I know it sounds blasphemous but one of my favorite restaurants in
Paris is an Italian joint. Casa Bini lies just south of the Boulevard
Montparnasse in a two-story building housing the family of Mrs. Anna
Bini. The food is traditional Puglian with a large menu of classics and
house favorites that never change. The principal allure of the place is
the leaflet of daily specials. I have rarely encountered the same dish
twice and the specials always impress so much so that my family, and
most people I know in Paris, list Casa Bini as one of their favorites.
I had dinner there a few days ago with a couple of my cousins and the food was delicious as always. The nice thing about a place like Casa Bini is that you always know what to expect; friendly staff, dusty pictures of the Italian countryside, and dimly lit dining rooms. It is the culinary delights coming out of the bustling kitchen that are novel. My cousins and I arrived at about 8 to the warm welcome of the eldest Bini son, a small round man with a baldhead and thickly Italian accent. As was expected we all ordered from the daily offerings boasting tons of fresh seafood and other seasonal ingredients from the best Parisian markets.
The Israel we know is a land of contradictions and conflicts and common ground can be hard to find. But having just been there, I can say the notable exception to this, is the food. The food is really, really good, and something everyone enjoys with gusto whether it's fine dining or street food. Like the country itself, the food is very diverse. And while the history and scenery might be enough for some tourists, I came for the food. Not just because it's good, but because it provides a window into the culture and the people living there.