Israel for Beginners

Scala is located in the David Citadel hotel in Jerusalem, but unlike many hotel restaurants, this hotel restaurant is truly a culinary experience. When I entered the room, I liked the decor but did not like the fact that there is not a whole lot of space between tables (common among hotel restaurants). However, the food from beginning to end was outstanding. We had short ribs and lamb chops - usually the meat disappoints in Israel but that was not the case here. The house bread was fantastic. And one of the desserts was so good I ordered a second one! The service was excellent. We asked the waiter for a wine recommendation and a dessert recommendation. The choices were right both times. And what especially impressed me was that he recommended a very reasonably priced wine that he thought was better than the more expensive one my husband was contemplating. If in Jerusalem, this is certainly a great choice for a special occassion. Scala - David Citadel Hotel, 7 King David Stree...

Last week my husband and I spent a night at the Mamilla Hotel which is a newly opened hotel located alongside Mamilla Avenue - the outdoor shopping mall. It is nice to see Israel hotels with a modern and sophisticated decor that rivals the ambience of high end international hotels. The breakfast buffet was in a nice room and offered lots of delicious choices. The hotel staff was eager to please - the only mishap was putting us in the lowest floor possible after I requested a high floor when they asked my preference. I am not sure, though, how the hotel will age. Also, and this is my pet peeve with almost all hotels here in Israel, the daily rates are obscenely high - the amount we paid for a non-holiday weeknight exceeded what I have paid for comparable hotels in major cities like New York and London. Mamilla Hotel - 11 King Solomon Street, Jerusalem - www.mamillahotel.com

I went to La Guta a few years ago after many people ranted and raved about how amazing the restuarant was. Frankly I was disappointed by everything including the tightness of the space, the ambience and food. So, when friends of ours dragged us to the new location in Baka, I had low expectations. The evening surpassed those expectations by a long shot. First of all, the restaurant's new location consists of several different rooms making the dining more pleasurable and giving each table a bit of privacy. We ordered numerous dishes and enjoyed every one of them. It was as if I had returned to a totally different restaurant - one that I hope to return. And I strongly recommend La Guta for special occassions. La Guta - 34 Derech Beit Lechem, Jerusalem - 02- 623-2322

Litvak Gallery is a newly opened art gallery located in central Tel Aviv. The space itself is lovely - very open with a nice flow. Currently through May 15th, the Litvak Gallery is showcasing work by 23 of the world's leading glass artists, including the well known Dale Chihuly. Everything, but two pieces, are for sale. But, most of the people, like me, viewed the visit as a very enjoyable trip to the equivalent of a small art museum. The glass exhibit was phenomenal - walking through the gallery I really felt that Israel has reached new levels of cultural sophistication. I recommend bringing older children as many of the pieces are whimsical and fun. AND most definitely use the audioguide (English available) - it added so much to the experience. Litvak Gallery - Museum Tower - 4 Berkovitz Street, Tel Aviv - www.litvak.com

Kibbutz Revadim, located not too far from Ashdod and right off Highway 6, is a small non-descript kibbutz. However, it does contain the Ekron Museum of the History of Philistine Culture, which basically consists of a recreated Philistine street showing ceramics, weaving and an olive oil press. This is only for those who are die-hard biblical archaeological buffs such as my mother who enjoyed the experience very much. Naama Lanciano, the Kibbutz member who cares for the site, has herself over they years developed an interest in biblical ancient history. Once she realized that my mother was a kindred spirit, she was quite informative and chatty - even bringing us scholarly articles. Unfortunately, like many other historical sites here in Israel, I think that with the proper creativity, a guide could make this into a fun place for children. As of now, not sure that for the general public it is worth the trip. Ekron Museum of the History of Philistine Culture - Kibbutz Revadim - cont...

Tucked away in the heart of the artist colony in Safed is the Artist Colony Inn, a bed and breakfast recently opened by Benay and Jeff Katz (North Americans in origin but both have been in Israel for a very long time). The Inn, which is an old Safed house that has been lovingly and exquisitely restored, contains four guest rooms. The public areas include a small lobby and several outdoor courtyards/patios. We stayed in the Avital room which is the most spacious and most expensive; the room's only downside is that it is right off the small lobby and so some lobby noise filters in. Next visit (and I do hope to visit again) I would probably opt for the Lianna room which is slightly less expensive but big enough to be comfortable. The other two rooms are nice but not as spacious. Benay makes a delicious and plentiful breakfast that is served in the lobby. Overall, the inn has a relaxing and quiet feel which is reminiscent of small New England bed and breakfasts. It is tiny so that...

We spent a night in Safed last week and were looking for a place to eat. We were told to go to the Gan Eden restaurant located about ten minutes away from the heart of Safed.  Tucked away in an unassuming but quaint old Safed house, at first glance I did not think that this small dairy restaurant would dazzle me but dazzle it did. We ordered based on the waiter's recommendation (which we always do when trying a new restaurant). We sampled just about everything - bread straight from the oven, soup, fish, pasta and dessert (including a homemade modified version of a Krembo).  The food was fresh, homemade and delicious.  I do not even see a reason to recommend any specific dish since they were all great.  And put it this way, one week later and still dreaming about the food.   Gan Eden restaurant - Har Canaan, Safed - 04-697-2434 (reservations preferred)