When we moved to Israel, our daughters understood that when they finished high school they would be called upon to serve their country in some capacity or another. They understood it and they embraced it. This is a huge source of pride for my husband and myself. My oldest daughter has long since finished her National Service and I do believe she received as much as she gave.
My younger two daughters are still in the midst of their service; both of them chose to join the Israeli Defense Forces, with the older one being drafted into the Air Force and the younger into the army.
Being a soldier in the IDF does come with its challenges. Most jobs are not very glamorous; at the end of the day, these kids are kids. And they have to learn to deal with other kids of all different kinds of backgrounds, to deal with authority; and to face situations very unlike they have faced until now. Sometimes it gets to them.
When my daughter called from Tsfat (Safed), where she is stationed, to say she was freezing to death and unhappy with some other events, I felt the need to rearrange my and my husband’s schedule so we could pay her a middle-of-the-week visit.
A two and a half hour drive from our hometown, Tsfat is located in the Galilee mountains and is the highest city in Northern Israel. It is a city of breathtaking views, a mecca for artists and a known center of Kabbalah, or Jewish Mysticism.
We arrived bearing blankets filled with down and groceries, and noticed the difference in climate as soon as we opened the car door. The air was cold and crisp, with a biting wind cutting right through us. The blanket arrived just in time and our daughter was ever so appreciative.
To show her appreciation, she invited us to take her to dinner.
We were happy to oblige.
We were expecting a simple cafe, perhaps something like Greg or Landwer, but instead she took us to an old Tsfat structure. We entered a gate that opened up into a courtyard garden, probably better enjoyed during daylight hours.
“You open up Your hands and satisfy all living beings”
When we entered the actual restaurant, I was immediately charmed. As the old wooden floorboards squeaked beneath our feet, we were greeted by a large stone fireplace and a fish tank with stone mermaids entertaining the fish. The walls of the eatery were covered with art, both quirky and serious.
I particularly like the painting of Moses a la Charlton Heston. Isaac liked the paintings of babies. Turquoise and burgundy paint covered the walls, and there were nooks with couches and low tables, as well as bookshelves with assorted tchotchkes and knickknacks.
And there was a small stage where there is an open mike and anyone can belt one out; I thought my daughter was going to have a heart attack when I told her I was going to sing.
This place is so captivating that the food could have been horrible, and I still would have told you to go to experience it.
But it wasn’t.
With a varied menu it was hard to decide what to order, but we were all happy with our choices. My husband had the chumus with fresh mushrooms.
The chumus was so smooth, it look like wet pottery on a spinning wheel. Its creamy texture melted in our mouths, and then was followed by chunks of sauteed, earthy mushrooms. My daughter’s linguine alfredo was rich and velvety so much so that she could eat only half of it. My own shakshuka was covered in kusbara, which I love, and topped off with fresh basil, giving it a distinctly italian feel.
And dessert?
Dessert broke me.
After being [mostly] off sugar since late September, I just needed to have a taste of the caramel mousse covered in chocolate ganache and the crembo cake, with a flaky chocolate base, moist chocolate cake with a marshmellow filling, all covered in hard chocolate goodness.
Just a couple of small spoonfuls. Heaven.
It was just the right atmosphere for us to be brought up-to-date on what our daughter’s army experience has been like. She didn’t so much need advice, but rather needed a space to just talk, and to be heard.
It was a really good evening.
“All our products are Kosher Mehadrin by choice, by will and by faith….under the Supervison of The Creator, who doesn’t charge a shekel”
Cafe Michael does not have a hechsher. All its food is mehadrin kosher and they are closed on Shabbat. The owners feel they can provide better prices and service without the intervention of the rabbanut.
Our visit to Tsfat accomplished what it was supposed to. We provided our daughter with the warmth she needed–in every way. While it was hard to say good-bye, it felt good to be able to support her and show our love when she needed that extra TLC.
And she picked just the right place for that.
Cafe Michael is located 14 Jerusalem St., Tsfat. Phone number: 050-866-3872. Average price, which included a main dish, a cold drink, a hot drink per person, along with two luscious desserts was 74 shekel (about 19 dollars at today’s exchange rate).
only 30 shekel more they can add entrecote steak. So that’s what they had, along with some mouth-watering lamb kabob, chorisos, wings and pargiot (off the bone chicken thighs). The dish came with a side of some of the most crispy chips I’ve ever tasted (did you know the secret of crispy french fries is refrigerating slightly cooked potato fries for a couple of hours before a quick deep fry?). My middle child ordered what she said was one of the 
juiciest burgers she’s ever eaten. I did beg a taste and I’d have to agree. The vegetarian among us ordered Denis Fish (Sea Bream) with a lovely saffron rice. And me, well I went a bit out of my comfort zone and ordered chicken livers sauteed with onions and mushrooms on a bed of rice with almonds and craisins, which were spectacular. The livers, cooked to just the right texture, were moist and flavorful and I could just feel the iron coursing through my blood with every bite.
Seating can be in the restaurant itself, outside on the mirpeset or in front of the restaurant in the mall. A brick wall adorned with vintage photos further adds to the atmosphere.
For our cold drinks, we added a few shekel and ordered limonana–crushed ice fresh lemonade with mint. Topping it off with the ubiquitous Cafe Hafuch–another staple of Israeli life–made the meal perfect.
potato salad. The pizza was tasty, doughy, with the right amount of cheese. The yams were soft and sweet, the lettuce cut into slightly too-big pieces with a simple dressing. T. had the mozzarella salad with a pesto dressing that was quite refreshing. L. had the onion soup, which was slightly sweet and had a nicely toasted crouton with parmesan cheese to contrast with the sweetness of the soup. Finally, the birthday husband’s focaccacia was smothered in pesto, pine nuts, whole roasted garlic cloves and more mozzarella cheese for sharp-tasting, carb-filled yumminess.
During the meal I managed to whatsapp a message to T., sitting across from me to order dessert with a sparkler, even though both birthdays were in the past. Late celebrations are still good celebrations. The lovely waitress showed up with two good choices: Tiramisu and Hot Chocolate Cake. The chocolate cake literally melted in your mouth and the Tiramisu had just the right coffee creaminess, although it did not have that hit of liqueur that can be so enjoyable.
