The Best Five Shekel NS5 Meal in Jerusalem

As promised, here's the news about the best five shekel ns5, meal I've found in Jerusalem. There are some regular priced restaurants, kiyosks and food bars that offer a ns5 (or even ns4.90) coffee in Jerusalem's "city center. But what interests me is where you can get a filling sandwich for the reasonable price of five shekels.

A few times I've bought a five shekel sandwich that was smaller than the palm of my hand. That's fine for a diet or very tiny appetite. To get the satisfaction a regular ns15-20 shekel sandwich would give, you'd have to buy at least three, and you wouldn't get as much tuna (my preferred filling) or whatever filling as in the more expensive one. So, the truth is that in most of the discount places, you don't get much sandwich for your money. That's why I buy a carrot juice along with it, yes, freshly juiced raw carrots, which is the only juice I drink, though pretty rarely.

Last week, I was downtown on Rechov Yaffo, Jaffa Street and spotted an attractive food bar, coffee cake. They had a bowl of normal sized sandwich rolls, but the only number on the menu decorating the wall was "5."

I asked how much they cost and I was surprised, very pleasantly surprised to hear that the sandwiches were only ns5. So I got my usual tuna sandwich and carrot juice for the grand total of ns10.

As you can see from the photos, everything is attractive and clean. Inexpensive does not need to be dirty and dingy.

Kashrut Alert: Passover, Pesach

Today at the Shabbat table, which was terribly quiet, no guests, I took a good look at the bottle of sparkling wine I was drinking.  Imagine my surprise!

Contrary to what I had been told/taught that "all wine is produced as Kosher for Passover, this Italian Bosca Verdi sparkling wine isn't Kosher for Passover. The label even mentions it being Chametz,  so it may be that something in the flavoring is forbidden on Passover.

Right after Shabbat I photographed the label for this post.

I know that it's quite a few months until Passover, but still I think that it's a good idea to post it already.

Keeping Busy, Fun With Friends

The other days my friends and I got together. We're a facebook group and meet every few months. Yes, I know that facebook groups aren't known for meeting in person, but we meet. We've met in Jerusalem to eat, chat and bead. We've also gone to Netivot, Shiloh and Netanya. I haven't gotten to all the get-togethers, but I did go this week.

I noticed two friends knitting, and I thought it great.

We also ate, and we talked and we talked.

We met at the Cafe Cafe in Center 1, Jerusalem, because quite a few members of our group have come from afar, yes, much further than Shiloh. The service was good, much improved over previous visits. They let us use their special room, so we had privacy and didn't disturb the other diners.

The food was good, and the company even better.

The Five Shekel NS5- Food Revolution in Jerusalem

It wasn't that long ago when you couldn't find a decent cup of coffee in Israel for under ns10. Now that the Israeli "Five Shekel NS5- Food Revolution" has hit most major cities, if not all, you can even find a NS5- cup of coffee in the full-priced chains, like the Ne'eman dairy restaurants and coffee shops. They're actually charging even less, only NS4.90 for coffee to go!!!

Coffee lovers, enjoy!

PS In another few days, bli neder, G-d willing, I will review the best place I found for NS5 meals!

Simply Vegetables

I consider vegetables easy and fun to make. You can be so creative. Just keep a supply. Baking is my favorite method of cooking vegetables.

In this I have carrots, pumpkin, onions, potato, sweet potato and squash. All I added was some oil on top, just a few drops.

Try something similar and tell me how it came out.

52Frames RED!

This week's theme for 52Frames was the color red. I really don't know if sent in my best "red photo," but after asking a friend to pose in a sweater we had for sale in Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin, I felt obligated to use that, the best of the batch, photo.

Like and comment on the page, thanks.

Here are a few I didn't use:

Which do you think was best?

Another "Adventure in Havel Havelim Land"

Tzivia has done it again, given us a wonderful edition of Havel Havelim on her "Adventures in Aliyahland" blog. Give it a click, read, comment and share the posts and the blog round-up.

Havel Havelim is the long-running weekly international Jewish blog carnival. We keep organized on our facebook page. That's where you can find out who's hosting and even sign up for the fun and honor of hosting it. Next week's edition will by A Soldier's Mother, please send her an email with your links before Shabbat your time. And I'll host on Shiloh Musings, G-d willing the following week; again, please email your link with a blurb, before Shabbat.

Remember, you don't have to be a blogger to read, enjoy and share Havel Havelim!

Pikuach Nefesh, Life Saving on a Bus

The other day, when traveling to Jerusalem by bus, I had to transfer from our Shiloh-Pisgat Zeev bus to one that would go all the way to the "Bituach Leumi-Kiryat Memshala" stop near Binyanei Ha'uma, not far from the Central Bus Station. I was on my way to the Israeli Museum, and it's a relatively short walk from there.

It would have taken me much, much longer to via our bus's Pisgat Ze'ev "first-last" stop. Now with the drastic changes in bus routes, our buses have been thrown out of the lovely CBS mall. All of our buses have outdoor, unprotected stops.

Of late, I've been learning entirely new ways of traveling by public transportation. People think I'm nuts when I joke that it's a technique to prevent or delay senility/dementia, because we must learn new things all the time. Of course the bureaucrats who designed these changes aren't dependent on public transportation. They have cars and most don't live in places like Shiloh, if any do at all. So, they really don't care. I doubt if they've ever traveled on a bus in recent years, certainly not the conditions we must live with.

Well, back to the story:
After a few minutes' wait at the Ma'avar Michmas-Psagot Gas Station stop, a bus to "Bituach Le'umi" arrived. It was crowded already, but a young man in the front seat by the door got up for me. It sure is nice to be an obvious alte-koka, old lady. On the other seat was a man, of about my age. Some men refuse to let a women sit next to them, so I was prepared to tell him that if he didn't like it, he could get up. But he said nothing. And so we sat side by side.

I started checking things/mail or reading a book on my smartphone, when suddenly I felt the bus quickly slow down, and the man's arm swung across my shoulders/chest to keep me from flying off my seat into the window.

"I'm sorry if that bothered you." Said the man in English.
"Pikuach nefesh, you saved me." I answered immediately.

Yes, he did. That type of bus does not provide protection for anyone in the seat I was in. The railing in the front just covered the person to my right. Since I had been caught by surprise, and my hands were occupied, I didn't have a chance to grab it. No doubt I would have had flown off my seat and been injured if he hadn't put his arm out to protect me.

Those new buses aren't safe. I remember many years ago, actually about forty when I had to take my second daughter with me to the American Consulate, which was then just across from the old border in East Jerusalem. We took what was then the #12 bus the entire route from Bayit Vegan to Sha'ar Shechem (Gate.) I had a terrible time at the Consulate because of the rude and nasty Arab staff and the unpleasant walk from there back to the bus stop at Sha'ar Shechem. When the bus arrived, the driver saw that I was upset and carried my daughter in her stroller into the bus. Then he told me not to sit in that seat, just over the door, because it wasn't safe.

Beware! Take care!

What is This Supposed to Be? Que es esto?

Last week when I was on Rechov Yaffo, Jaffa Street, Jerusalem, across from Machane Yehuda, the Open Market there, I saw a couple of these monstrous things. Does anyone know what they are?

Please answer in the comments, thanks.

Revisiting Cafe Rimon, Fleishig, Meat

The other day, Isramom and I treated ourselves to a lunch out. We decided on a meat meal in "Cafe Rimon," which has undergone all sorts of "reincarnations" over the almost half century since we've known it.

Even though the menu and staff are bilingual, their site is only in Hebrew. They must count on various English restaurant sites to get their information out in English. Here's the basic information using google translate, which is rather humorous in its choice of words. The Hebrew word for "grenade" is pomegranate, so don't get scared:

Cafe Rimon Jerusalem / Pomegranate Bistro Luntz 4, Jerusalem tel. 1599-50-10-30 / 054-3077918 Fax: 02-6252199 Coffee operating hours grenade Sunday to Thursday: 08: 00-23: 00 Fri: 08: 00 to an hour before Shabbat Motza"s: half an hour after the Sabbath hours of operation Bistro grenade Sunday to Wednesday: 11: 15-00: 00Thursday: 11: 15-01: 00 Motza"s: when did you return to 01:00

We wanted a quiet place, so we could talk. It was so quiet, that they forgot to bring the bill, and I wanted to see if they'd catch us walking out without paying. But Isramon wasn't willing to be chutzpadik. We finally went searching for someone in charge when the time came to leave. They also didn't bother asking if we wanted dessert when they cleared the table, nor did they try to get us to buy the reduced price soup which came as an option with the lunch special. The staff was polite, but obviously the marketing training was poor. Our service for the meal was quick, but people sitting nearby who came later complained of very slow service. Apparently there was a shift switch, and the afternoon staff wasn't as good as the morning one.

We were given this simple salad, spreads and bread as a starter. The bread was very special, and since there wasn't much for two people I had some. The techina was excellent.

Most of the choices were salads with meat/poultry, which seemed good for my low carbohydrate diet. I took the Turkey Lite, which wasn't bad.  There were seeds and nuts with the salad, which I liked. But I have a feeling that the sauce came from some ready-made or mix. I would have been happier without the sauce. A short while after eating I began to feel salt burn in my mouth, even though I requested "no salt added." It was too salty and sweet for me. I finished everything but the olives. There were too many for my taste.

Isramom was happy with her choice of "pargiyot," chicken and French Fries, as we call the "chips" in the "old country." The restaurant filled up as we sat there, and many people ordered all sorts of lovely salad and vegetable meals.

Considering the restaurants in downtown Jerusalem, it wasn't bad, but next time I'd like to try a different meat place. If you have suggestions, please let me know in the comments, thanks.

Israel Museum, Always a Joy

This week, again I visited the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. It's one of the most beautiful places in the world. I was there for the opening of its new Out of the Circle: The Art of Dance in Israel exhibit.

But beforehand I went through other departments of course.

"Waiting looks like this," 52 Frames

This week's 52 Frames we were to be creative in interpreting however we wished a line or phrase illustrated with a photo.

"...looks like this."

While waiting inside the mall for the bus in Pisgat Ze'ev, I took my photo. That's why I called it "Waiting looks like this."  It was a rainy day, and I hate waiting, no matter what the weather.

Piccolino, Dining Pleasure in Jerusalem

Tel 02-6244186 • Fax 02-6223218 

For those who have been wondering what happened to the lovely restaurant in the Anna Ticho Museum during the renovations there, I have news for you. The owners have opened something new in downtown Jerusalem called Piccolino on 12 Yoel Solomon Street, in Nachalat Shiva, Jerusalem, as part of the new "Kikar Hamusica," Music Square.

I visited it last week and had an absolutely wonderful meal. Because of my dining partner's connections to the owner, although we only ordered two main courses, we were given "extras" to sample. Everything was totally delicious.

First of all, if you want to be guaranteed a table, I suggest making reservations. When we called, early the same day, the only place available was the bar, which was actually fine for the two of us, and that was for 7pm reservations.

Piccolino has a number of beautifully decorated rooms, which can be used either by the table or reserved for groups. There's also the option of dining outside in Kikar Hamusica.

Kashrut is Mehadrin, for those who need to know. My dining partner ordered Eggplant Calzone, and I ordered the Citrus Salmon. While we were waiting, they brought us Fococcia with Spreads and  their Antipasti:

"Pickled sardines with lemon fillets and red onion, artichoke alla romano, beetroot and blue cheese carpaccio, grilled eggplant with goat's yoghurt, health salad, tomato, red onion and chilli pepper salad, home pickled olives, spread of pesto"

We were also given the most amazing Melanzane alla parmigiana:

Everything was perfect. As we were eating, I couldn't help but staring at the tempting desserts nearby, but since I'm trying to keep my weight down and bank account in the black, I didn't plan on ordering any. Though, as a restaurant reviewer, when we were offered dessert, I certainly couldn't say no.

They brought us two amazing chocolate delights to sample, and it would have been a sin to leave any over.

Don't you agree?

I definitely recommend Piccolino if you want an excellent dairy meal in Jerusalem.

The Best Way to Save Money

Yes, I work in a store, Yafiz, Sha'ar Binyamin. Yesterday we had a great one-day sale. The Second Item Only NS10-  Lots of people bought things. There had been people waiting for this sale, knowing that we were due for a sale day. The staff knew in advance, OK, minutes before closing on Friday, so we sent out ads on community email lists and facebook before Sunday's opening.  Lots of my neighbors came in and thanked me.

There have been other sale days when I have bought lots of clothes.

I wasn't among the shoppers. I couldn't think of anything I really needed. And the two week exchange for size/color option would be over before Chanukah. So I didn't buy anything at all.

There are times when, especially in the shoe store, I've told customers that I didn't think it was worth their getting something, because it wouldn't fit right. I make it clear that I don't want them to be afraid to come shop by us, because they'll be afraid of pressure to buy what they don't need. Then they will avoid our store, and that isn't any good. The customers trust me, and they sometimes look for me to help them. A bargain that stays in the closet is no bargain!