Breakfast is an event all over Israel, but it is a spectacular in Jerusalem. Nothing rouses a Jerusalemite from bed faster than the promise of that first cafe hafuch or densely packed espresso in the morning. Every street kiosk and cafe has its own specialty, but I left my heart at Velka’s. Set back on Ibn Shaprut Street inside a white washed porch surrounded by a picket fence, sits Velka, a breakfast and lunch cafe just waiting to serve and host wandering tourists and neighborhood faithfuls.
I found Velka accidentally one evening as I wandered around the climbing vines of rosemary and lavender that wind and lace the streets of Rehaviah. It was dark and my kids and I had no idea where we were walking. I’m pretty sure it was our second evening in Jerusalem and I was already full from a great dinner, but that’s a story for another blog. As I passed some screechy cats, locals walking pampered dogs, and a couple of children dropping recycling into life-size cages on the street, there she was: All tucked in for the night with a ridiculously cute painted farm sign that spelled Velka. Not only did I instantly fall in love with the Yiddish name, I loved its location: Directly across an unbelievably narrow street from a Lubavitch Yeshiva and a Haredi laundromat. I could still see the bins filled with religious articles of clothing on the sidewalk outside the front door, and of course, there were a few men in black hats smoking cigarettes at the laundry’s front door.I couldn’t wait to watch these aromas dance in the morning air.
As I waked home, all I could think about was Velka. Would she make my coffee in the morning? I found out the next morning. Velka is the relative of Lisa, a native of the U.S. She and her team lovingly set farm tables decorated with mismatched china and silver. “Eggs how you like them” is the star attraction of this menu. You decide how you want your eggs for breakfast, and they will literally make them “how you like them.” I later learned that this phrase exists on almost every Jerusalem breakfast menu, but at that moment, it was beyond adorable and I was convinced I had found the most origin
ally worded egg offering.
Well, my eggs, which are always over easy, came with a perfectly crisp, tart mixed green salad and fresh, out-of -the-oven hot, thick slices of whole wheat surrounded by a hard, crusty rind. Fresh, cold butter pushed it over the edge. Not to be outdone, my husband ordered pancakes with an exotic, homemade preserve of a berry whose identity I can no longer remember. Those arrived like a princess on a dais surrounded by dollops of freshly whipped cream. This meal, combined with the religious ferver pouring from the windows of the yeshiva across the street, made the entire experience spiritually surreal. I became a regular at Velka and I am certain you will too.
Velka Cafe 5 Ibn Shaprut St. Rehavia 02-566-5755 velkacafe@gmail.com
