Best Food and Drink in Northern Israel+Beyond

With less than 1 week left before we leave, I'd like to pass on our recommendations for the "best of" Israel.  Here are our favorites for food in northern Israel (with just a few from Jordan). 

·         Best cold drink: fresh squeezed orange juice on the beach or wherever you can get it from street vendors.  Yes, fresh squeezed – they get the oranges out of the fridge and squeeze them in front of you:

·         Best hot drink: Arab coffee.  Finely ground coffee simmered with cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, and a little sugar.  Little sweet, little spicy, really gets you going. (see Small Addictions post for recipe)  #2 is mint tea with lemon—still tasty but with half the caffeine jolt.

·         Best cheap eats : Bruno Casa Della Pizza in Merkaz HaCarmel.  $10 buys you a slice of Pizza and a beer.  Not cheap you say?  It is for Israel…

·         Best humus: Humus Said in Akko.  Yes it’s kitschy, yes the locals all seem to have another favorite, but the only thing they make is great hummus and fresh pitas.  I know it’s totally inaccurate, but from now on, I’m going to picture ‘manna from heaven’ as the lunch we got at Humus Said.

·         Best falafel and Arab food: Arazim in Shlomi near Rosh Hanikra.  Tough choice this one, but they had the freshest salads and spiciest meat. Mmmmm spicy meat.  If you aren't in the mood for meat (or don't want to travel all the way to Lebanon), the best falafel is at Hazkenim in Wadi Nisnas Street in Haifa.  Awesome felafel+pita.  If you are in Haifa, you must try it. 

·         Best chef restaurant: Kimel in Tel Aviv.  The chef has his own TV show in Israel.  Very popular and very tasty!

·         Best unique dessert: knefe, a Lebanese dessert made with shredded phyllo and cheese.  If you find it, you must try it.  If you don’t, settle for the delicious baklava from a local bakery.., Best bakery is in Wadi Nisnas down a small side street off of Allenby (near Shadaha on the northern/coast side of Khuri, ask if you get lost).  Look for the baker on the sign.

·         Best guilty pleasure: Gelato from Leggenda.  Ok, so it’s not indigenous, but it sure is tasty!

Best fish restaurant: Dag al HaDan on the Dan River.  This is a bit of a drive from Haifa, but it's one of the most unique dining experiences in Israel.  Diners are served fresh trout on the banks of the Dan River.  One wonders if the fish swimming in the river have any inkling about their impending doom.

And, last but not least, best hamburger (and best restaurant mascot) has got to go to Moses in Tel Aviv:

Outside of Israel:

We had some amazing food in Jordan.  If you happen to be in Aqaba, look up the Syrian Palace—great food, great service, great location. Al-Arabi in Wadi Mousa had the tastiest shwarma EVER!  Go there if you aren’t too exhausted from exploring Petra.

Best kebab+pita: The Grotto in Shepherds' Field.  If you're visiting Bethlehem in the West Bank, make sure to eat there.