Salad Meal on a Budget in The Center of Jerusalem

Yesterday, my friend and I decided that we wanted a simple, low calorie meal. We had just found her the perfect tzni'usdik, modest bathing suit, ok a bit more expensive than the same one would have been in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, but close enough to the price, so it wasn't worth traveling there. Yes, the store where I work does have great prices, not only the best over-age saleswoman!!! 

As only good friends could do, we both pointed to the nearby Cafe Ne'eman, on the iconic corner building on Jaffa and King Gorge, where you can get your choice of ready-made salads plus a fresh roll for all of NS24.90. I chose the Tuna and she took one of the White Cheese ones. And we both took the rolls home to freeze for some other occasion, or our husbands...

Even though Downtown Jerusalem was loaded with people, tourists, locals, families etc, the lovely tables for budget diners were empty, and we had our choice as to where to sit.  We could watch all the action on Jaffa Street, while we had a nice, leisurely lunch and chat.

They also have a nice selection of sandwiches, pastries and great coffee. "Fast food" does not always mean greasy and fattening.

Where You can Buy and Eat a Sandwich with Dignity

There's a downside to a lot of the places where they sell inexpensive sandwiches in Jerusalem, no place to sit and eat them comfortably. Sometimes you're offered an option when paying.

"Are you eating here, or is it to go?"

According to your answer is the price. You pay more to sit at a table and feel like a mensch when eating. The other night, when I had to grab a dinner in Jerusalem. I didn't feel like having a proper restaurant meal, and when I checked out a number of the inexpensive salad places that offer ready-made ones, and/or ready-made sandwiches, even discounted, because of the hour, since they hadn't been refrigerated all day, or who knows how long or since they had been prepared, I got nervous. I remembered that the Sambooki on 28 Jaffa Street towards the Safra Square Jerusalem Municipality had good prices, so I meandered over to it.

I entered with the good intentions of getting a salad, but somehow I ended up with a bagel sandwich, even though from the size and shape, I could see that it wasn't a real bagel. For ns19, it was fine. Especially because you got three proteins and unlimited salads inside. Everything seemed perfectly fresh.

And there was no price differential for sitting. I got my tuna plus sandwich on a real plate with a real fork. And I sat comfortably at a table instead of having to find a bench someplace or walk around eating. As you can see in the photo on the right, they even have newspapers for people to read as they eat. The peace and quiet were perfect for my needs that evening.

I've been there before with friends who also felt that for the money it's a find. It's busier early in the day, and they began getting ready to close when I was there. Even though I noticed the "pre-close" activities, there was no pressure on us diners to hurry.

So even though the price was street food, I was able to eat with dignity. Sambooki is part of the Cafe Ma'afah Neeman chain of kosher bakeries and dairy restaurants.

Great Neck's Cafe Kriza, Even Better than Before

Rather deja vu...

My parents officially left Great Neck in 2010, moved to Arizona and sold their house. From October, 2009 until June, 2010, my father lived with us in Israel. You can read some of the posts I wrote about that by clicking  saga of taking care of my elderly father. Unexpectedly, a few weeks ago, I found myself again visiting a family member in the hospital rehab in Manhasset and then in Great Neck needing a kosher restaurant, though not in the whacked out jet-lagged state I had  been almost seven years ago when I first discovered Cafe Kriza.

Lucky Turn, Found The Perfect Restaurant

Salmon, 2009

Salmon, 2016

This time, I arrived in better shape and not alone, and I had already checked the kosher restaurant scene on Middle Neck Road and was glad to see that Cafe Kriza was still there, open and kosher. One thing was the same. I ordered the same meal, Salmon, not that I was aware of it until now when I checked the old blog post. I remember enjoying my meal in 2009, and I enjoyed it this time, too. Both times I requested extra salad instead of the potatoes or rice, which came with the fish. My eating partners were all happy with their selections.

Besides the food being excellent, it's a lovely looking restaurant. I wonder if I'll ever be there again... If you go, please say that I recommended it, thanks.

I enjoyed the lemon in my icy water.

 CAFE KRIZA     45 Middle Neck Road     Great Neck, NY      516 829-1039     www.cafekriza.com

Another Great f2f, Perfect in Piccolino!

My "closed facebook group" of great women from all over the world, mostly here in Israel, had another of our face to face f2f events. This time we chose a favorite restaurant of mine, Piccolino. The fact that I had recommended it made me a bit nervous to say the least. I didn't want my friends to be disappointed, since I've been praising the restaurant since it had opened. I'm a very loyal customer.

But thank Gd, my friends were impressed with the food, service, prices, ambiance, everything! Yes, even though the food served in Piccolino is many grades higher than in your typical dairy restaurant, the prices are very reasonable and the portions very generous. Pictured here are the Antipasti and one of the Pasta dishes. The staff was very accommodating in making changes/substitutions (for special diets and food sensitivities) when requested.

At other f2f luncheons of ours in different venues, our orders had been served staggered over such a long period of time, that some of us had finished eating before others had even gotten food. And we had ordered all at once! In Piccolino, the very professional, cooperative and polite staff had everything under control, so we could all dig in to the irresistible food at the same time. And our perfectly bilingual waiter also doubled as photographer of our group shot!



The private room they had saved for us, a group of twenty women, was exactly what we had wanted. Of course, we had made reservations. For brunch and lunch, reservations are only needed for groups, but it's definitely recommended for dinner. Though they are pretty good at finding a free table or a chair at the "bar."

Piccolino is located at 12 Yoel Solomon Street, easily accessible by public transportation or car. Sunday to Thursday 10:00 – 24:00, the kitchen is open until 23:00. On Fridays and holiday eves starting from 9:00 – 15:00, the kitchen is open until 14:00 Saturday from an hour after Shabbat ends until midnight, the kitchen is open until 23:00. Reservations are recommended: Call 02-6244186

Delicious Dessert in Piccolino

During my most recent meal at Piccolino, 12 Yoel Solomon Street, Jerusalem, phone: 02-6244186, they recommended that my friend and I share this luscious dessert. I'm not sure what they call it, since one generally just chooses from a "dessert cart/tray."

My friend and I had just happily polished off/shared two delicious low calorie salads, the Seared Red Tuna and the Health Salad, with lots of black lentils and other healthy treats, so decided that we deserved dessert. We weren't sorry at all!  Afterwards we worked hard trying to burn off some of the calories by walking around Jerusalem's Old City at the Light Show.