Edging Forward

Beet and brie sandwich

Place: Café B’Rotem, Rotem, Jordan Valley

When: Monday morning

Environment: The café is located at the edge of a hill, in and overlooking the Jordan Valley. There is some indoor seating, but you miss the point if you sit indoors. Outside is a circular patio with a thatched roof, which is a godsend in the heat of the valley. But if it’s early enough in the day or early enough in the year, you can sit on the gravel surrounding the patio, closer to the lip. Tables are spaced respectfully from each other, allowing for quiet dates and meetings, and for off-leash dogs to roam. Most of the tables have tablecloths (no two the same) that are replaced as the tables turn over, but some of the (naturally pretty) tables are uncovered. Birds chirp and hop around, hoping for cast-off crumbs – to almost Disney-like proportion, as they attempted to share my table (and sandwich). In the morning, a breeze comes through. Bushes encircle the area and butterflies flit among the flowers. As each new group enters and takes in the view, one for one, smiles spread across their face.

My Order: Brie and beet sandwich (NIS 68); small cappuccino (NIS 13).

The low-down: Before I even ordered, the waitress brought me a pitcher of cold water and a glass. Once I did order, the coffee came quickly, in a glass cup. It was pretty well balanced between coffee and milk. I always prefer a bit heavier on the coffee, but this wasn’t far from it. The sandwich came promptly after the coffee, served with a side salad (which was thoughtfully dressed in layers). The bread was a warm, toasted ciabatta, with a filling of brie, goat gouda, arugula and roasted beets. The sandwich was nicely seasoned with ground black pepper, a drop of sweet jam (maybe fig?), purple onion and truffle butter. It looked simple, but one bite and – wow. Not simple at all. The toasted bread had a nice crunch on the outside but was fresh, soft and airy inside. The elements of the filling were nicely balanced against each other. And I know what you’re thinking: “Come on Shira, another beet sandwich??” I can give you some garbage answer about how it’s like having a control group, to compare one café to the other. But really – I just like beets. And to be fair, this was not my first visit to Café B’Rotem, and on my previous visit, I ordered what they call the Cornelius, which is an egg and cornbread concoction, generous on mushrooms and cream (yes, as good and heavy as it sounds). And I did consider their Cuckoo’s Nest on this visit (sunny side up on brioche challah). But considering that I had to stay awake after my visit, I went with the lighter beet and cheese sandwich. And it was a great choice.

Who else was there: A religious couple in their early 50s sat at a table off to the side, under a tree and facing the panoramic view. She wore a black and pink scarf tied on her head, turban-style, and he had a knitted kippa, a light gray, short-sleeved button-down shirt, which he wore untucked, with tzitzit hanging out. The two shared a leisurely breakfast, sometimes talking, sometimes looking at their phones.

It was a rare occasion for them to go out together, since each was typically busy in their respective teaching jobs. But it was the week before Passover and they had the time off. In a normal year, they would be in a frenzy to clean the house and cook before the family converged back home for the holiday. But this time, for the first time ever, they were going to their eldest daughter for the holiday. Different family members were in and out of the army, and none wanted to travel all the way to their parents’ remote home for the holiday. So they agreed to meet in the middle. It was a weird sensation for the older generation, to be supplanted, as though they were being phased out of their role as the epicenter of the family they created. But they had to admit – it was a nice treat not to have to play host to kids and grandkids and cook around the clock, and let life slow down a little.