Ms Julie - Egyptian cuisine in HaCarmel Market

In one of my recent photo shoots, which took place in Kerem Hateymanim

 the producer had a brilliant idea

 Instead of ordering catering, and us eating from plates on our knees, 

she booked us to a small restaurant

nearby - Julie

My crew filled up all the tables of the little place

And the food was delicious 

I was also charmed by the relaxed atmosphere

The small kitchen at Julie's

And I promised myself to return 

Julie Uzon, chef and owner. " I love smoking" she says

The opportunity occurred yesterday
and after having lunch, I visited the kitchen

And chatted a little with friendly Julie herself

The owner and main chef of Julie's at Hacarmel market

 

Egyptian dishes, delicately seasoned 

Julie was born in Cairo and came to Israel at the age of seven.

In the restaurant she recreates the tastes and smells of Cairo, 
which is the flower of the Middle East,
she told me .

The stalls of Shuk Hacarmel across the street fro the restaurant

Generations

The restaurant is located in the heart of Shuk Hacarmel, surrounded by stalls, which make it all the more friendly and inviting.

The staff contains a few very friendly women, including her daughter, which Julie designates to be the heir of her empire.

The restaurant is open for lunch only, and the food is freshly prepared every day. 

Julie - 42 Malan st. corner of Yom Tov

open Monday to Friday

Nili Lotan in Tel Aviv

I've been following fashion designer Nili Lotan's for years, loving the clothes, the lifestyle and the attitude
 So it was really amazing when she contacted me last month to photograph her for The Window
Barney's New York's very lively and interesting blog, 
to create a travel diary in beloved Tel Aviv

We set out in the morning ,with a list of favorite places, and had lots of fun
We've even discovered a few new places

Here are the photos and you can see more on Barney's blog

Nili Lotan at the Hilton beach which is a favorite surfers' spot and has a great secret restaurant

In a beautiful Bauhaus building in the White City

Nili Lotan at the entrance to the new building of the Tel Aviv museum

The best spot for lunch and catching up - Hotel Montefiori

The coolest street - Rothschild Boulevard

The amazing ancient alleys of Jaffa

Nili Lotan at the Flea Market in Jaffa , a good place for antiques and trendy stuff too

Lots of treasures to be found at the Jaffa flea market

* I've been admiring Nili all day, walking on stilletos! A real New Yorker!

***

www.nililotan.com

Stylish Samy

One of the most stylish people I know in Tel Aviv is Samy David. Designer and Ceramics artist . 

I love Samy , his style and his creations . 

I have photographed him several times , already . 

And his creations too 

For our second column for Buzz Magazine we chose to photograph Samy in the cool cafe , Dallal , near his house in Nveh Zedek .

Only he could wear - All Saints ,Dior and Dries Van Noten for a walk with his dog .

#mytelaviv

Dallal - The thing I like about Dallal is that you practically sit in the street  , there is even a part of it which is kind of totally in the street ( not seen in the photo) But , you can also go into the cafe and enjoy the atmosphere of a real traditional European cafe with excellent cakes ( chocolate bomb recommended )  and excellent air-conditioning .

Print & Nostalgia

Yona Hanavi st./ corner of Alenbi

I love magazines and although Tel Aviv is not a Meca of print I've been following a large variety of local and international magazines from a very young age . 

Fashion ,comics, science- fiction and gossip.

So it was a real pleasure to find this newspaper & book shop , which holds rare newspapers from the past , as well as new , up to date ones.

Mixture of old and new

Rare old editions

Inside the shop - dusty book shelves

The owner - Mr. Pinchas

 

#myTelAviv

Cafe Mersand

Tel Aviv is a city of cafes. All types. My favorites are cafes where you can sit and watch the passersby. 

 I chose to start with Cafe "Mersand", which is the most Tel Avivan of all.
Is not the most beautiful nor the most luxurious but if you want to feel the real pulse of the city - this is the place.

Grabbing an espresso on my way to the beach

 Mersand is located at the intersection of two busy streets, and although the bustle of the city , it is an island of peace and sanity.

 Sitting on the sidewalk outside, air conditioner freezing inside, the small menu , consisting of fine coffee and Austro-Hungarian cakes (augmented in recent years with toasts and breakfasts), the interior that remained almost completely intact from the fifties, and the crowd composed of cool guys, older women, hipsters, filmmakers , journalists,rich and poor , occasional tourists and pretty girls , all this creates the essence of Tel Aviv .

Austro-Hungarian cakes in the vitrine

 

The Girls

Until not long ago  a group of yekke (German-born Jews) women in their 80s - "the girls" used to visit Mersand cafe . Now their photograph is framed on the wall . 

The cafe was designed in the fifties by an Austro Hungarian interior decorator

On my way out, I met my colleague, the wonderful photographer Pavel Wolberg. He too often sits at Mersand cafe, when he is not shooting on location at the occupied territories or some wild night clubs .
 Told you - this is a place of cool guys .

Pavel Volberg

I chose to photograph at midday so as to keep the real essence of the place . Sure , it is prettier at sunset , everything is prettier at sunset , but Tel Aviv is a rough city , and on days like today , when it's 32 degrees and 80% humidity , you have to live with it and accept it .

You can occasionally hide inside but the streets are white and the light is strong .  

Like the words of the late poet David Avidan
הָרְחובות ממְרִיאִים אֶל הָאוֹר הַלָּבָן כְּמוֹ שְטִיחַ-קְסָמִים
The streets  take off to the white light like a magic-carpet.

***

When I travel I like reading a book from the place I am visiting .
 My recommendation for Tel- Aviv is the book "Past Continuous" by  the celebrated Yaacov Shabtai

which gives much of the same atmosphere as Cafe Mersand , besides of being one of the best books ever written in Hebrew .

***

As if to contradict my theory of the harsh light of Tel Aviv I saw this girl , as I was walking away .

 Fresh and colorful .