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Practice Hebrew while you read about dining out in Israel in Herbew, followed by the English translation.

In English:
One of Israel's best kept secrets may be the variety of cuisines available, with dishes inspired by immigrants from every corner of the globe. Here are a few suggestions for interesting and delicious meals for when hunger strikes.

Perhaps the most characteristic Israeli eatery, and certainly one of the most popular, is the falafel stand. Falafel consists of balls of ground chickpeas, seasoned and deep-fried. Falafel is relatively cheap. It's also filling. At most stands, customers are given an empty pita bread into which they may put as many falafel balls as they want as well as an unlimited supply of salads and vegetables. Most people add tahini sauce (a mixture of finely ground sesame seeds seasoned and mixed with water and lemon), before eating the overstuffed pita while standing or walking. You can tell recent falafel eaters by the tahini dripping down their chins. But the taste is great.

A more familiar fast food stand is the sandwich stand, where you can get a simple cheese sandwich with tomato slices or another familiar sandwich. But why not be daring and try some boorekas-- puffs filled with cheese or potatoes. Most people prefer to eat them with "huevos jaminados" (Sabbath morning eggs), hard-boiled eggs cooked slowly for a long time so that the egg white becomes brown. The Ladino name reveals that this dish originated with Sephardic immigrants. (Ladino, descended from Medieval Spanish, is the traditional language of Sephardic Jews from the Mediterranean basin.) Now many Israelis love these eggs, and with good reason!

If you feel like sitting down and maybe spending a little more, have a cup of coffee or tea and a slice of cake at a café. Most cafés have outside seating, and customers enjoy sitting there and watching the world go by.

In Israeli cafés and restaurants, waiters do not rush the customers out or ask if they are done. They only bring the check when asked. And when it comes, the tip is usually included. Most eateries follow the laws of Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws). Therefore, it is very hard to find restaurants which serve seafood, pork, or dishes containing both dairy and meat. Nevertheless, the variety of restaurants is enormous, ranging from basic and inexpensive to very expensive and elegant. The cuisines represented include Eastern European, Italian, Asian and more.

American diners will find a new experience at "Mediterranean" restaurants. The moment you are seated, a waiter brings hot pita bread along with a plate of olives, a plate of tahini sauce, and a variety of pickled vegetables (cucumbers, green tomatoes, hot peppers, and slices of turnip dyed red by adding beet slices). Another condiment you may see is a paste of hot red and hot green peppers. Watch out for this one!

When it's time to order, you might start with appetizers such as hummus, a paste of ground chick peas and tahini, garnished with olive oil and parsley; Moroccan cigars, seasoned ground meat rolled in phylo dough like a cigar and deep fried; and a whole list of salads. It's easy to feel stuffed before the main course even arrives. Common dishes include kebabs (skewers of ground meat) and shishlik (skewers of cubed lamb, chicken or turkey meat or chicken hearts or livers). All dishes are grilled and served with "chips" (fries) and vegetable salad. For dessert, you probably won't want more than mint tea or Turkish coffee.

In Israel, you can find food to suit any budget, taste, or style. And in larger cities, at least, even if you get hungry at an unusual time of day, you will find many restaurants open around the clock. See you at the corner falafel stand!

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