North Abraxas, Tzfon Abraxas, Tel Aviv

Located steps away from the beautiful Rothschild Boulevard, Tzfon Abraxas is a spectacular restaurant serving mind blowing modern Israeli food in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Eyal Shani, the man behind Tzfon Abraxas, Port Said, HaSalon, and Miznon (where cauliflower is king), is one of Israel's best known chefs. He is a slightly eccentric figure and a passionate culinary genius. Tzfon Abraxas and Port Said have a similar menu, but Abraxas seems to be quieter and a touch more reserved. The setup here is very simple: a few paper covered tables, a party room behind closed doors, and some tightly squeezed together seats at the counter with the view of the open kitchen.
Instead of tablecloths, the tables are adorned with brown paper, a tomato and some kosher salt, while some of the food is served on pieces of cardboard or paper bags.

The menu changes according to the freshness of the ingredients and their seasonality.

We began our lunch with these Jericho green beans, which instantaneously became the stuff that I would dream about. These slightly cooked beans, bathed in good quality olive oil, lemon and garlic, were simply divine. I really meant it. They were outstanding.

The slice of sourdough bread came in a paper bag and included half of an onion. The bread was to be dipped in crème fraiche that was seasoned with tomato seeds. This was another simple, yet absolutely delicious flavor combination. The smoothness of the crème fraiche worked beautifully with the slightly acidic but sweet tomato, and all of that goodness scooped up on a piece of bread, was pure haven.

This sweet potato, which also came in a paper bag, had a nicely charred skin and a lovely smooth interior.

If I see a beet on the menu, I most likely will order it, unless it is slathered in goat cheese.
This beetroot carpachio with thin shavings of horseradish and crème fraiche, was silky smooth and delicious.

My shrimp arrived in the pan that they were roasted in, and were swimming in a buttery tomato sauce.

My husbands cuttlefish salad with herbs from the mountains was refreshing and light.

How great is an option to order a combination of all the desserts that a restaurant has to offer?
We got a chance to sample the sugar coated bananas wrapped in Dulce de Leche, chocolate cake, and strawberries with whipped cream.