As strange as it may sound today, Dizengoff Street, the center of Tel Aviv's fayla, had quite a dark period. After establishing its position as the bohemian center of Israel in the 1950s and 1960s, at the end of the eighties the axis that connects the north to the city center faded away and became obsolete. In the 90's he even recorded a painful negative record when he became a symbol of bus attacks and other bloody events. And if you want to rub your mind with amazement, know that you could also buy an apartment there at a reasonable price.
For all the columns of "Rosie the Taster"
this slump lasted until the end of the first decade of the millennium. Little by little, the public came back "to rush". The demotion of Tsina Square led to the fact that instead of idle punks and pigeon poop, a human pool accumulated that brought back color to the street, literally. Walking through Dizengoff in the evening (during the day it's just another congested and sweaty thoroughfare) gives off a strong aroma of abroad, a piece of road that does not shame the largest and most magnificent cities in the world, and the cosmopolitan culinary pool only adds to the flavor, literally.
When you think of a place to stop in Tel Aviv, this eatery can be the home model
In my iniquity, I haven't visited Dizengoff in the evenings for at least three years. why? That's how it turned out. I am reluctant to enter Tel Aviv and pass through entire streets of scaffolding and tundas. Until last week, when I had the opportunity to arrive at sunset. While wandering in front of the designed shop windows and in a real atmosphere of freedom, the feeling of hunger floated and rose.
If I can't find something to eat here, where can I?
The search was not long. A small, neat and well-lit stall with the inscription "Pita Dizengoff" adorning it, captured me with its charm. When you think of a place to stop in Tel Aviv, this eatery can be the home model. Like a spider catching its prey, so he spun his web and drew me to him with cruel lightness. Yes, there is no other choice.
The menu looked promising and the aroma burned the mind. I felt in love. A variety of grilled meats to choose from, with an inviting smoke in the background that urges you to choose. The prices seemed reasonable. I ordered a mixed kebab and chickpea dish in pita (NIS 49), but the feeling of hunger oppressed me and I added NIS 10 to the flatbread. In addition, I chose three units of Araais snacks (NIS 39).
The wait wasn't short, but I figured it would be worth it. The heavy smell of the meat smoke was addictive. About fifteen minutes after ordering, the lapa came out. The first look looked promising, the second I was filled with disappointment. First, she herself was small. Second, it was disassembled even before the first hold. And thirdly - if it wasn't enough that the dough itself was relatively tiny, the amount of meat in it was even smaller and disappointing. Some chips would help, you say? "It's not part of the dish," I was told. Well, even though this trend has taken off, the expectation of paying extra for something so basic still seems pretty cheeky to me.
I bit. The meat tasted heavenly. The combination between the kebab and a celebration chicken, the lapa is reasonable plus but falling apart. Go deal with it now. After the third or fourth bite the arais was ready. Will you finish the dish in your hands, cut to what was supposed to be the starter and come back? No and no, the one that starts with a mitzvah, etc., what's more, a bread that falls apart is not neglected, even if it doesn't have chips because it's not part of the dish. I continued with her knowing that she wouldn't be enough for me and it's good that I also took the Arais. I finished and moved on.
In terms of the look, on a scale of 1 to 10, the Arais is a 12 if you are a burnout fan. The pita is charred to the point of being charred and from my point of view that's a compliment. The problem is that the texture didn't really match the look. The few times I've fallen short with Araais, one of my favorite dishes, but this particular dish felt "close". The balance between the dough and the meat was violated, too much oil turned both into almost a mash. It wasn't bad, but certainly far from a memorable or even average Araais.
Oh, yes -
I paid a fucking NIS 98 and I was left hungry
.
So how did it come out?
The KMA index (quantity-price-quality, from 1 to 10)
is the one that ultimately condemns the place. The problem is that "Pita Dizengoff", despite its shiny packaging, did not deliver the goods.
The quantity is small, and the quality combines Between "good but not amazing" and the price? Well, if you paid almost 100 shekels, do the math yourself.
What you can't take away from Dizengoff is the cleanliness, the style and the atmosphere The score is 6.5, but another half point is a fair factor - 7 in total.
"Pita Dizengoff" felt like a serious miss to me. Maybe in other dishes, and the selection is not small, I would have found comfort, but among the other tastes, the one that dominated the most was of the omission.
Pita Dizengoff, 112 Dizengoff, Tel Aviv