Tel Aviv, Israel — I have a cousin who does not like fruit. And for this reason, I refer to her as Cousin Who Doesn’t Like Fruit. Usually I find that not liking an entire food group denotes the mark of a finicky eater, so when she visited me in Tel Aviv, I had to think of a place that she could find something to eat that would fit her criterion of no fruit and God knows what else.
In a pinch, the place to take picky eaters is Panini Lilush, the romantic little cafe across from Kikar Masaryk with the 15,000 page menu. With a set of options that long, there has to be something for everyone.
In Tel Aviv’s brief-as-a-flash winter, Lilush is the place to go to get a bowl of soup, since they have about 10 options available every day. Obviously their panini are what they named themselves after, so you can’t go wrong ordering yourself a panino, and I personally recommend ordering anything that comes with truffle oil. Lilush also has one of the best chocolate souffles in the city, though I’ve always wanted to try their “Annoying Crepe Suzette” for dessert, since with a characterization like that, how can you resist?
If you were wondering how to say the name and not sound like a plebe, it’s LEEEEE-lush, and not lih-LOOSH. But, let’s be honest with ourselves now, a panini maker is really just a fancy-boy’s George Foreman grill laying flat. And for this reason, I beseech you to refer to this establishment henceforth as George Foreman Lilush. That’s what will really make you sound like you’re in the know.
Lilush may be a little girly, but we all have a little girl living inside of us who likes truffle oil, paper light fixtures and chocolate souffle. I’ve named mine Tiffany.
1 year ago • Notes