Tag: food

  • The history of Israeli pretzels.

    A short history of flat, flavoured pretzels (bagele) in Israel… true story! If you don’t understand Hebrew subtitles or (exaggerated?) Yiddish, here’s a quick and dirty transcript: The Bagel-Bagel Factory in Poland, 1880 Son: “Father,  mother – I  have an idea! Thin pretzels – in flavours!” Everyone: “What?!” Son: “Yes, with pepper, chedder, spices!” Father:…

  • Coming to Israel? Things to do.

    Recently wrote up some off-the-top-of-my-head Israel tourism ideas for a friend coming in the summer (with a 6-month-old baby). So, while I’m at it, why not share, right? Short-term rentals There are quite often short-term rentals of apartments in Jerusalem and elsewhere, which is probably a better bet than hotel if you’re coming for a…

  • I live with someone who does this.

  • פיצונקה would like your attention.

    Since moving to this area, we’ve watched local restaurants come and go. They usually aren’t kosher or attention-grabbing enough to get us interested. And the latter is probably mostly why they don’t survive. To service (and survive) the Matte Yehuda area, I suppose you have to be pretty damn good, considering you’re competing with an…

  • New age doughnuts.

    Happy Chanukah! The kid-oriented yet historically-fascinating holiday has officially begun tonight, and I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t admit I totally didn’t get the memo and thought it started tomorrow. Even with the Hebrew dated agenda book I keep.  I did have some clues that Chanukah was quickly approaching though: sales on candles, this…

  • American Pie Pizza. Only, not.

    American-style pizza of true cheesy quality is not as easy to find around Jerusalem as you’d think. Big Apple Pizza (which just opened a new branch on Ben Zakai, my old hood) has done a good enough job, but they’ve grown so much you get that American sold-out feeling. If you want a small, colorful…

  • So that's what they do with your tonsils…

    In case all that talk of crabits made you hungry, how about some tonsil skewers? C’mon, they’re a great source of unnecessariness: Courtesy of Tzidkiyahu, a Talpiot Israeli grill joint I still love even if they serve Tonsils for 72 shekels. Unfortunately, I can’t remember what the Hebrew side of the menu said.

  • Tzidkiyahu.

    All you can eat salads, falafel and fries. Lots of  meat choices. Fair priced-menu. Tzidkiyahu (סטקיית צדקיהו) is a “steakiya” or grill in Talpiot, Jerusalem, at Yad Haruzim #21.

  • Not my kind of hot dog.

    As we know, there are always going to be some things that get lost in translation. And one of those things will always – always – be the weiner hot dog. Big Willie? Really? That’s the kind of hot dog I want to eat at a gas station rest stop on erev Shabbat?

  • Fun with pretzels!

    I love this: The generic Supersol brand wants you to know all about the awesome fun you can have with pretzel rings. It explains that “pretzel rings are the most fun way to eat from your hands!” “Do you want an idea of how to truly enjoy pretzel rings? Please: put on the rings (and…

  • Brand new Bamba for the same old Sabra.

    Last week someone introduced me to a brand new concept for the makers of a very old concept: Nougat cream filled-Bamba. Bamba has been around for decades, having been created by Israelis for Israelis. I suppose that’s why its maker, Osem, decided to issue a brand-new flavor around the time of Israel’s 60th birthday. It’s…

  • Ma nishtana ha Pessach ha ze?

    What makes this Passover different from all other Passovers? It’s the first one where I’m making my own seder while combining the traditions I grew up experiencing with someone else and his own traditions. I feel like this is the type of thing we all think about and wonder as kids (ok maybe just those…