Foccacia

This is a restaurant in Jerusalem called Focaccia. We first learned of it through Linda Reed. We worked under her and her husband's leadership while in Jordan. When she traveled to Jerusalem to take care of business matters, she liked to eat here.

Turns out that we agreed with her take on Focaccia. It is delicious. What you see above was what we usually ordered. It was not expensive and so good and fresh. The chèvre on top of this vegetarian pizza was mild, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. 

This restaurant was only a couple of blocks from our apartment in Jerusalem and it was not kosher so it was open on Shabbat, making it quite convenient for us at times. Bill got to know Joel, the pizza chef, who always gave Bill extra pesto and sundried tomato spread for free.

The Last Refuge

Although I am not positive, I suppose this restaurant gets its name because of its location. It is in Eilat, Israel, a colorful town located on the northern edge of the Red Sea. Travel just about one mile south and you will encounter the heavily fortified and monitored border crossing that leads from Israel into Egypt's formidable and potentially dangerous Sinai Peninsula. 

As you can tell from the photos, the food at the Last Refuge is quite interesting. In Hebrew, this restaurant is called Hamiflat Ha'acharon and it is renowned among locals for its seafood. My mom ordered the fish with the delightful display of teeth. What a surprise it was to see that arrive at the table!  

McDonalds in the Middle East

According to Wikipedia, McDonalds can be found in over 100 countries. 

You might think that a McDonalds is a McDonalds no matter where you are. But in Israel, if the McDonalds is kosher, you cannot order a cheeseburger. In some non-kosher McDonalds restaurants in Israel, you will be given the cheese separately and you can put it on the burger yourself.







I am not a McDonalds fan. I was when I was a kid but that was a long time ago! We only ate at McDonalds once or twice during our visits to Israel. But during our 2013-2014 stay in Jordan, we paid McDonalds quite a few visits. We were living in northern Jordan and there was not much up there that reminded us of America. Even though we rarely go to McDonalds while in the United States, there was something strangely comforting about eating at McDonalds. It is undeniably American. 

In Jordan, the beef does not quite taste the same as it does in America and the sauce on the Big Macs is not as sweet. If we tried to order food separately instead of a complete meal, the order takers got confused. 

A couple of times, a young man (not a McDonalds employee) stood outside the drive-thru window of the Irbid McDonalds and begged us for money. Once, Bill ordered him an ice cream cone. The guy thanked Bill with a big smile and walked away happily eating his ice cream.

Would you care for a McArabia? It is served on a pita with vegetables and halloumi, a Middle Eastern cheese. You can also have halloumi on your breakfast sandwich. We never tried these interesting variations, but stuck with good ole Big Macs and cheeseburgers…the ultimate comfort food when you are in a foreign country surrounded by kebabs, falafels, and hummus, all good food but definitely not American.

(By the way, once back in the United States, McDonalds moved back to the bottom of the barrel when it came to places for us to eat out!)

Photo of Israeli McDonalds Sign: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald%27s_Israel#/media/File:McDonald%27s_IL_WV.JPG

The Eucalyptus Restaurant

If you are ever in Jerusalem and want to enjoy a quiet dinner away from the noise and bustle of the city, visit The Eucalyptus. It is a restaurant within a stone's throw of the Old City. Chef-owner Moshe Basson focuses on creating gourmet renditions of biblical foods. 

We only went there once, because it is a little pricey, but it was wonderful. I had the Seven Vegetables with Couscous. I don't think it is still on the menu, and although they might prepare it for you anyway, there are many other delicious options. Check out www.the-eucalyptus.com.