Down to an Art

Ejjeh pita sandwich

Place: Makom Hashra’a, Alonei Abba

When: Monday morning

Environment: Makom Hashra’a is a romantic spot, in the true sense of the word. It’s a combination of an art shop and gallery, artists’ workshops, and café. The whole affair is housed in an old stone building constructed by the Templers in the early 1900s. Outdoors, on the ground floor, is a small deck with some rustic tables, with more tables sprinkled around the yard, with olive trees and umbrellas providing shade. Inside is a little area with a vitrine where you can order a salad, sandwich, coffee, pastry, or the like. There’s a sunken stone area with more tables for sitting and eating, drinking, and talking. It’s all adorned with small bouquets of fresh flowers and inspirational art. Potted plants and flowers act as anchors in the outside area. Birds call out from the trees. There were even butterflies flitting about, to add to the peaceful magic of the morning. Additional areas of the building display art for sale and art for art. The place was fairly empty upon my arrival, but a steady, slow stream of patrons, along with the artists themselves, came in as the morning progressed and the sun warmed the air.

My Order: Ejjeh sandwich (NIS 56); small cappuccino (NIS 15).

The low-down: One woman worked the kitchen. She brought me my coffee first. The foam was thick and coffee-heavy, as was the coffee itself. It wasn’t my favorite brew, but it wasn’t bad. And the foam remained thick and sturdy until the end of the cup. The sandwich was served in a thin, toasted pita, with skinny, herby omelet patties and lots of arugula. The ejjeh (omelet) itself was flavorful and warm. The arugula was fresh. There was a nice kick of hot pepper spread in the sandwich, and crunch from cucumbers. That said, it could have benefited from a bit more moisture, especially in the first couple bites. Perhaps some pickled onion or tomato slices. However, the sandwich was served with sides of surprisingly excellent olives, cut cucumbers, and cherry tomatoes, so it was an easy do-it-yourself fix if desired. And after a few bites, once I really got into the patties, it wasn’t as dry. The service was very friendly and worth noting, and the woman behind the counter was happy to share her recipe for the ejjeh (it included dill, parsley, cilantro, green onion, and maybe some other greens as well).

Who else was there: A group of three men and one woman were lounging after an early-morning bike ride, dressed in their bike shorts, t-shirts, and sports sunglasses. Some had changed from their riding shoes into sports slides. They relaxed around a low table, on cushioned chairs, under some olive trees.

The topic of the day surrounded the date – October 7. The discussion ranged from what was, what’s become, and what will be. But the most important part was that they were able to go out in the morning for their bike ride, under the (somewhat reduced) threat of missiles from Lebanon and other neighboring countries, spend time with their friends, and drink their coffee boisterously. Because like so many others in this country, in their minds, the best victory is to simply keep on keeping on.