Identity Crisis
Cappuccino and lemon ‘cruffin’
Place: Beit Ha’am, Jerusalem
When: Wednesday, mid-afternoon
Environment: This somewhat new café was very busy on a gray afternoon. There were some empty tables, but most were full. While the majority of patrons seemed to be students of some sort, not all were. There was also an abundance of staff standing around. The space was characterized by industrial design, with concrete walls and big white ducts across the ceiling, as well as raw-looking ceiling fans. In addition to the urban interior, there was outdoor seating as well, some of which was in an enclosed area, and some of which was on a patio. The vitrine had all kinds of enticing-looking desserts and sandwiches, and that was complemented by a full café menu prepared to order. Orders are placed at the counter and then you are called by name to pick it up when it’s ready (alternatively, they give out a beeper to notify you when your order is ready, depending what you order). In a fairly unusual move for Israel, there was a magazine rack on the wall, filled with copies of Rolling Stone magazine for perusal by customers. As Elton John played over the loudspeakers, some people randomly sang along. The playlist went on to play Bob Marley and Billy Joel. The eatery abuts an arts school, and is located in an artsy neighborhood in downtown Jerusalem, which is one reason the spot draws the crowd it does. Beit Ha’am is the kind of place where people feel comfortable leaving their laptop unattended on a table while they go outside for a cigarette.
My Order: Small cappuccino (NIS 14); lemon “cruffin” (NIS 32).
The low-down: The coffee was dark and nearly burned, and not at all weak. The cruffin was basically a croissant in the shape of a muffin, with a lemon filling and a little meringue log on top. I had debated between the pistachio version and lemon, and was very satisfied with the eventual choice. I went back to ask for sharp knife because I had no idea how to attack it otherwise. Maybe “attack” isn’t the right word, since typically attacks carry negative connotations. The cruffin was positively delicious. The dough was flaky, fresh, and dusted with a crunchy sugar. The filling had a lemony tang, and they didn’t skimp on it. Essentially, this all summed up to a lemon meringue croissant. The sugar dusting made the cruffin a messy treat, but it was worth it.
Who else was there: A guy sat alone at a table, somewhat in the middle of things. He appeared to be in his late twenties. A wedding ring encircled his finger, and he had a branded blue yarmulke on his head. He wore a sherpa-lined black denim jacket over a short-sleeved navy-blue polo shirt, with jeans and work boots. He had white earbuds lodged in his ears. A cup of Turkish coffee sat alongside his computer on the table. From the looks of things, he wasn’t an Israeli native, but the coffee was a bit of a curveball.
It was a habit he picked up in the past six months that he’s been living in Jerusalem; he’s in the city for an advanced study program. After he got accepted to a program to delve into an esoteric corner of Jerusalem history, his wife applied for a study abroad program as well. They got married about 8 months before they decided to make the (temporary) move from the Washington DC area where they were living. He likes to work on his papers in public spaces so that he can absorb the local culture and feel, even while absorbed in his work. His goal is to be able to look back on his time in Jerusalem as culturally enriching, as well as academically.
