Zahav

Zahav
237 St James Place
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 625-8800

Zahav is not one of those restaurants you can stumble upon walking the streets of Old City – it’s truly a hidden gem. You have to know what you’re looking for – and what you’re looking for is a restaurant specializing in upscale Israeli “street food” that many, even those from Israel, claim is the best food they’ve had.

We discovered Zahav after snagging a copy of Philly Magazine’s “50 Best Restaurants” issue last year, where it ranked quite high on the list. Initially drawn to the place because of its “marbled rye” cocktail [an on-the-rocks lemony drink with caraway-infused rye*], and it’s charismatic head chef, Michael Solomonov**, we quickly realized that this was one of the best meals we had ever had in our lives. Seriously.

Actually, it might be the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. Go for the Tay’im [“Taste of Zahav”] tasting menu. For $36, you get five wonderful courses: a salatim platter for the table [Israeli salads… thumbs up to the beets and carrots], a hummus and pita platter of your choosing [our personal favorite: hummus tehina], two “mezze” [if you leave here without choosing the halloumi with date paste and the fried cauliflower, you have made a huge mistake], one entree and one dessert. I had the couscous and eggplant for my entree, a dish so simple there’s nothing to complain about.

I can’t speak for the meat-eaters, but Shaun can, and the meat dishes are equally as delicious as the veg options. There is not a thing on the menu I would not recommend… other than the marbled rye cocktail. Unfortunately, the drink was too lemon-y and too overpowered by ice to allow the caraway flavor to shine.

What I would recommend to drink is any of the Pelter wines [from Galilee]. The bartender informed us that Zahav snags any and all of the Pelter wines whenever they reach a liquor store in the area, making it such that Zahav is the only place you can get this wine [they also don’t ship to NY] outside of Israel in the mid-atlantic region. The Chardonnay is smooth and buttery [my favorite], and the Sauvignon Blanc strikes a balance between citrus and vanilla that even a S.B.-hater like myself can learn to enjoy.

I have been to Zahav twice now, and each visit was equally as memorable. This really says something about the food because the first night we went was the day we got engaged. The staff was so warm and excited for us, and Michael Solomonov [yes, he was working in his kitchen on a Friday night, a rarity for famous chefs that I admire so much] even took the time to congratulate us, calling his James Beard Award “small potatoes” compared to marriage.

If you’re in Philadelphia and you don’t try this restaurant, I’ll be disappointed in you.

Reservations can be made via OpenTable.com, or over the phone: (215)625-8800.

*If you can’t tell from the title of the blog, I have a weakness for rye, rye cocktails, old-fashioneds, bourbon, bourbon-whiskey, et. al. More on that later.

** Solomonov was recently awarded the James Beard Award for Best Mid-Atlantic Chef. I highly recommend his Ted Talk to learn about his inspirations. He is truly a stunning character. I also highly recommend his other restaurants: Percy Street Barbecue, Xochitl [which he recently sold, but go there anyway], and the soon-to-open Federal Donuts. As a vegetarian, even I can appreciate the appeal of a fried chicken and donut restaurant.