Israeli food is hot now, which makes me happy because I think Israeli food is pretty groovy. Also, if you’re ever dealing with some dietary restrictions, Israeli food happens to be a great option. Over the weekend, Jordan and I were meeting for brunch, but she’s currently avoiding soy and dairy. There’s no soy in sight when it comes to Israeli food, and it’s often pretty light on the dairy – a restriction that’s harder to accommodate than you realize.
Aside from the fact that the restaurant name made me think of the first gyno I ever saw, I was a big fan of Timna. Not only are they serving up great Israeli food, they’re doing it at a great price point. $25 gets you coffee, apps, and an entree. For $35 you can get that with bottomless booze.
I love that brunch comes with, essentially, a mezze platter. We received warm, fluffy pita along with some appetizers: sweet potatoes with roasted garlic, quinoa salad, beets with curry yogurt, and roasted peppers with creamy whipped feta. The flavors were more modern than I expected and vaguely African.  For our entrees, we both ordered the shakshuka because shakshuka can be so darn good. Do yourself a favor and just ask for more pita from the get go here. I wish there was a liiiiittle more tahini, but overall the flavor was really good.
When it comes to Israeli food, we’re all ready to eat hummus, hummus, and more hummus. That’s why I love that Timna takes a different approach. They’re serving grown up versions of staple ingredients, like beets and red pepper that will make you forget you assumed you’d be eating hummus and blended chickpeas. Timna is a great example of The New Israel (that’s not a thing – I made it up…let’s make it a thing). Looks like they also do a feast-style dinner for $50 ($85 with a wine pairing), and I would love to check that out. What better way to introduce friends to the world of modern Israeli cuisine than with the words “feast” and “wine pairing”?
Peaches to Apples 