While sampling a New Yorker’s spin on a classic Israeli breakfast at Bakery 29 in the heart of Tel Aviv near chic Rothschild Boulevard, I was captivated by a huge plate glass window exposing the kitchen to all. “So this is where those macaroons, brownies, oatmeal-infused cookies and melt in your mouth pastries are born,” I thought to myself.
At that moment I realized I have been on a non-stop eat-or-rama tour of Tel Aviv for 10 days, from cups of sweet Swiss hot chocolate piled high with whipped cream at Max Brenner to a hypnotizing rendition of oversized shrimp wrapped in a nest, Turkish-style at Tapas 1 (not far from Bakery 29). It dawned on me I had visited only half of the museums on my A list, not even making it to the Tel Aviv Museum of Art where David La Chappelle (who photographed Lady Gaga for a Rolling Stones cover) had an exhibit.
A flash of Jewish guilt was swept away when I realized I had four extra days to cover an outrageous architectural wonder known as the Design Museum Holon designed by Ron Arad, and spend the day visiting Bauhaus buildings at an event called Houses From Within, a clever home tour visiting private homes such as the architect Uri Palan’s loft on Rothschild. Also on tap, a tour of Tel Aviv’s Municipal Museum where Meir Dizengoff’s restored time capsule office (Dizengoff was once Mayor) is now open to visitors.
I camped out at a compact but comfortable apartment suite at the Diaghilev Live Art Boutique Hotel off Rothschild Boulevard. Arriving after a 14-hour flight via El Al nonstop from Los Angeles, our driver, Edi, pulled up to 56 Mazeh Street where we saw a Bauhaus-inspired building with no sign, but when we walked in a marvelous exhibit of chairs in glass cases, representing an international roster of influential designers from 1863 to the present (miniatures, of course), were discovered throughout the first and second floor. There was a gold spray-painted sofa made from individual squares of recycled cardboard. I found The Diaghilev from a new web site, www.goisrael.about.com, which claims is the city’s best hotel. The runner up was the Artplus Hotel near the beach with 62 rooms and contemporary art installations.
The web site led me to10 museums I eventually visited, including the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. The Design Museum Holon in Tel Aviv suburb was a shock to my system. I attribute that to the uncommon and uncontained energy of Ron Arad, the Israeli architect who obviously doesn’t believe in right angles. His wrapped Cor-Ten weathered steel bends and curves as if it were spaghetti proves it.
The exhibits in two galleries were part of the “New Olds” show. I saw a five-foot high bookcase constructed from recycled coffee table books.
Back to the food: breakfast was not served at the Diaghilev; instead, the innovative management gave us “vouchers” so we could sample five different restaurants on Rothschild, including the nearby Benedict (named in honor of Eggs Benedict), where a lavish breakfast is served 24 hours a day.
At the opening night of Mizlala , a restaurant with a long crowded bar, we spotted top model Bar Refaeli walking swiftly out the front door to her waiting limo. It was almost unnoticed as the stunning risotto happened by at the same moment. Opened by Israeli uber-chef Meir Adoni, Mizlala (Hebrew for “feast”) is the most talked-about restaurant in Tel Aviv this summer, with reservations hard to come by (for a detailed, objective account of what to expect, check out the GoIsrael site on About.com).
Just a few hours before El Al’s 1:30 a.m. flight to LAX I stopped in at Tony Vespa for an oversized slice of pizza that makes you want to thank the owner for staying open so late. The challenge of Tel Aviv is narrowing down the countless choices to those you can’t resist. For example, Sushi Samba is an excellent choice when you want to consolidate from Brazil, Peru and Japan, no kidding! Where else could you find the coco shrimp roll and avocado covered in coconut panko with a BBQ-mayo drizzle on top?
Pam Price is the co author of Day Trips from Los Angeles www.globepequot.com