After a morning of translating Genesis at my desk and reading more of Matthew under this contraption,:
I ventured out to Tmol Shilshom, an adorable bookstore/cafe/restaurant near Zion Square. Thank God there were signs leading the way, since I first had to find the small side street, walk through an alleyway, and follow a winding path full of debris and construction to steps that led me up to this darling sight:
On either side of this deck are two rooms full of wooden tables/chairs, wine bottles, and bookshelves lined with books in a mixture of Hebrew and English. Exposed stones line the archways. The room to the right has much more natural light and lively conversation; the room to the left has a darker, read-an-engrossing-book-alone-in-the-corner-with-a-messy-bun-and-an-espresso kind of feel when I peeked in.
I chose natural light and ambient noise. I sat next to the children's books, Israeli classics in English, and books in other languages (mostly German). The waitress gave me a bilingual menu designed like an old copy of Stevenson's Treasure Island. The appetizer page is entitled "The Preface," entrees "The Plot" and "The Plot Thickens," drinks "Drafts," and dessert "The Epilogue."
Of all the options, I decided to try a hot pudding-like drink that used to be popular in the Ottoman Turkish Empire, called sahlab (or salep). It's made from orchid flower tubers and rose water. This one had coconut flakes, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon sprinkled on top. It reminded me of something I've had before, but I cannot remember it for the life of me.
Now that I know where this place is, I will certainly come back... probably curl up with a book in the darker room. Yum.
"Tmol Shilshom" is named after one of S.Y. Agnon's novels: Only Yesterday or Times Gone By. The building is apparently 130 years old. It was originally a home, which turned into a tailor's workshop in the 1940's. By the 70's, it blended into the commercial center that is Nahalat Shiva and the bookstore/cafe/restaurant started just in 1994. Their claims to fame are the salmon filet in fig sauce, Amanda salad, and cheesecake (next time!). They also host both famous and budding Israeli writers here.
And a throwback to a Philly haunt (... a deceptive bookmark... you can't find the Book Trader on South Street anymore, it's on 2nd):
I ventured out to Tmol Shilshom, an adorable bookstore/cafe/restaurant near Zion Square. Thank God there were signs leading the way, since I first had to find the small side street, walk through an alleyway, and follow a winding path full of debris and construction to steps that led me up to this darling sight:
On either side of this deck are two rooms full of wooden tables/chairs, wine bottles, and bookshelves lined with books in a mixture of Hebrew and English. Exposed stones line the archways. The room to the right has much more natural light and lively conversation; the room to the left has a darker, read-an-engrossing-book-alone-in-the-corner-with-a-messy-bun-and-an-espresso kind of feel when I peeked in.
I chose natural light and ambient noise. I sat next to the children's books, Israeli classics in English, and books in other languages (mostly German). The waitress gave me a bilingual menu designed like an old copy of Stevenson's Treasure Island. The appetizer page is entitled "The Preface," entrees "The Plot" and "The Plot Thickens," drinks "Drafts," and dessert "The Epilogue."
Of all the options, I decided to try a hot pudding-like drink that used to be popular in the Ottoman Turkish Empire, called sahlab (or salep). It's made from orchid flower tubers and rose water. This one had coconut flakes, nuts, raisins, and cinnamon sprinkled on top. It reminded me of something I've had before, but I cannot remember it for the life of me.
Now that I know where this place is, I will certainly come back... probably curl up with a book in the darker room. Yum.
"Tmol Shilshom" is named after one of S.Y. Agnon's novels: Only Yesterday or Times Gone By. The building is apparently 130 years old. It was originally a home, which turned into a tailor's workshop in the 1940's. By the 70's, it blended into the commercial center that is Nahalat Shiva and the bookstore/cafe/restaurant started just in 1994. Their claims to fame are the salmon filet in fig sauce, Amanda salad, and cheesecake (next time!). They also host both famous and budding Israeli writers here.
And a throwback to a Philly haunt (... a deceptive bookmark... you can't find the Book Trader on South Street anymore, it's on 2nd):
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