Over-salted

...and over-priced, too.

I don't know how it is in other parts of the world, but this is the second time, to my tired over-stressed memory, that I've been served a meal coated with coarse salt. The first was in "Lilit," I think that's the name. There's a kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv staffed by young people learning the business as their rehab for various problems. It used to be dairy in one location, and then a couple of years ago it moved to a fancier building and became meat. When I ate there over a year ago, there was a "light sprinkling" of coarse salt on the main course. I hate salt, especially fine table salt. At least this was the coarse or kosher or freshly ground type. I got through the meal without embarrassing my youngest daughter.

Last night, for the "final banquet" with my visiting parents, we went to "Little Italy" in Jerusalem. Since I knew I'd be late, I arranged to order by phone via my eldest daughter. I felt like eating a nice healthy meal and ordered fish, which came with vegetables and potatoes, but I requested salad instead of potatoes.

The food was waiting for me when I finally arrived. The fish and veggies looked nice, but the salad was extremely ordinary. At first the fish seemed ok, but then I hit a large clump of salt. I must have started with the one small spot they had missed. Enough salt to kasher a few pounds of beef must have had been poured on it. The vegetables were also layered with salt. I tried scraping it off, but to no avail. Finally I managed to get the attention of the waiter and complained. He brought me some "clean vegetables," but they still billed us for the uneaten fish. No complementary dessert either.

I would have voted against going there, if I had been asked, since I can never forget the nauseating lunch buffet we ate there a few years ago. I hate salads which have been sitting, waiting. At home I cut the salad right before the meal.

So, less than twelve hours after that over-salted and over-priced meal (desserts were as much as a main course in other restaurants) I'm blogging about it.

Don't go to "Little Italy," that Jerusalem dairy restaurant. I prefer many others, like the nearby "Rosemary." My mouth still tastes of salt. Yuck!