travel zen on friday: armaggedon

Tel Megiddo.

One of the more fascinating spots we visited in Israel was Tel Megiddo (aka Armageddon) in Israel. The biblical people thought that this was the spot where the "Final Battle" would take place because, during their time, many battles were fought there. Its position -- at a crossroads -- in the fertile Jezreel Valley meant many kings/leaders ended up meeting and fighting there.

Now an active archaeological dig site, many layers of remnants of various civilization still wait to be discovered. 

restaurant review: azura in jerusalem

Our meal at Azura.

One of the more popular spots in the Mahane Yehuda market (Shuk) in Jerusalem is an Iraqi restaurant called, Azura. A new chum invited Mr. Sazy Rock and I for lunch at Azura - a place that has been around for over 25 years - while we explored the Shuk. It just so happened that as we met for lunch, the skies opened. So, it was perfect timing to be sheltered inside the restaurant smelling all sorts of food and eating tasty treats.

The Scene

restaurant review: machneyuda in jerusalem

Prior to visiting Israel, Mr. Sazy Rock and I have asked friends, who have recently and/or frequently visited Jerusalem, to give recommendations for a "must-try" restaurant in the city. An overwhelming amount of them recommended Machneyuda, a restaurant near the famous Mahane Yehuda market (or simply called, "the Shuk"). Online research also revealed positive reviews of Machneyuda.

Machneyuda's kitchen.

We double checked Machneyuda's provenance because, in addition to trying out one of Israel's famous restaurants, we wanted to take out our new friend, Noga, who had been so kind about giving us excellent recommendations in Jerusalem and elsewhere, introducing us to fascinatingly smart people at the Volcani Institute (a premier agricultural research facility in the country), inviting us to fun parties, and generally just being a wonderful person. The word-of-mouth recommendations and our double work by researching online proved helpful because when we informed Noga that we would like to take her to Machneyuda, she was thrilled.

So, off we went.

dining in nazareth, israel

Nazareth.

During our trip to Israel, Mr. Sazy Rock and I used Nazareth as a base during the Christmas holiday. We chose Nazareth primarily because we were already in the north and we thought it would be interesting to spend time in an area with Christian sights connected with the historical birth of Jesus -- as the stories go, an angel appeared to Mary in Nazareth announcing her virgin pregnancy. Two churches -- one Orthodox, the other Roman Catholic -- claim to be built on the spot of the Annunciation. While many Christian-based groups flocked to Nazareth for the purpose of seeing and worshiping at the sites where the angel allegedly appeared, Mr. SR and I took the time to discover the city's cuisine.

Sunrise over Nazareth.

Nazareth has the largest Israeli-Arab population in the country. And the population reflects the cuisine. We dined at a few popular spots and tried to check out the cocktail scene.

uri buri in acre (akko): a beautiful experience

The port city of Acre (or Akko).

One of the many joys of traveling is meeting someone completely fascinating. Such was the case when Mr. Sazy Rock and I went to the beautiful port town of Acre (or Akko) in the northern part of Israel. There, by way of a Twitter introduction from Noga (a journalist and now a real-life friend), who, in turn, was introduced to us by Mel (another real life friend via Twitter), we met the inimitable Uri Jeremias, the owner of the popular seafood restaurant, Uri Buri.

Uri is one of the most gracious, friendly and hospitable people I've met in a long time. As a self-taught chef, he showed plenty of enthusiasm about his food and their provenance. He introduced us to the front and back of the house staff. He showed us the fresh fish his sous chef was expertly filleting. He fed us (and refused to accept payment because we were his guests) and showed us around his kitchen and his nearby hotel, the Efendi Hotel (a gorgeous hotel, which took him nine years to renovate as a labor of love, with stones dating back to the Templars era and the Byzantine Empire). As we walked around Akko, he knew everyone and everyone knew him. His friendliness just shown through. He also had the fiercest facial hair I've ever seen in person (see picture below).

Uri Jeremias of Uri Buri.

Because we did not pay for our meal, I cannot review Uri Buri. But, it seems a shame to not share our beautiful experience eating the fresh seafood that were perfectly prepared by Uri and his staff. So, below are pictures of some of the dishes Uri kindly shared with us.

travel zen on friday: the dead sea

The Dead Sea at Dusk.

One of the most fascinating things about the Dead Sea? It's highly reflective. Happy Friday, everyone!

tips for driving in israel

Somewhere near Mt. Beatitudes.

An Israeli-American friend once told me that Israel is basically the size of New Jersey. His point being, that, Israel is a small country and getting around is not difficult.

While public transportation (inter-city busses and, in some areas, trains) exists, some of them may not operate during Sabbath. 

So, with a bit of research on car rental companies, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to rent a car for greater flexibility with me being the primary (and, truth be told, the only) driver. These are my tips (which is accurate as of this publication):

israel eats

Mr. Sazy Rock and I travel to research different cuisines of the world. Along the way, we've been lucky to meet amazing people who are passionate about their country's food offerings. Thus, our trip to Israel has revealed to us so many amazing dishes. Some familiar, others not so much. This is by no means a complete list. Not even close. But, these dishes definitely made us go mmmmmmmm.

One of the new friends we met in Israel, Inbal from Delicious Israel, offered to show us around the shuk (or market) in Tel Aviv as well as her other favorite spots around town. An expat from New York, she now runs a company that provides food tours in Israel. She was not only friendly and generous, she was also very informative. She explained that Israeli food was mostly borrowed from different cultures -- that is, immigrants brought their food into the country and made it their own. She further said that arguably, the only "true" Israeli food is the Sabich (more on that later) because it was composed in Israel.

Whatever their provenance, the food we tasted in Israel rocked. Below are my highlights:

travel zen on friday: caesarea in israel

The beautiful Mediterranean and the ruins of King Herod's city he named Caesarea.

Caesarea.

ode to the kanafeh (al moktar in nazareth, israel)

Flat Kanafeh.

What is a Kanafeh?

It is basically a Levantine cheese (cheese from the Levant region) covered with pistachio and shredded phyllo dough. It is soaked in syrup so it is sweet and savory.

restaurant review: raphael in tel aviv

For a country that is mostly a desert, Israel offers top notch produce and seafood. So, I was looking forward to my first fine dining meal. That distinction went to Raphael (also spelled Refael). 

The Scene

We had a hard time finding the restaurant but finally figured out that it was located in the same building as the Dan Hotel in the lower floor (we had to go downstairs). Once inside, the place quickly filled up with diners. There were families, couples on dates and hipster friends out for a good time before painting the town red.

The dining room.

The Service 

The host and servers seemed nice but when we ordered two sodas, they brought bottles but only one glass. A bit bizarre.


The Food 

• The Egg Noodles were served al dente with tender blue crabs and squid in butter. 

Egg noodles.

• The Mackerel with Sour Cream was sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil. The fish was firm.

Mackerel.

• The Mashed Potatoes was whipped with butter and it was smooth.

Mashed Potatoes.

• The Lamb Chops, sadly, was a bit overcooked.

Lamb chops.

• The Liver was peppery and served perfectly pink.

Liver.

• The Chocolate with Hazelnut and Vanilla Ice Cream dessert was dense and rich, and tasty.

Dessert.

The Price

It wasn't cheap. Without booze, and with tip, it was just under $200. 

Menu.

The Verdict

We later learned from friends we met that the chef was kind of a big deal in Tel Aviv. It was a nice meal but it was unremarkable.  


What is your favorite fine dining restaurant you've tried during your travels?

restaurant review: port sa'id in tel aviv

When the hubs and I started telling friends that we were visiting Israel to research its cuisine, we received worried glances due to multiple reports of unrest and stabbings that started in Jerusalem and spread to other parts of the country and to the West Bank. The terror threats in the general Middle East region didn't assuage our friends' fears either. Interestingly, my parents, who've visited Israel a few years ago, were not so concerned. So, I figured that if then-70 year olds were adventurous enough to visit the country, my middle aged self should go ahead and check it out. So, off we went to experience this dynamic country's cuisine. Our first stop was Tel Aviv and our first dinner was at Port Sa'id, a restaurant recommended to us by the bartenders at the Imperial Bar.

Port Sa'id.

The Scene 

This place was crowded. Located off Allenby Street and across from the Great Synagogue, this place was jumping on a Thursday night. Almost all seats were taken (we had no reservations but luckily snagged two seats at the bar) by a decidedly college-aged and young professionals crowd who were enjoying dinner in a covered but open air patio. 

travel zen on friday: dusk in the dead sea

Aside from being very salty, the Dead Sea is also very reflective. 

This is a picture of the Dead Sea around dusk. Happy Friday, everyone!

The Dead Sea.