Surprise Sandwich Discount

Tuesday night I ended up without a dinner date and without food from home, so I literally walked up and down Jerusalem's Emek Refaim Street looking for something worth buying and trying to burn some calories. It was too depressing to think of sitting by myself, while the world out there was socializing, so I figured I'd pick up a sandwich. Well, there weren't many reasonably priced sandwich options. The bagel place charged over ns20 for tuna, and the bagels are the "fake" puffy round rolls. I would have paid it if there had been real bagels, boiled and baked. They are almost impossible to find nowadays.

Suddenly I remembered the Cafe Neeman Bakery up on Pierre Koenig off of Emek Refaim. I wasn't sure what they'd have at that hour, since it's more a breakfast and lunch place.

When I entered I could smell freshly baked rolls and bread. Customers were coming in for bread and rolls to use the following morning.

I found a small selection of readymade sandwiches in long Israeli "sandwich rolls." I asked the price:

"NS18.50, but only NS15, because it's late."

That seemed in my budget, and I was hungry. And the sandwiches looked fresh. Only when I got to where I was staying did I notice that I hadn't taken the one I wanted, but there was nothing I could do. I ate the chavita, fried egg, on white bread. It had sufficient, though not a lot of, salad. It was tasty and filling. Even the full price is reasonable, being under NS20.

Each of these Ne'eman Bakeries have different selections and prices, but all seem rather reasonable. Yes, I do recommend going there.

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.

Best Sandwich Deal in Jerusalem, NS10

I'm always looking for a good deal for quick and inexpensive lunches. Recently I saw that a new place at 42 Jaffa Street, Coney Island Bakery, the lightrail stop, sells their "ready-made" sandwiches for only ns10 and sandwiches to order for ns15. The roll is standard size, and there was enough filling (I had tuna) to eat and feel satisfied. There's lots more than double the amount of filling in the sandwiches as you get in those five shekel stores/kiosks, which are all over Jerusalem now. Yes, you really get much more food than you'd get buying two 5 shekel sandwiches. 

The only problem was that there are times when they're all out of readymades, and then you can design your own for ns15. Maybe next time I will design my own with more salad etc. When I got there, there was only one, which luckily for me was the tuna I had been craving. But fifteen shekel isn't much for a sandwich either. I'm pretty sure that they also have larger rolls for those who want a heartier sandwich, but I got there during the busy lunchtime when there wasn't the large display and choice I had seen out the week before.

Coney Island is more than just a sandwich place. The management has promised to invite me over sometime to sample the real food they offer, too. And they do catering and have yummy-looking New York style desserts. This visit was as a regular customer. I was in a rush between Matan and work.

Phone 02 940 0008 Avi@coneyisland.co.il 054-569-6135
Sun-Thurs 6:30AM-11:00PM Sat: 1 hour after Shabbat ends -11:00PM

Perfect Size Tuna Sandwich for Only ns15.90*

I'm always looking for a good sandwich deal, one that not only doesn't cost too much, but there's something to eat in it. I did try a few of those ns5 places, but even though there was enough roll for me, it was hard finding more than a bite of tuna inside. I've bought some nice big sandwiches for ns20, but I really don't need so much food.

I bought this one in the Sambooki, 34 Rechov Yaffo, Jerusalem. It's between Zion Square and the Jerusalem Municipality. As you can see, it was full of salad and tuna and a hardboiled egg. That's a meal. It was readymade, so service was quick. I think that the custom-made ones cost more.

*I'm pretty sure that was the price. If I got it wrong, it's small mistake, unless they've raised the price since I bought mine.

Quiet Lunch Escape in the Center of Jerusalem

As you know, I'm always on the quest for a low-cost worthwhile lunch in Jerusalem. I've tried out many of the ns5 places. They are fine if you don't need the nutrition of a "real meal." The rolls are large enough, but sometimes there's barely a dessertspoon (smaller than a teaspoon) of tuna in the sandwich, and I'm not always in the mood for eating on the sidewalk or in motion.

One solution I've used a few times has been the "two meals for the price of one"  ns25 large tuna salad which comes with a roll from the Neeman on the corner of King George and Jaffa Streets. I eat about 2/3 the salad for lunch and then take the roll and the rest of the salad to work for my dinner. Yesterday I was not in the mood for that. I also didn't want any "too big" sandwich for ns18 or so. I decided to have their sandwich and coffee deal for ns20. The roll was large enough, and from what I could see, there was the equivalent of about ten ns5 sandwiches of tuna if not more.

When I asked where to wash my hands, I was sent "upstairs." There I discovered a quiet place, much nicer than the few tables on the street overlooking the busy corner, which one shares with pigeons and strangers.

Tired, I sat at the table closest to the sink, which was by the 00 WC's. The downside was the strong smell of urine. Apparently they don't clean there often enough. Next time I'll just pick a different table.

I definitely did need that escape from the hustle and bustle of the street. The ready-made whole-wheat tuna sandwich was full and tasty and just the right size. The coffee was good, too. I don't usually drink coffee in the middle of the day, but I did feel the need and had a long day of work still ahead of me. It did end up to be a good choice, because I functioned well for hours after eating that meal.

Better a Real Roll than a Fake Bagel

I've always loved a good bagel. I like to chew, and a good boiled first then baked bagel needs heavy chewing.  It's very hard to find a real bagel nowadays, because many bagel places use this new-fangled steam spritz rather than proper boiling.

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I needed a quick lunch. We were in the Jerusalem Central Bus Station and went to the Holy Bagel. I have a soft spot for Holy Bagel, since the owners, or first owners bought the Beit HaBagel, Bagel House from a friend of ours, and I had worked there many years ago. I wanted to like the sandwich.

We asked the kid working there if they were real bagels, because they looked too "fluffy."

"Of course they're real. I baked them," said the kid.
"Hmm.. really? They don't look real."

And they weren't. I should have just looked for another place to eat, but we were in a rush. There was no way he could make the bagels, real bagels there. The boiling needs extra equipment.

Close to twenty years ago the original Bonkers Bagels owners brought the first "steam bagel" machinery to Israel, and a whole generation of kids have grown up thinking those puffy things with the consistency of oatmeal are real bagels, but they're not.

If it's not a real bagel I'd rather have a roll, and sandwiches on rolls cost less than bagel sandwiches, too!

Bye, bye bagels, bye, bye...

Grabbing a Sandwich at The "Holy Bagel"

At the tail end of a busy day in Jerusalem, rushing to Talpiyot to buy a hat, visiting with the chattan and callah (engaged couple) in Jerusalem and then to the Kotel, plus other things, I suddenly felt that I was fading rapidly.  Oops! It was dinner time and we hadn't eaten much all day.  So my sister-in-law and I rushed into the main (original) branch of "Holy Bagel,"  near Jerusalem's Central Bus Station, 220 Jaffa Street.

Actually, I once knew the place well, when it was "Beit HaBagel," The Bagel House.  I used to work there being in charge of the department that sold ready-made bagel sandwiches, pastries, drinks and salads to office buildings.  I also did the selling in Har Chotzvim.

 

I chose what they called a "whole wheat" bagel.  It seemed too soft to have been boiled then baked, the classic New York bagel way.  But it was shiny.  I didn't ask; I was too tired.  I had it filled with tuna salad and lots of fresh greens.  It was satisfying and really saved me.  My sister-in-law had hers filled with cheese and salad.  It was a good thing we ate when we did, because we got home very late.  Service was fine and there was a nice variety of fillings.