First Day in Israel, Part 2

You all know I cannot go on vacation without blogging about the food. Dinner tonight was at Decks in Tiberias. The food was SO delicious. The setting was on the Kinneret (called the Sea of Galilee, but it’s fresh water) on this enormous deck (hence the name Decks), with a cool breeze blowing on a very warm evening.

We started with some appetizers. Bluefin tuna carpaccio with a vinaigrette and toasts with zahtar (G-d, how I missed zahtar!), onion loaf with barbecue sauce, and a mixed grill of salmon, dofi (local fish), small potatoes, portabellas, and sweet potatoes. The mixed grill was fabulous. Dofi wasn’t so much for me- I prefer a more oily fish like salmon, and the dofi was pretty mild. The veggies were perfectly smoky.

Then we moved onto more grill favorites. We had chicken with a curry spice rub and French fries, and duck breast in a honey lime sauce. Maybe it was the warm night, maybe it was the outdoor setting, but it was some of the best rustic food I’ve ever had. Maybe I can convince Patrick to come back with me when he arrives (which will not be soon enough).

I was almost too full for dessert, which was a cinnamon crepe with what was probably soy ice cream (it having been a meat meal). I had a couple of bites, and then some awesome Turkish coffee- definitely can’t wait to share that with Patrick. It was so strong, and yet ever so lightly sweet. Perfect end to the meal.

Here’s one for the encyclopedia of the weird…. One of the women from Canada is someone I knew from my Israel Pilgrimage trip in 1987! How unbelievable is that? I knew she looked familiar, since I had just shown Patrick my scrapbook from that trip the day before we left. If I hadn’t, I don’t know if I would have remembered her. It was so great to connect with her, and I look forward to seeing more of her and getting to know her again.

BD