When you ask the locals why they don't leave Netivot, the answer is nearly uniform: "The food here is the best!" Today, a number of culinary tours are regularly held in the southern city, revealing magical, tasty spots that are mostly out of sight. Beyond the surprising dishes hiding in Netivot's kitchens, there's also the encounter with the residents and business owners behind the stories – the people who make Netivot so special, magical, and above all – delicious.
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It all begins with the town's founders, who arrived here from Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. Over the years, tastes developed, combining old and new and different communities and cultures. Most of the participants in culinary tours in the city have never been to Netivot and only have a stereotyped perception of the city. Those who have visited the city for the first time and enjoyed its delicacies are the best ambassadors. With the help of Einav Levi, who's been taking visitors on social tours of the city for the past seven years and has lately added culinary tours as well, we chose a few places that are a must for every visitor. Netivot's old market has a number of veteran restaurants that have long been culinary institutions, visited by thousands every week.
One is Zigdon restaurant, founded over 60 years ago. About a year ago, founder Amos Zigdon passed away. His son, Michael, took over managing the family business. At the restaurant, you can enjoy a large variety of dishes, such as fricassee, Tunisian vegetable pancakes, falafel, shawarma, and salads of all kinds.
They say that Amos was the first to sell falafel in Netivot. When you arrive, you will be welcomed by Michael, who has a charming smile and is highly service-oriented. Our recommendation – take a big bite from the Tunisian koftas.
A few steps further on you'll find Adam's Brika – a tiny shop that doesn't even have a sign, but you'll easily recognize it by the long line at the entrance. Hundreds come here every day to taste the famously delicious brika. Adam Houri began making brikas in 1955, when he was 17, in faraway Tunis. A year later, he immigrated to Israel and landed in Netivot; he's part of the city's founding generation. The city's veterans remember the first shop he opened, right near the old cinema. At the time, the story goes, if you wanted another egg in the brika you had to bring the egg from home, since eggs were so expensive back then. With time, the shop moved to the courtyard of the old market. Its secret lies in the home-made red harissa sauce, the recipe for which is zealously guarded by the owners. About seven years ago, Adam entrusted the shop's management to his grandson Nehorai, who continues in the tradition of his beloved grandfather. The recommended way of eating the brika is, of course, with red harissa sauce and a cold Tropit, also sold in the shop.
Netivot Bakery, better known as Ohayun Bakery, is located in the Netivot old market. It's existed for decades, baking frena, ciabatta, pita bread, baguettes, and a large variety of other breads. They also sell other pastries such as bourekas, croissants, cakes, and more. The bakery is open until the early hours, so for many youth it's the favorite place to end a night out with a warm, tasty Turkish borek. Don't miss the frena bread sold here, which you can serve at your Friday night dinner with salads or Moroccan fish. The bakery is open around the clock.
An unforgettable tour
Meir Bonfed opened Joya Sushi Bar seven years ago. In fact, this is the first sushi restaurant opened in Netivot. Meir says that his dream was to bring the tastes of the Far East to Netivot and make good, delicious sushi made of high-quality raw materials, vegetables, and fresh fish. I remember the effort he put into acquainting the region's residents with the new tastes – an effort that bore fruit, and today the restaurant has become famous, drawing crowds from the entire region. Besides sushi, you can also order stir-fried dishes, pad kapao, dumplings, eggrolls, and a variety of other dishes identified with the Far East. My recommendation: don't miss the "Meir," the most unique roll on the menu. Joya has a kashrut certificate from Badatz Beit Yosef.
Patisserie Nichochot Haim is owned by Haim Dimri, one of the best-known and beloved residents of the region. He often appears on morning talk shows and in food sections, is complimented by leaders of the Israeli culinary industry, and recently took part in the TV show The Perfect Dessert, where he reached the semi-finals. At his patisserie you can find a large variety of unique, impressive, and highly creative desserts. Dimri succeeds in bringing the aroma of Paris to Netivot – in his shop you can find a very large variety of desserts such as éclairs with different fillings, cheesecakes, window display gourmet desserts, sourdough breads, and more. Make sure to spend some time in the shop – treat yourself to a warm drink with a dessert from the window display.
Basher Fromagerie in the Paris Center complex is one of the venues that attracts tourists from all over the country. As a foodie, I was very impressed with the cheese shop that sells kosher cheese from all over the world. The store is managed by the lovely Shira Cohen, who started out as a worker in Basher's Beersheba branch and today is a partner in the Netivot shop. Shira has immense knowledge of the shop's products and the field she has made the center of her life, and she is able to transmit that knowledge to the many customers who visit the store. Each time she teaches me about another new cheese I didn't know of. I recommend a glass of wine with a slice of village bread smeared with truffle butter, a favorite spread, and a little bowl of olives – a perfect combination.
Adi Rozen, the owner of "Culinary Story," recognized the city's culinary potential and created a 3.5-hour tour that combines luxury with simplicity, innovation with authenticity.
For example, the tour begins beneath the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Center, where participants taste the best cheeses in the world alongside sips of wine; the next stop is the market, where they try Adam and Nehorai's brikas at a shop founded 46 years ago (that doesn't even have a sign), go on to the Zigdon falafel restaurant, and dine on authentic, handmade couscous with kofta at a 50-year-old restaurant while hearing about the surprising night life that has developed around the restaurant, with the full cooperation of the owners.
Next, they eat at young, innovative locations such as Pizza della Vita – a real Neapolitan pizzeria where the pizza is cut with scissors like in Napoli; Joya, a sushi restaurant where they can enjoy a surprising sushi roll with a twist of lemon and a crispy eggroll and hear the exciting stories told by Meir, the owner. On each tour, Meir tells of the long road he's traveled since opening the sushi restaurant in the middle of the market, where he was seen as an oddball until turning the restaurant into the most successful of its kind. The peak of the tour is the Patisserie Nichochot Haim, where participants treat themselves to a dish from a table covered with colorful and very tasty French gourmet desserts made by Chef Haim Dimri.
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"For me, food is more than just feeling satiated," explains Einav Levi. "Here, food is a mirror of the people's soul. For generations, they've been transmitting culinary secrets from father to son and from mother to daughter. On the other hand, we see the growth of a new generation with a connection to, and interest in, dishes from different cultures around the world."
"These tours contribute a great deal to the local economy, and just by bringing tourists, they help the residents of the south make a decent living," sums up Adi Rozen. "I also feel a true transformation with each tour that brings visitors to Netivot. The common perception is that the city's residents are mostly ultra-Orthodox, and people don't understand what's special about it. At the end of the tour, they realize the many treasures the city has to offer. Today, when traveling abroad has become complex, these tours offer a great opportunity to discover all the good things we have right here."
This article was produced courtesy of the Special Real Estate Magazine
