Restaurants and location – in a different sense

 

There is something universal about eating in a restaurant. Wherever you may be, sitting down and having a meal in a restaurant is somehow familiar and comforting, regardless of the alien world outside the restaurant window. At the same time, restaurants also reflect local culture, culinary and other, making it an adventure to find a quality restaurant in an unfamiliar locale. In practice, the correlation between peripheries, quality and value is a local variation.

To demonstrate, last night my wife and I went out to dinner in order to support businesses in the hard-hit northern Galilee where I live as well as to give my wife a break from cooking. We went to a small restaurant called Mazaj in the nearby village of Rameh, a mixed village with Muslims, Christians and Druze. Upon arriving, the waiter brought over a dozen small bowels of various salads as well as pita bread. We ordered stuffed boneless chicken on a bed of long rice and almonds and baked Denis fish with French fries (or chips as they are known to the British). We also ordered a beer and soft drink. We concluded the meal with a cup of mint tea and a dessert called “Lebanese nights”, a light semolina cake with whipped cream and syrup. We were no longer hungry when we left.

To many abroad and even in Israel, on the outside, the restaurant does not appear to have great potential. It is located slightly off the main road of the village, next to an auto repair shop. The sign for the turn, which was never in great condition, has almost completely faded this winter. The room is spacious, featuring simple wooden tables and chairs. The waiters are typical for most of Israel: the good ones act like they have been on the job for three weeks while, in some establishments, one week seems more common. The menu and plating are simple and direct, not screaming out “sophistication”. As in most Galilee eating spots, you go there for the food, not the milieu.

By contrast, there is no questioning the quality of the raw material and cooking. The chicken was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The rice combination was tasty. The chef prepared my wife’s fish to perfection. The mint in the tea was clearly from the garden. The service was properly timed, i.e., allowing sufficient time to think, delivering the food nice and hot and clearing away the plates once it became clear we could no longer eat any more. The chef, who had appeared on television, greeted us when we entered, answered a question about an item on the menu and asked if we had enjoyed the meal as we left. The restaurant itself is clean and even enjoys a nice view of the setting sun. It is not an accident that we return to this restaurant and that it has survived both Corona and the recent war, events that have decimated the restaurant business in Israel, especially in the north.

As for value, the prices are quite reasonable for the area. In the restaurant business, local costs, including rent, food, labor costs and utilities, vary. Furthermore, the ability for people to eat in restaurants is dependent on their financial situation and income. As the Galilee is less developed, people eat out less and are less willing to spend 400-500 NIS for a meal for two ($130 and more). In this case, our meal cost 240 NIS, which is around 80 USD at today’s exchange (noting that the dollar-shekel exchange rate is at a historical low). For comparison’s sake, 2 McDonald’s McRoyal meals would cost around 108 NIS (35 USD) while 2 300-gr. Entrecote steaks at a chain go for 260 NIS. Thus, in terms of the quality-to-cost correlation, the meal was quite reasonable.

To be clear, locals and visitors eating in any of Tel Aviv’s many fine dining establishments would find much more elegant dining rooms and possibly more sophisticated food. They would also pay far higher prices without blinking an eye. Curiously, the added decor and price do not always guarantee any better food. As for the waiter, it is possible that the waiters are more proficient there. 

The correlation between the elements is quite different from what it is in the Galilee. These local distinctions also exist in other countries, e.g., Paris versus Brittany. Thus, location does have a significant impact on restaurants. Not only does it affect its success, it also influences customer expectations of décor, food and price value. In this case, as MacArthur said in a rather different context, I shall return.