“The pie is served hot and crispy and is filled with sweet cinnamon flavoured apples. The ice cream surprised us with its strong French vanilla flavour and left us wanting more…” Sharon Yanosky and friend enjoy a breakfast fit for angels at Angelo Café in Modi’in.
About a month ago, the sukkot holiday took my friend and I away from the major commercial centre of Tel Aviv to Modi’in’s shopping plaza. There, calm and tranquilly, we started our morning with an angel’s breakfast on the patio at Angelo Café, the perfect location for some girl talk.
We didn’t think we’d find Angelo so easily, Tel Avivians that we are. But it turns out that the café is actually quite famous in the city of Modi’in and we got there GPS free, with the locals guiding us along. On the bottom floor of the mall we found the location we’d aimed for.
There is something cool about going somewhere new without any expectations – there are only surprises. Angelo is a kosher dairy restaurant and café with a great reputation. We sat outside (in the succah) so that we’d feel a little holiday atmosphere and commune with our Jewish side. The waitress came over immediately, smiling and polite, to ask us what we’d like. In the same breath we answered ‘breakfast’. There are a few types of breakfast, she patiently explained, and proceeded to recite by heart what each one contains. Among the options were the Diet Breakfast, with only low-calorie ingredients, the Italian which includes toast and spreads, the Pastry, which is a coffee and a pastry, the Shakshukit, consisting of shakshuka, of course, and the Toasted. We chose the classic simple breakfast that we all know and love. Eggs, spreads, bread, salad and a cold and hot beverage. Obviously, we ordered the version for two – we weren’t about to share our eggs.
We both chose lemonade to drink on this especially warm day, readying our appetites for whatever was next in line. No more than 8 minutes passed before freshly baked warm and crispy bread with an intoxicating aroma was brought to the table. Deep little dishes arrived with the bread, containing tuna salad, roasted red and yellow peppers, rich Bulgarian cheese, light tzfatit cheese, amazing tehina, egg salad and olives. We hadn’t even gotten started when a personal salad was served to each of us. A few nibbles and the eggs jumped out of the pan and onto our heavily laden table. The steady stream of conversation slowed as our attention was drawn to eggs with bread, spreads and salad. Both our egg orders came just as we’d requested – fried for me with mushrooms and onion and an herb omelette for my friend. The salad was freshly chopped and lightly dressed in a slightly sweet vinaigrette. All the dips were perfect and as soon as one was empty, another was happily brought in its place.
By the end of the meal we’d started chatting with the waitress, who told us how much she loves the place. She’s apparently worked at Angelo for a few years now and loves the food and the warm homey feel of the place. It’s really great to eat somewhere where the staff is satisfied – it says a lot about the place.
A fellow customer mentioned to us that all of the dishes are super fresh and generous in size, pointing out the enormous dishes of pasta and salad on her table. If I hadn’t been sitting there myself, I would say she’s exaggerating, but it’s clear that the food here is well made. There’s no compromising on freshness. The dishes really are generous and the kitchen is very attendant to the local and loyal clientele. Over the succot holiday the café is less crowded than on a regular day, but all the tables outside were full nevertheless, occupied by locals who had come to enjoy the morning with their families, in calm tranquility.
A couple of cappuccinos end this magical morning, but not before a dessert of apple pie with vanilla ice cream finds place in our stomachs. The pie is served hot and crispy and is filled with sweet cinnamon flavoured apples. The ice cream surprised us with its strong French vanilla flavour and left us wanting more. With a hasty glance at the menu before leaving, we promised one another that next time we’d be back for pasta, and on that optimistic note we headed back to the Tel Aviv.
Angelo Café
21 Tzalon, Modi’in
Tel: 08-9716701
