Shiri Katz

Why should you choose between ice cream, cookies, sprinkles or syrup if you can just add them all in? Here are six places that serve extravagant sundaes that prove that this iconic dessert makes the world a happier place

If you thought that the Carmel market couldn't possibly get more creative and intriguing with its dining spots, think again. Here are five new places you should stop by before you get your food shopping on

Around world, avocado restaurants are a legit thing: The Avocado Show in Amsterdam specializes in avocado dishes, including avocado rolls and hamburgers. In the United States there are a ton of avocado-centric restaurants, and in Brooklyn, there's the thriving avocado bar, Avocaderia. But one of the most iconic dishes from the big apple is Café Gitane's avocado toast that includes avocado, lemon juice, olive oil, and chili flakes on a seven-grain toast. So far, Tel Aviv has lagged behind, but next week it will have a chance to redeem itself with the little help of a new avocado restaurant, which will be helmed by chef Tal Dadon, Chen Shoshan (a graphic designer) and Erez Friedenzon (who managed the Maoz bar). They went on a study tour at New York's Avocaderia, Amsterdam's The Avocado Show, and Berlin's Avocado Club, and then decided to open a café-restaurant in Tel Aviv dedicated entirely to the humble avocado. The large-scale space they rent on Lilienblum Street was designed by the architecture firm This is IT (that also designed Mansura restaurant) with large arches, bright marble surfaces and pink stone that together emphasize the shades of an avocado with chairs and other novelties. Chef Tal Dadon's menu, who worked in Anastasia, Zakaim and Nanuchka, will (surprsingly!) not be vegan and will offer a selection of dishes such as Japanese avocado pancakes, a variety of avocado gravies, and American ice cream based solely on the avocado.

Over the past year we have eaten more fried chicken, the ice cream has become blacker and more photogenic, we've become occupied (by food trucks), and the Carmel Market has established itself as a culinary center. Did somebody ask for the check? You got it. Here are the seven most prominent culinary trends to hit the Tel Aviv streets and burst onto the Tel Aviv restaurant scene this year.

Your sweet sin for this winter is sure to be in the new Kanafeh bar that just opened in Tel Aviv's Florentine neighborhood (alongside other sugary surprises) The colorful wooden chairs spread out over the new complex, Kanafanji, are reminiscent of Greece, and the menu is reminiscent of Beirut. Welcome to the new Tel Avivivan kanafeh bar, hiding in a rotund house among the towers of the Florentine Quartet. You can curl up on the cushions or relax outside sitting in the plaza and indulge in this sweet Arab staple; personal servings of round kanafeh, filled with everything from cheese to beef, (yes, there are also vegan versions), all sprinkled with a generous helping of green pistachios. KANAFANJI FB page Kunafa is usually considered the Turkish version of kanafeh as we know it here in Israel, and at Kananfanji, you can find an individual version of it, made of a kadaif cone filled with tahini, halva or nutella. Patrons will also find a variety of classic local Arab sweets, including pastries stuffed with pistachios, and malabi on a bed of kadaif. If you are staying to eat, order water and coffee in advance (NIS 7 espresso, Arabic coffee NIS 8). You will definitely need it. This is not the first time that a kanafeh bar has been opened on the seam between Tel Aviv and Jaffa. It has been more than two years since Danny Phillips closed his Noga Kanafeh place in northen Jaffa, leaving quite a few lovers of this sweet treat to seek out the right spot in the city. Although there ar

Sex and chocolate are two of the most beautiful creations the world has known since the dawn of mankind, but can they be combined? A new hotspot dedicated to chocolate and sex workshops is set to open in Florentin Chocolate mogul, Adiel Mor, roams excitedly among the sacks of high-quality chocolate he bought from the best European brands to produce the foundation stones or the taste of lust at the temple he is currently building in south Tel Aviv's Florentin neighborhood. The cocoa butter, cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar - used on regular days as raw material for pastries - are covered in sacks, and their contents are available in varying levels of cocoa solids, from 50% and above. Mor adds maca powder, shredded cocoa beans, roasted coconut, coconut cream, hazelnuts or Atlantic sea salt flowers to the chocolate, creating vegan truffles (6 NIS per unit) and unique chocolate drinks. © Anatoly Michaello Mor is also a henna tattoo artist and a facilitator of workshops on human sexuality. (On Sukkot he gave a workshop on sexuality in the Desert Ashram at the celebrated annual festival). During his years of living in Thailand and Goa, Mor studied with an expert vegan food chef on how to roll the perfect truffle, which he sold at a stall in a street food market in Thailand while acquiring knowledge of Indian sexuality. Adiel Mor © Anatoly Michaello Mor pours these two worlds into chocolate potions, which he offers here in two formats: one hot chocolate drink, thick with cocoa, a

Armed robberies, kidnapping farmers and a fruit that is sold at NIS 50 per kilo: how did the hipsters & Instagramers made this greasy fruit the most desired treasure around?   At a dance hall in Michoacán, Mexico, not far from the beaches of Acapulco, decapitated heads came flowing in - the result of violence surging after the battles between the local crime cartel and the farmers. This was not about poppy crops raised for opium or cannabis, but the level of violence created by these crops is comparable to Africa's blood diamonds. These are the avocado plantations that cause the cartel to kidnap the farmers for ransom purposes and in response to the establishment of a private security police force to protect them. A third of the world's avocado supply comes from Mexico, the New York Times reports, and this demand for the divine fruit continues to grow at a murderous pace.   The avocado is not a new fruit. It was cultivated in Mexico about 9,000 years ago, and the Aztecs gave it the name ahuacatl because of the way the fruit is seen growing on the tree like a pair of testicles. In the past two years, the fruit has been the undisputed star of Instagram - sliced like a rosette on toast with an obscure egg elegantly oozing on top or even creatively repurposed as a cup for a stylish cappuccino. Avocado farm in Michoacan Mexico © Shutterstock Since the trade agreements with Mexico introduced the avocado to the United States in 1994, the demand for the it has not stopped growing a

Tomer Agai's new resto-bar will be Santa Katarina's little sister and will offer dishes in the spirit of the iconic restaurant alongside high quality cocktails   The Otsar first opened in 2016, inspired by the Har Sinai bar, and quickly created "hipsteria". This summer, one of the partners, Dean Baller, left the bar, and partners Uri Lahav and chef Tomer Agai. In response, the abandoned partners decided to close the hipster bar in the end of September. However, from the outset it was clear that reopening the place was only a matter of time, since the back yard of the Great Synagogue is magnetizing for Millennials who frequent the Thai in Har Sinai restaurant, the iconic Port Said and the excellent Santa Katarina. Otzar @ Ben Palhov It now appears that during December, Tomer Agai will open Santa Barbara. Agai, who is considered to be the one new wave of the Tel Avivian culinary scene, grew up in the kitchen of the veteran chef Haim Cohen, and brought with Santa Katarina excellent food in a non-committed atmosphere, blurred between the traditional kitchen and the modern kitchen.   Tomer Agai, Santa Katarina © Ran Biran   If everything goes according to plan, right at the beginning of winter he ensures a California palm atmosphere just as it starts to cool down. The kitchen in Santa Barbara will be a continuation of Agai's culinary vibes in Santa Katarina - Mediterranean cuisine with influences from the entire Mediterranean area and a focus on local ingredients, with a stron

Prepare yourself for two weeks of culinary delights. During the month of November (9-23), the International Round Table by American Express will return to star in Israel for the fourth time. This year the festival will be led by women chef stars from Italy, Switzerland, London, New York, Spain, Colombia and Mexico arriving to Israel.  © Anna Ross The 8 chefs will be matched with eight of Israel's best restaurants - Aria, Nithan Thai, Coffee Bar, Zepra, Hayarkon 99, Pastel, David & Joseph and Quatro. They will cook together with the chefs and the local raw materials that will be served for only one week at each of the restaurants. "This year, we decided to bring women to the forefront of the stage, to raise awareness of the importance of women in the field and to create a bridge of creativity that combines the best chefs and raw materials of the local kitchen with trends, kitchens and of course the most talented artists in the world," said Yair Bekier, a co-founder of the festival. Ordering tickets are pre-paid on-site only, and by credit card. The bonus code can be downloaded at https://he.americanexpress.co.il//  NIS 50 Discount for American Express Card holders and Dessert Wine Mount Hermon Muscat of the Golan Heights Winery as a gift.  

Four brothers have succeeded in turning the "munchies" into a perfect start-up platform, sending hot cookies right to your doorstep when you need them most.   Imagine you are lying sprawled on the couch, after a long and exhausting day that you unwound from by usual means (or should we say "greens"). And with any good weed-inspired chillage comes the natural post-smoke munchies. AM:PM seems too far away, even if it is just below your building, the freezer only has freezer burnt sausages from two months ago in it, and you want something to sink your teeth into, but something good; something sweet and crisp and warm that will feel yummy in your tummy.   This is probably the scenario that went through the heads of the four siblings of the Efraim family (ages 29-44) who are rocking Night Cookie, the start-up delivery service offering hot and fresh cookies to your home.   © Aya Efraim   Cookies of the best quality, even if you'll settle for anything in your high state   The brothers, who refuse to reveal their first names, are involved in digital marketing (the two older ones), the third is a vegan cooking and baking enthusiast, and the youngest just graduated from law school. One day after talking into the night, they suddenly understood what all Tel Avivians have in common: a desire for something tasty that arrives magically in a fresh, warm, sweet state. They started with a wide range of attempts, and brought in confectioner, Ayala Inbar, of Reviva and Celia, to prepare recip