WINGS- Israel’s Best Chicken Wings-CLOSED

As an avid American football and Seattle Seahawks fan, Sunday night football with wings and beer is an integral part of the game watching experience. Before this season, me and my close friends would watch football and indulge ourselves in tasty home made wings and local beers in our friend’s apartment. Week after week we would tell our friend, who cooked the wings from scratch, that he needs to open a restaurant in Tel Aviv. The convincing finally worked, Wings opened their doors early September and haven’t looked back. Wings provide the American style of wings previously unavailable in Tel Aviv.

Located on Herzl street right to Rothschild Street, Wings offers delicious kosher wings and bar food. Co-owner Eytan White, who made aliyah from New York, brought with him his love of American style wings which was lacking in Israel. Eytan was introduced to now co-owner Robert Ben Or through a mutual friend and the rest is history. White, with a kosher mind set and “wing man” expertise, along with Ben Or’s culinary experience, created the perfect match. Wings has become one of the more popular restaurants in Tel Aviv.

The menu highlights 13 tasty sauces for their fresh chicken wings. You choose how many pieces and how you want them cooked. For crispy wings (gluten free), they offer three options: 8 pieces for 26 NIS, 12 pieces for 36NIS and 18 pieces for 53 NIS. The other option is wings in beer batter and panko: 8 pieces for 34 NIS, 12 pieces for 44 NIS, and 18 pieces for 61 NIS. Wings offers different combinations of wings and assorted side dishes as well.

Those who are looking for something else other than wings, they offer popcorn chicken which is very good as well. They offer different sides that go very well with wings, such as onion rings, sweet potato fries or regular fries. They also offer Caesar salad and coleslaw.

For drinks, they offer different types of beers and soft drinks. I recommend the Stranger Beer. The Stranger is a local micro brew that is brewed by a fellow Oleh from America and it goes extremely well with wings.

Wings is hosting the biggest Super Bowl party in Israel this upcoming Sunday. They are offering a set price: all you can eat wings, fries and good deals on the beers. Check out their Facebook page for details.

Order: 12 Crispy Wings with half of them having buffalo sauce and the other half Korean sauce. Order a Stanger beer as well.

Average price: 50 NIS

Address: Herzl 12

Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 12PM-2AM, Thursday 12PM-4AM and Saturday night 7PM-2AM

WINGS- Israel’s Best Chicken Wings

As an avid American football and Seattle Seahawks fan, Sunday night football with wings and beer is an integral part of the game watching experience. Before this season, me and my close friends would watch football and indulge ourselves in tasty home made wings and local beers in our friend’s apartment. Week after week we would tell our friend, who cooked the wings from scratch, that he needs to open a restaurant in Tel Aviv. The convincing finally worked, Wings opened their doors early September and haven’t looked back. Wings provide the American style of wings previously unavailable in Tel Aviv.

Located on Herzl street right to Rothschild Street, Wings offers delicious kosher wings and bar food. Co-owner Eytan White, who made aliyah from New York, brought with him his love of American style wings which was lacking in Israel. Eytan was introduced to now co-owner Robert Ben Or through a mutual friend and the rest is history. White, with a kosher mind set and “wing man” expertise, along with Ben Or’s culinary experience, created the perfect match. Wings has become one of the more popular restaurants in Tel Aviv.

The menu highlights 13 tasty sauces for their fresh chicken wings. You choose how many pieces and how you want them cooked. For crispy wings (gluten free), they offer three options: 8 pieces for 26 NIS, 12 pieces for 36NIS and 18 pieces for 53 NIS. The other option is wings in beer batter and panko: 8 pieces for 34 NIS, 12 pieces for 44 NIS, and 18 pieces for 61 NIS. Wings offers different combinations of wings and assorted side dishes as well.

Those who are looking for something else other than wings, they offer popcorn chicken which is very good as well. They offer different sides that go very well with wings, such as onion rings, sweet potato fries or regular fries. They also offer Caesar salad and coleslaw.

For drinks, they offer different types of beers and soft drinks. I recommend the Stranger Beer. The Stranger is a local micro brew that is brewed by a fellow Oleh from America and it goes extremely well with wings.

Wings is hosting the biggest Super Bowl party in Israel this upcoming Sunday. They are offering a set price: all you can eat wings, fries and good deals on the beers. Check out their Facebook page for details.

Order: 12 Crispy Wings with half of them having buffalo sauce and the other half Korean sauce. Order a Stanger beer as well.

Average price: 50 NIS

Address: Herzl 12

Hours: Sunday-Wednesday 12PM-2AM, Thursday 12PM-4AM and Saturday night 7PM-2AM

Abba Gil- CLOSED

In the past few years, a new trend has hit Tel Aviv and is taking over the White City. Organic vegan food is the new “it” food in Tel Aviv.   Even though there have been many vegan options in Tel Aviv, only recently are we seeing this trend at its full force. One of the best vegan options in our beloved Tel Aviv is Abba Gil. Even if you are not into organic vegan food, visit Abba Gil and try their delicious vegan dishes. The dishes are healthy, simple, and are perfect for a balanced meal for a healthy body.

Aba Gil, which opened it’s doors in 2005, offer a tasty menu consisting of soups, salads, hummus, baked falafel with tehina, Aba Gil variety plate, steamed vegetables and brown rice, pashtida (which is a Mediterranean quiche), lunch specials and delicious desserts. All menu items are gluten-free and whole wheat pita is available upon request. They use  only fresh, whole and organic ingredients in the preparation of their dishes.

For appetizers, the selections are the household hummus (22 NIS) which comes with fresh whole wheat pita, tahini (16 NIS) and baked lentil falafel (16 NIS). You can order a fresh salad in different sizes, with modest but appealing extras such as lentils, sprouts, sweet potatoes and sunflower seeds (36/22 NIS), or house salads, such as beet salad and quinoa salad (20-18 /10 NIS).

Among their main dishes are a variety of  beans and vegetables,  pashtida or vegan meatballs, hummus and tahini (36 NIS). You can order brown rice and steamed vegetables with quinoa and lentils for 29 NIS. They offer pashtida vegetables and legumes for 22 NIS. For those looking for soups, bean soup and lentil soup (which are made fresh every day) are available in two different sizes (14 NIS or 24 NIS).

Order: I recommend ordering the dish known as Full Plate. This amazing dish includes hummus, tehina, brown rice, red lentils, cooked green peas, cooked vegetables, and vegetable quiche or vegetable patties. The entire dish is very tasty while being healthy and organic. This masterpiece will only cost you 44NIS

Average price:40 NIS

Address: 55 Yehuda Halevi

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00AM-5:30PM, Friday 9AM-3:30PM,

Abba Gil- delicious and affordable vegan cuisine

In the past few years, a new trend has hit Tel Aviv and is taking over the White City. Organic vegan food is the new “it” food in Tel Aviv.   Even though there have been many vegan options in Tel Aviv, only recently are we seeing this trend at its full force. One of the best vegan options in our beloved Tel Aviv is Abba Gil. Even if you are not into organic vegan food, visit Abba Gil and try their delicious vegan dishes. The dishes are healthy, simple, and are perfect for a balanced meal for a healthy body.

Aba Gil, which opened it’s doors in 2005, offer a tasty menu consisting of soups, salads, hummus, baked falafel with tehina, Aba Gil variety plate, steamed vegetables and brown rice, pashtida (which is a Mediterranean quiche), lunch specials and delicious desserts. All menu items are gluten-free and whole wheat pita is available upon request. They use  only fresh, whole and organic ingredients in the preparation of their dishes.

For appetizers, the selections are the household hummus (22 NIS) which comes with fresh whole wheat pita, tahini (16 NIS) and baked lentil falafel (16 NIS). You can order a fresh salad in different sizes, with modest but appealing extras such as lentils, sprouts, sweet potatoes and sunflower seeds (36/22 NIS), or house salads, such as beet salad and quinoa salad (20-18 /10 NIS).

Among their main dishes are a variety of  beans and vegetables,  pashtida or vegan meatballs, hummus and tahini (36 NIS). You can order brown rice and steamed vegetables with quinoa and lentils for 29 NIS. They offer pashtida vegetables and legumes for 22 NIS. For those looking for soups, bean soup and lentil soup (which are made fresh every day) are available in two different sizes (14 NIS or 24 NIS).

Order: I recommend ordering the dish known as Full Plate. This amazing dish includes hummus, tehina, brown rice, red lentils, cooked green peas, cooked vegetables, and vegetable quiche or vegetable patties. The entire dish is very tasty while being healthy and organic. This masterpiece will only cost you 44NIS

Average price:40 NIS

Address: 55 Yehuda Halevi

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11:00AM-5:30PM, Friday 9AM-3:30PM,

El-Taco- A great Mexican meal under 50NIS

 

After the growing popularity of Mexican restaurants worldwide in the past five years, it’s about time that Mexican food has finally arrived in Tel Aviv.  If you enjoy breakfast tacos and margaritas under 50 NIS, this is the place for you. El-Taco, Tel Aviv’s first authentic Mexican food that features tacos, opened their doors a few months ago in the trendy Yirmiyahu area in old north Tel Aviv.

Tired of your typical Tel Aviv cafés and Israeli street food? You will be happy to hear that you have a new option with El-Taco. They offer many different kind of tacos and tortillas at the affordable price of under 50 NIS per person.

El Taco menu consists largely of tacos (corn flour tortillas or white flour, soft or crunchy) and Quesadilla (closed tortillas with cheese, aka “The Mexican toast”), filled with chicken, meat or vegetables.  The prices are very affordable – each Taco cost from 13NIS to 19NIS. They offer business lunch deals as well.

For me, their better dishes are the Taco mushroom vegetarian which contains champagne and shiitake mushrooms with green onions (costing 13 NIS) and the Quesadilla, which is served with chicken and beef. Both are served with refried black beans  and mozzarella cheese. The chicken option costs 15NIS while the beef option is 19 shekel. In addition, a small plate of nachos is available for 14 NIS. If you are looking for a full meal, you will need to order multiply dishes.

To help wash down your Mexican meal, El Taco offers frozen lime margaritas for 15 NIS and San Miguel beer for 14 NIS.

Chefs Recommendation: Flauts Pollo – A grilled chicken dish served in three corn  tortillas rolled and crispy, with additional toppings  of guacamole , salsa, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. I personally recommend having a cold beverage with this dish.

Order:  Taco Pollo Pastor, served with chicken breast marinated in citrus, onions, cilantro and pineapple. This masterpiece of a taco will only cost you 17NIS

Address: Yermiyahu Street 17

Hours: Sunday-Saturday 12PM-12AM

Hummus Mashawsha- A northern Israeli style of hummus in the heart of Tel Aviv

When looking for another hummus option in Tel Aviv,  you don’t need to look any  further than Hummus Mashawsha on Pinkser street in downtown Tel Aviv. Located right next to the corner of trendy Borgoshov and Pinkser Street, this Upper Galilee hummus restaurant has the perfect Tel Aviv neighborhood feel offering delicious homemade hummus.

“Mashawsha” has fascinated the locals in Tel Aviv for quite some time. The name has an exotic sound – people question what exactly Mashawsha is.  Made in the Upper Galilee. Hummus Mashawsha has brought a unique style of hummus to Tel Aviv. Since the arrival it has become quite the rave.

What exactly is Mashawsha? It is hot chickpeas mixed with garlic, lemon, and tahini. The warm hummus has a sharp taste from the lemon and a nice bite from the chunks of garlic.  There is just enough tahini for the flavor, but not too much to overwhelm the hummus.  The chickpeas are super soft and dissolves into the hummus once it touches your tongue.

For those who are looking to eat something besides hummus, they also offer different salads, soup and Lavana. Trust me, if you are making the trek, order the hummus. It is to die for. They offer delivery unlike most hummus places in the Tel Aviv area.

Each order of hummus comes with two warm pita (whole-wheat pita is an option), homemade pickled vegetables and their famous homemade olives and onions. Don’t forget to try their homemade green hot sauce.

Order: Mashawsha, hence the name of the restaurant. Unlike other styles of hummus which are typically heavy, Maswasha presents a light filling which is a perfect for those who want their perfect plate of hummus and continue their busy day. A plate of Mashawsha goes for 26NIS and it is worth every shekel.

Average price per person: 20-30 NIS

Address: Pinsker 40

Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 11am-11pm, Friday 11am-5pm and Saturday 12pm- 11pm

Oliver- a great salad at a great price.

While walking on busy Carlebach Street, one might experience overload with the many different food options available. For those seeking a healthier alternative, there is Oliver –  one of the fresh salad options located in the center of Tel Aviv.

Oliver, located in the heart of Carlebach street (a few minute walk from Habima), offer fresh and tasty healthy salads and sandwiches. Vanessa, the owner of Oliver, opened the thriving salad bar over 8 years ago. Vanessa is originally from South Africa,  so ordering in English is not an issue.

Upon arrival at Oliver, from the hours of 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. there is be a constant line. Don’t be concerned, as  the line moves rather  quickly. The staff is very friendly and works at a very quick pace. Even during their busier times, the staff makes each customer’s as it’s their very own. All the vegetables are delivered every morning and are very fresh. Almost every vegetable imaginable is available at Oliver. In addition, they offer various cheeses, nuts, tuna, quinoa and many different dressings. I recommend adding quinoa to your salad as it goes perfectly with tehina dressing. Oliver also offers fresh sandwiches – tuna, hardboiled egg, omelet and many of the types of cheeses that they offer

The best times to arrive at Oliver to order your salad without waiting  is before 12p.m. and after 2pm. You have the option of faxing your order – which takes around 30 minutes from order to completion. They recommend calling 10 minutes before arrival to confirm that the order is ready.

Owner’s sandwich recommendation: The tuna sandwich.

Breakfast deal: Until 12p.m. they offer any sandwich for only 18NIS

Price:  Different sizes of salads from 26 NIS to 35 NIS. Sandwiches prices start from 18NIS(before 12 p.m.) to 24 NIS

Address: Carlebach 18

Hours: Sunday-Friday 7AM-3PM

Phone: 03-6098160

Kosher

Sandwich Itzik and Ruthie- The best sandwich in Tel Aviv from your favorite old couple

It’s five in the morning on a weekday, you’re located at a crowded restaurant on trendy Sheinkin Street with a long line of people waiting to buy a sandwich. You might be confused, but if you’re at Sandwiches Itzik and Ruthie then this middle of the night experience makes perfect sense. When a lovely couple makes sandwiches for over 57 years, you know that something excellent is happening there. So what’s their secret?  Fresh bread and vegetables, special zucchini salad, and eggs are just a few of the delicious things that bring people back to this sandwich place until the early hours of the morning.

There is one thing that brings customers back asking for more, it’s this intangible thing called “love” which every customer receives with every sandwich. Itzik and Ruthie present such warmth when making each sandwich, you feel like a little kid again, who goes to school with their sandwich made by their very own mother.

The menu offers their famous sandwiches with tuna salad, eggplant salad, avocado salad, herring, cream cheese, spicy carrots and zucchini salad. In addition, they offer a renowned shakshuka in a bun and tasty hot dogs with fresh sauerkraut.

Order: Scrambled eggs with beef jerky and smoked sausage in a fresh bun. The sandwich is smeared with mayonnaise and tomato, pickles and strips of lettuce soaked in salt water.   The eggs are very rich in flavor with every mayonnaise flavored bite creating a heavenly taste.

Owners Recommendation: Order the salad sandwich, which is composed of zucchini, perfectly cooked brown onions and dill.

Price:18 NIS

Address: 53 Sheinkin Street

Hours: Sunday-Friday 3:30AM-11AM or till they run out of food

Sabich Tcherichovsky- A masterpiece in a pita that is worth the wait

In comparison to falafel, sabich has made a name for itself for being less a street food and more of an eating experience, even though both fall under the category of the best two foods in a pita. The Iraqi custom is to eat sabich on the weekend, using the egg and potatoes from their home cooked cholent. Sabich tends to be rich in quality and affordable and is worth every shekel, having the customers begging for more.

Sabich Tchernichovsky is one of the best sabich locations in Tel Aviv. The perfectionist owner, Effi, views his sabich as a true work of art.  Effi might not be the friendliest with his lack of a smile and a loud voice towards his customers, but for nearly seven years, Effi’s has been the place of all the talk in the sabich community. If you intend to come for lunch, be prepared, as you will be in line for awhile.

Sabich Tchernichovsky is one of the more expensive sabich options (only 18 NIS) in Tel Aviv, but it is definitely worth the extra few shekels.  This hole-in-the-wall sabich restaurant makes sabich so delicious that you will keep on coming back. Despite the daily long lines, the staff take their time creating each and every sabich sandwich.  Each ingredient is covered cleverly in the fresh and tasty pita, providing the ideal blend of flavors in every bite.  The delicious eggplant is thin and crispy, providing an appetizing kick with its exceptional and unidentifiable seasoning.  It mixes well with the soft and creaminess of the boiled egg and pickled flavored sauce known as “amba”.  Sabich Tchernichovsky also includes red cabbage, a astonishingly crunchy addition to the stuffed pita. On the wall behind the staff , a sign that reads in Hebrew, “No sale of sabich without eggplant”, showing how serious they are about their sabich with a taste of their Israeli humor.

Order:  Cheese sabich. I know it’s not the original sabich, an astonishing hummus-based delicacy. For those adventurous customers, order the cheese sabich. The hummus is replaced with fresh goat feta cheese, which combines with an egg and a boiled potato, spicy vegetable salad, lemon and garlic dressing, lettuce (adds a crispiness), red cabbage and onions and tahini on top. The final masterpiece is the best sabich you will ever eat. I recommend ordering a Gazoz – a fruit syrup flavored seltzer which goes perfect with the sabich.

Price: NIS 18

Address: 2 Tchernichovsky Street

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 10:00-20:30, Friday 10:00-15:30

Abu Hassan- The best hummus you will ever eat

In Tel Aviv, people often discuss which restaurant has the best hummus. The overall winner is Abu Hassan

Abu Hassan, located in Jaffa, has been serving their customers for almost 50 years the finest hummus available anywhere. Opened by the patriarch of the family, Abu-Hassan, the restaurant is well known throughout Tel Aviv and Israel for its fresh, authentic and exceptional hummus. No one knows what the secret recipe is, but I feel it has to do with the perfect amount of garlic, lemon, and olive oil. Make sure you arrive for an early lunch or breakfast (yes, hummus is meant to be a breakfast dish), because once they run out of hummus, they close for the day.

Upon making the trek to Jaffa and waiting in line (on average 20 minutes), you realize that every part of the Abu Hassan experience is totally worth the wait. Typically, you share a table with total strangers, which is part of the Abu Hassan experience. The staff works quickly and efficiently, and serves the plates of hummus very quickly. The atmosphere is lively and friendly, but you will be expected to be on your way once you have finished eating so others can take your place. Sitting beside strangers and eating humus with pita-bread and fresh onion. There is nothing quite like it.

On Fridays, Abu Hassan is so packed that you are pressured to finish your plate and leave in order to let other people in. For a less hectic experience I recommend to come mid week.

The menu is very limited, only humus, masbacha and pita-bread, topped off with cooked chickpeas or fava beans, and served with fresh onion and lemon juice.

Order: The triple, a portion of hummus, ful (fava beans) and masabacha. For those who haven’t experienced masabach, masabacha is warm hummus with a creamy texture that is served with fresh tehina, garlic and lemon.  The dish is spiced with cumin, paprika, olive oil, and some hot pepper sauce on the side.

Price: NIS 19

Address: 1 Dolphin St. (on the hill),

Hours: Sunday-Friday 7:45Am- 2:45PM or until the hummus runs out