days.

Until then I will leave you with these mouth watering images to moisten your palettes.

Brasserie M&R

Brasserie M&R  Ibn Gvirol 70, 03-6967111 

In the last seven months I’ve had the chance to try some of the best restaurants in Tel Aviv. After many plates and tastes, however, one of my new favorites is the Brasserie, a traditional French bistro style restaurant, conveniently open 24/7, making it accessible for everyone from the casual luncher, to the couple looking for a nice dinner, to the Tel Avivian late night snacker. I am especially partial to it because of its remarkable resemblance to my old stomping grounds (www.sardinemadison.com).

Not only does Brasserie’s lunch and dinner menu offer a wonderful selection of classic French dishes, their weekend brunch is one of the best in the city.  They have separate menus for their special late night menu, and weekday breakfast, which is essentially identical to the weekend brunch, albeit with different prices.

I have yet to try everything on the menu, so I can only provide recommendations based on what I have tried.

Recommendations

Appetizers:

• French onion soup – Excellent. Brasserie is known for their French onion soup
• Steak tar tar - Excellent! Wow. Tied with Agadir Embassy for best in town.
• Tuna tar tar  - Delish. Was a special, not listed on menu.
• Chѐvre chaud - Good/standard. Warm pieces of goat crustinis topped with goat cheese on a salad.
• Blinis - One large pancake topped with greens, gravalax and crème fraiche.  Same sized portion as on the brunch menu.
• Sea Bream tar tar - Good if you like cilantro
• Frites (fries) are my personal favorite.

* Food for thought.  For those of you who detest cilantro (like myself) and do not already know this—corriander is the same thing as cilantro and כוסברה pronounced “coosbarah”.  DON’T order the sea bream tar tar if you’re not into coriander.

               

Main courses:

• Porterhouse 400g - Delicious, juicy, perfectly cooked (we ordered it medium-rare). Just enough for two. Served with a healthy portion of bone marrow.
• Burger – Very tasty burger, not the best in town, but good enough to order  again…comes     with those delectable FRIES!
• Poulet Rôti - Very juicy and flavorful halved roast chicken. Served with whole cloves of roasted garlic, seasoned with tarragon.
• Seafood mélange (special) – A seafood assortment (shrimp, calamari, mussels, and crab) served in a steaming hot pan with spicy panko crumbs, fennel, and a flavorful white wine sauce. If you’re into shellfish I highly recommend any of their seafood dishes.
• Spaghetti Bolognaise – Haven’t ordered it myself but I have heard it’s excellent.

Desserts:

• Cheesecake - Delish, but still not as good as Rothschild’s Kitchen.

Brunch: Brunch at Brasserie is one of my favorites in town. All main dishes are served with two drinks AND one of these drinks can be a cocktail (Brasserie is one of the few places in town I have been able to find a Bloody Mary).  The bread basket is filled with an assortment of freshly baked rolls and pastries from Brasserie’s bakery (“The Bakery”) located next door.

• Croque Madame - Mmmmmmmmmm.  So delicious.  Super cheesy with just the right amount of Ham (sorry hashem).  All in all, this is definitely one of their best brunch offerings.  For those of you with sensitive stomachs fear not, the bathrooms at Brasserie are extremely pleasant and very private. :)
• Oeufs Norvѐgiens – Eggs Benedict with lox. Good.
• Millefeuilles – This was good,
• Blinis – One of my personal favorite brunch options. (See appetizers above)
• Eggs Benedict – Love it, I recommend this.
• Israeli Breakfast – Ok. Very standard, a few cheese spreads and eggs of your choice.

Poulet Rôti (Roasted Chicken)

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A Brief Re-introduction

After a 7 month hiatus I have decided to overcome my ADD driven procrastination and start food blogging again.  Since Andrea has returned to Canada I will be writing reviews solo. I will try to keep them as concise as possible.

Hope you enjoy!

Fro Yo: Tamara & Moo

Confession.  One of my biggest fears before moving to Israel was that I would not be able to find a quality place to get my daily fro yo fix.

As a native valley girl I did have somewhat high expectations, considering the recent influx of novelty soft serve frozen yogurt places in Los Angeles (i.e. Pinkberry, Yogurtland, Red Mango, Menchies etc.).  While Tel Aviv could use a place like Yogurtland or Menchies that offer endless self serve flavors and toppings at around .30 cents an ounce, the city does feature a decent selection of refreshing all-natural frozen yogurt joints with fresh fruits and special Israeli chocolate, cereal and cookie toppings.
Tamara (Corner of Ben Yehuda & Gordon)

The wooden swings and charming decor create a warm, welcoming environment for what is in my opinion the BEST plain/natural fro yo place in Tel Aviv.  When rating natural frozen yogurt I personally believe that the texture of the yogurt itself is of upmost importance.  The cheaper places usually use a powder which produces an icy consistency while the better places (Pinkberry or Red Mango) use actual yogurt to create a creamier texture. Tamara offers an ideal balance between light and creamy…Not too rich but still not as bad as the little knock off joints around here where the yogurt tastes like some gross mixture of ice and powder. 

TOPPINGS. This adorable little yogurt boutique also boasts a vast assortment of perfectly ripe fruits (selections are seasonal) and other tasty toppings.
     Fruits: mango, pomegranate, dates, figs, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, kiwi, apple, oranges to name a few.

     Other: oreos, granola, nuts, and a bunch of different kinds of Israeli chocolate.  If you’re feeling really crazy get a scoop of hot Ferrero Rocher chocolate sauce....It will not disappoint.

 Moo (Ibn Gvriol, Dizengoff)

A somewhat more convenient, second-rate version of Tamara.  Yogurt is not as tasty, and wayy less topping options.  Fruit is also either too overripe and mushy or not ripe enough. 

NG 4 lyfe (by, Hana Nagel)

Recently crowned “best meat restaurant” by the latest foodie edition
of  Time Out, NG offers innovative and masterfully prepared steakhouse
fare.  NG’s impish icon, reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, belies the
seriousness with which the talented chefs treat their food.  Expertly
cooked with the freshest ingredients, all of the dishes we had during
the (reasonably priced) business lunch special were spectacular.
The Business lunch works as follows: for the price of your main
course, you may additionally take an appetizer and a non-alcoholic
drink.  I opted for the “Crunch salad”, a mouthwatering salad
comprised of mixed greens, baked sweet potato curls and parmesan
shreds, accompanied by a creamy dressing.


Another delicious first course included the baked eggplant spears served with a trio of
toppings- finely chopped mint and parsley, a roasted tomato salsa and
incredibly fresh goat cheese.
The succulent steaks are prepared by a staff of self-professed
perfectionists, and you will receive nothing less.  The meat was
accompanied by a delectably creamy mashed potatoes, garnished with
more baked sweet potato curls atop a pocket of creamed sweet potato
and caramelized onions.

The restaurant offers a decadent yet relaxed atmosphere, just the
place to settle in for your upscale steak meal.  For dessert and
coffee, one may also enjoy the Taza D'Oro Cafe, a Neve Tzedek
institution located right next door.


NG
6 Ahad Ha'am St.
(03)516-7888




-Hana Nagel

Breakfast: Saquella and Benedicts

Saquella (46 King George St.)
Fungi Breakfast. Mushroom omelette with Israeli salad and loaf of warm bread. Spreads: Feta with red peppers, laboneh, cream cheese, tuna, guacamole, tzaziki, olives, butter, and raspberry jam.

A typical Israeli breakfast usually consists of: Israeli salad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_salad, eggs (usually an omelette), bread, and various spreads (cheeses, butter etc.). Israelis enjoy breakfasts sooo much that most cafes around Tel Aviv will serve breakfast all day. Saquella is a cafe across the street from my apartment where I can safely say I have had breakfast at least 10 times since moving here. All of their omelettes come with a loaf of warm bread, spreads, israeli salad, a juice and a coffee and are more than enough for two people to share.


Benedicts (29 Rothschild (& Allenby) & 171 Ben Yehuda)
Warm Bread. Spreads: Chocolate, raspberry jam, and butter. (Complimentary)

Eggs Benedict

Israeli Breakfast. Cheese Omelette with israeli salad. Spreads: Tuna, cream cheese with chives, cheese with scallions, and olives.


Banana Pancakes with coconut milk, coconut flakes, chocolate, and maple syrup

Pancakes were the highlight of the meal. Thick but with a light/airy texture. Everything else was pretty good. I personally think Benedicts is a little overrated but I am willing to go back.






-Sabrina Idels

Hamburgers: Wolfnights, Agadir, King George, and Moses

In only two months of living in Tel Aviv I have tried several memorable hamburgers. While the burger and fries is a classic American dish, Tel Aviv offers a wide assortment of multicultural cuisine, including some burger joints that will not make you feel guilty for eating American food in Israel.

1. Wolfnights (Leilenblum & Nachlat Benyamin)

I have already dined here twice and both times I ordered the “Wolfnights Special” (which means it must be good because I always try something new when I go to a restaurant for the second time). This very special all beef burger is served with the standard tomato, lettuce, onion, white cheddar cheese, bacon, and one key ingredient: “שום” or “shoom” (delicious house garlic mayonnaise). French fries are thin and perfectly crispy, somewhat McDonalds-esque but better. Make sure to get a side of garlic mayo.


2. Agadir(1 Nachlat Benyamin St.) http://www.agadir.co.il/

I recommend the “Diana” this is a 50% beef and 50% lamb patty, aioli, tomatoes, sauteed onions, and pickled lemon. I added lettuce, goat cheese, and bacon. If this is your first visit to Agadir get the Diana, the extra fat in the lamb adds a lot of flavor and a nice juicy element to the meat. I have also tried the 330g “Agadir” burger, which was also very good.
Onion loaf: my mouth is still watering thinking about this. Best fried onion ring concoction in Israel.

Home fries: fried to perfection! Diced potatoes topped with a sweet chili sauce with a hint of spicy…AMAZING!

French fries are excellent if you like thin fries. Similar to Wolfnights.

3. King George (20 Hamelech George St.)
*Best burger for your Shek*

For those of you dining on a budget, King George is the place to go for an affordable, large, juicy burger with all the right fixings. I got the standard burger with mushrooms and fried onions. The dish was essentially a large sauté of small onion rings mixed with mushrooms with a side of burger and fries…mmm. French fries were mediocre. Thick steak fries. If you’re into steak fries they’re ok, but I’ve had better.


4. Moses (35 Rothschild Blvd.) http://www.mosesrest.co.il/english/Moses%2BRestaurant
Overrated. Moses and Agadir are arguably the two most well known hamburger places in Tel Aviv. Since moving here I have heard from several sources that Moses burger was even better than Agadir. So when I sat down to this flawless decadent burger I had pretty high expectations for what I was about to stuff my face with. I had the classic Moses burger with cheese, egg, mushrooms, onion, lettuce, and tomato. While the burger looked great, the meat tasted like a grill and was wayyy too peppery. The bun was also much too large for the patty, making it very difficult to eat. Unfortunately the fries were not good enough to make up for the burger. I do not recommend Moses burger.



-Sabrina Idels