Kosher Dining in Israel: Holy Satisfying

by Lori Gardner for Jewish Food Experience

If you’ve visited Israel on an organized tour, you likely have fond memories of eating falafel on Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem or sitting on a Tel Aviv restaurant’s waterside deck enjoying grilled meat and salatim. Those are certainly the images that come to my mind—particularly when I think about kosher dining during my last visit to Israel in 2010.

In the United States, Mediterranean and specifically Israeli cuisine is growing in popularity. The media focus on Israel as a dining destination is on the rise, with articles in the New York TimesTravel and Leisure and Forbes. Then there’s the film In Search of Israeli Cuisine narrated by Michael Solomonov and the Tel Aviv episode of Somebody Feed Phil on Netflix. If you’re paying attention to any of this, it’s likely that your next visit to Israel will include a focus on food.

Sufganiyot at Marzipan

Sufganiyot (Chanukah doughnuts) at Marzipan Bakery

As I read, watched and listened to all this attention on Israeli food, my hunger for a visit grew. When an opportunity arose to accompany my daughter, son-in-law and infant granddaughter to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv over Thanksgiving, my husband and I rushed to the computer and began planning. My head spun as I tried to narrow dining decisions for what was to be a heavily food-centric vacation.

In particular, we researched kosher venues, which are far more compelling compared to eight years ago. There are more fine dining options, more international cuisines represented, more street food and an increase in the number of markets and cafés with eclectic offerings that extend beyond the traditional.

READ THE STORY HERE.

For more: see my post Jerusalem and Tel Aviv: A Gastronomic Visit of Biblical Proportions

Check Out My Other Stories for Jewish Food Experience

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Filling a Hole in DC for Jewish Food

Holy Chow:  A Divine Pursuit

Justin Rosenberg of Honeygrow:  Fast Casual with Jewish Values

Mikey Fabian:  Bringing Jewish Values to the Table

Adam Greenberg:  Jewish Food Takes a Vacation

Jackie Greenbaum:  Rocking it in the Restaurant World

Meredith Goldberg:  A Recipe for Healing

Chef Sasha Felikson:  Bring on the Borscht 

Ari Gejdenson, Mindful Restaurant Group:  From Gejdenson…err, Generation to Generation

Nycci Nellis:  She’s Got Her Pulse on the DC Food Scene

Restaurant profile:  Fired Up About Al Ha’Esh in Rockville

Questions or comments?
Send an email to lorisue6@gmail.com