Staying Relevant
Val d’Isère bruschetta
Place: Café Ella, Jerusalem
When: Wednesday, late morning
Environment: The café was surprisingly busy, to the extent that reservations were recommended (but there was still room for walk-ins). The café has three seating areas – the original, indoors area with not that many tables, a covered porch with fewer tables, and an enclosed outdoor area on fake grass, where there’s more room for groups. I like the covered porch, since it’s pretty much all windows. Lots of light, lots to look at. The café is set back from a busy road, on a parallel service road, it but abuts a residential neighborhood as well, so there is a lot of access. The décor indoors is cute and quaint, with lace curtains and wooden shelves. The other two seating areas have less character; the furnishings consist of round Formica tables and wicker chairs, and not much else. The façade of the café is topped with a green and white striped awning, with flower boxes below, adding to quaint feel from inside.
My Order: Val d’Isère bruschetta (NIS 46).
The low-down: My breakfast order came with a small cappuccino, which was brought out first. It was very pretty, with a light heart in the dark foam. The flavor wasn’t too bad, despite the milkiness. A bitter coffee aftertaste reminded me that it was, in fact, a cup of coffee. It could have been hotter, however. The “bruschetta” was a large slice of toasted bread, with a layer of pesto, sauteed mushrooms, a slice of brie, and a poached egg. The egg was nice and runny. The pesto had a fresh kick. The cheese didn’t make much of an impression, flavor-wise – but brie is mild like that. There was a lemony tang throughout, as well. A leafy side salad with almond slices completed the picture; it had a light dressing. A few halved cherry tomatoes or slices of red onion would have gone a long way to make the salad more enticing. In all, it was a fine, light dish, if not earth-shattering. That said, a very aromatic order of shakshuka caught my attention as it was carried to another diner.
Who else was there: A couple of women in their 70s sat at a nearby table. One wore a black pencil skirt with capri leggings beneath, and running shoes. Her shirt was black and white striped. She wore her brown hair short and straight, with a hat on top. The other woman wore a wide pair of stone-colored khaki pants, chunky, colorful sandals, and a loose, lacy shirt. Her hair was short, blonde, and curly. Both wore glasses.
The pair spoke a mix of English and Hebrew: one with a German accent, and one an American accent.
The women didn’t know each other that well, but they had mutual friends who thought they would get along. They were both music teachers at a high school before they retired. Despite their shared love of music, on this day they sat to discuss current events, common friends, health, and of course, war. Every now and then, they took coordinated pauses to check their phones. They were working on building a new bond, which isn’t always easy at their age. The interaction between them wasn’t formal, but it didn’t have that easy comfort that exists between old friends. But old friends drift away, get sick, and die, and new connections are important. Loneliness is hard to maneuver, and without a regular job, you need to make an effort to socialize. So the two former teachers have a polite outing and someone to share a meal with.
