Crave
Crave
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You better sprint to satisfy this kosher-treif festival Craving!
Being kosher since birth, I have often fantasized aloud with other like-created people about a Yom Treif – a day when all rules were off and we could eat anything non-kosher we wanted at, any place we chose.
Well, because of CRAVE, if you will it, is no longer a dream!
Crave calls itself ‘street food’ but, it more more than that. It is everything that the kosher keeper has desired or, the reformed kosher keeper has longed for.
Crave’s location is On the edge of the Machane Yehuda Shuk, steps away from Azura, next door to Ishtabch and a nine-iron away from Jacko’s, making this the new culinary center of the sacred city.
The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and looks like an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse. High ceilings, unfinished walls, a center isle kitchen and Queen and Billy Joel blaring from the speakers make you feel like your past and present are all coming together.
Almost every item mixes some form of meat and pareve cheese. The nachos smothered in beef is a favorite of many. The brisket bites are good, but the BBQ sauce was a touch overdone. I would stick to the hits and there are plenty.
The signature dish is the authentic Reuben, layered with coleslaw over the hot and freshly sliced corned beef and pareve Swiss cheese dripping down the perfectly grilled rye toast. If deli is not your thing, the Mendel will satisfy you and then some. The burger is full and tasty, covered in cheddar and lamb bacon. It perfectly fills you up without making you feel gross afterwards, which many such establishments could do. The sliders are hand crafted and delicious. My more finicky eater devoured them and claimed the “lamb bacon was PERRRFECT!” Equally impressive is that each entrée looks EXACTLY like it does on the menu, adding to the authenticity and energy put into each plate.
The overwhelming majority of Crave patrons are Americans longing for the forbidden fruit. Many are youth on summer or year long programs. However, the more Israelis that eat at Crave, the sooner we will bridge the gap between Israel and the Diaspora and reverse the birthright – hummus effect allowing us to celebrate different cuisines.
Like its namesake, you will leave CRAVE-ING more!
