The Kosher Capital.

On wednesday I felt the need to get out of Tel Aviv for a bit, escape the heat and craziness. I ended-up in Jerusalem to spend some time with my friends there, and obviously eat at my favorite restaurant.
Caffit -- the small unassuming restaurant, located in Jerusalem's posh German Colony on Emek Rafi'im, is probably the best kept secret in the city -- besides the bookshop cafe. Half outside, half inside - the restaurant draws a crowd from locals to tourists. And why does everyone come? Well, for the salads of course! Since in Jerusalem, it is VERY hard to find a non-kosher restaurant (a restaurant is either meat or dairy -- or they have separate parts of the restaurant for either type of food, complete with different menus), Caffit boasts a menu of mediterranean influence (including fabulous dairy salads, fish, and some of the most amazing sweet potato pancakes I have ever eat)!
I was first brought here 2.5 years ago by friends while I was living in Jerusalem -- and I was quickly coming back for seconds. I even brought my mother here when she came to visit, and she too, fell in love.

Rachel and my meal began with a nice glass of wine over some much needed shmoozing, as all young Jewish women need. It also was our time to fiddle around with my new camera...Rachel got very artsy (picture, compliments of Rachel).
We decided that we were hungry, but since we were meeting friends afterwards, we didn't feel the need to look like bloated pigs -- so we decided to split two salads.

Our first salad was a seared tuna, crusted in sesame seeds, over a bed of tomatoes, peas, green beans, bean sprouts - dressed in a teriyaki like thick brown-sauce. The fish was slightly too fishy for my taste, but was cooked to perfection. The salad was delicious however. The crisp of the beans with the sprouts made a delightful crunch in your mouth.

However, the piece-de-resistance, as it always is at Caffit, was the sweat potato salad.  Lettuce, tomato  and cucumber covered in a massive heap of pan sautéed nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, and cashews) mixed with bulgarit cheese and crispy delicious slices of sweet potatoes -- this dish is HEAVENLY. With no dressing besides the cooking oil from the nuts and potatoes, the salad doesn't even need  additional flavors. As Rachel and I downed the salad, picking out toppings from the actual salad itself  and kibiitzing - it was the perfect girls night out dinner two 20 somethings could ask for.