So for this blog I went to somewhere that means something.  I went to Zahav.  Do you know what that means?! It means gold!  But I didn’t get rich. That’s sad.  But I did get full from all of the rich and delicious food.

I went with Mom, George and of course me. The chef wouldn’t let us have menus. He said he was just going to cook for us which is super special. The chef’s name is Michael but call him Chef Solo.  I had already met Chef Solo when I went to Stateside for dinner for George’s last night. He asked me if there was any food I didn’t like. I said “Yes, I don’t like shrimp, lobster, mushrooms, or eggplant”. He said maybe I would like his eggplant.  I don’t think so. It’s not the kind for me in any kind of way.

Finally, time to talk about food. First to come out was a delicious hummus with a bread called laffa. I just watched a video of Chef Solo making laffa. He said it was an Iraqi style pita bread that is thin and bubbly. They bake it to order.  I liked it because it has a good texture in my mouth. My mom kept tearing me pieces and I kept dipping and eating.  

Next to come out were five salads called Salatim. The first salad was beets and tahini. I love beets and whatever tahini is, it’s really good.  I liked this best. The second one was a spicy green bean and it was so spicy my mouth was on fire. The good thing was we didn’t have to call the fire fighters! There were also carrots with cumin and it was a little salty and when I swallowed it, it tasted like Vietnamese soup. Parsley with pomegranate was one of George’s favorites.  I was actually really scared to try it… but it was so fresh and light that it was my second favorite. Finally, the last one was a twice cooked eggplant.  I didn’t try it…not even a little taste. This is my I don’t know favorite. What a coincidence, George doesn’t like eggplant either; so my mom got to eat it all. She loved it and was happy to not have to share.

After the little salads, we had some small plates to share. First was a fried cauliflower with labaneh and mint. It was so good and healthy. The cauliflower was super crunchy and I think I can live with that. Next to come out was grilled haloumi. This is what I called a “not so grilled cheese” because it tasted EXACTLY like a grilled cheese sandwich. It also came with a date jam and nuts. I love dates. Maybe it’s healthy or not.  WHO CARES?! It’s great anyway. Next was a fried salt cod w/ lemon puree. They were just like fancy fish sticks.  I really liked the puree, but for some reason, the salt cod was just not the kind for me.  But my Mom said, “These are awesome!” She and George ate the entire plate.  Next were veal sweet breads with chick peas and mango puree. When I tasted it, it was so good and this time there was some sweetness from the sauce. BUT…they were still not bread!  Next was foie gras with pistachios and served on laffa bread. Chef Solo told me that he cured the foie in cinnamon.  I LOVED IT. It was so rich. Not the rich like money, but rich in awesome flavor.  This was my Mom’s favorite of the whole night.  George’s favorite was the roasted sunchokes with anchovy and lemon. I didn’t try them. I don’t know why because they looked really good. There was just so much food.  I was really excited about the next dish. It was something super special, something I’ve never had before.  Grilled duck hearts with tehina, apples, and little fried onion rings. At first, George didn’t tell me they were duck hearts. He just made me a perfect bite and gave it to me. I can’t believe I actually ate real duck hearts. I want to say “eww”…but I loved them. Poor ducks.

 For our final course (not including dessert!) was a whole smoked and braised lamb shoulder. I thought the lamb shoulder was chocolate cake for a second when they put it on the table. But it didn't smell anything like chocolate cake. It did smell amazing. Chef Solo told us that it was smoked for 24 hours and then braised with chick peas in pomegranate juice.  It also had rice called pilaf which was crunchy and really good. Another plate of eggplant came out and I did not try it. My mom ate them all as well. 

 At this point Mom and George were really full. The chef told me he was really impressed with the amount of food we ate. I said I was ready to eat all the desserts! And that’s just what happened. Chef Solo sent me ALL of the desserts.  I was too excited and just started eating. I’m sorry, but I forgot to write notes about any off them.  Mom and George had some, but I ate the most and of course wanted more.  Yum!

Our dinner at Zahav was delicious and really fun.  I got to try all different kinds of foods and flavors that I've never had before.  Chef Solo is so nice and super cool. I want to go there again someday for sure!

I give Zahav 54 sausages.

Next time…???