Glatt Kosher in Campbell
Following the long standing lead of kosher/Israeli restaurants that dot the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay can now claim ownership of a real Israeli kosher place. So real, in fact, that the place closes down at 4 pm Friday, not opening again until lunch Sunday.
A large photographic diorama of Old Jerusalem adorns the far wall and with a small stage adjacent, I suppose we can expect entertainment on select evenings in praise of the Holy Land.
Do not expect subtleties in execution or presentation. Expect legitimate Israeli cooking by Israeli cooks
which is down home hearty fare in portions so preposterously huge, you think they made a mistake.
If you want to taste hummus as it should be tasted then come here. They offer several varieties that offer extra tahini,mushrooms, meat or boiled chickpeas. Don't be distracted. It's the hummus you should zero in on. The bowl that it is served in is chilled ( that's important because warm hummus is kind of like warm ice cream) and the rim has a piping stripe of hummus adorned with paprika and fresh tarragon . Because they make this stuff fresh every day, you can expect the closest thing to a mouth massage there is. Creamy, smooth, unctuous, neither savory nor sweet, there is quite nothing like it when it gets done right. Here, it get done right.
The pita is good, better than the usual stuff that gets passed off around here. I was grateful for the comforting browned exterior and pillowy but not brittle interior.
We tried the pita sandwiches which are also huge and easily split. in Israel, schnitzel means either fried chicken or turkey fillets (think katsu) and that is cut up and stuffed in a pita with lettuce,onions and pickles. The schwarma here is made from turkey but it is tasty and suitably bathed in drippings. If you are not careful, the contents will squirt out the other side making a mess.
The sandwiches come with serviceable steak fries.
There are appetizers including salads. Unlike in SoCal where like banchan, they put a dozen different cold and hot salads in front of you with your meal, the salads here are a la carte and a little pricy.
There is a wine list of Israeli wines which have come into their own.
Jerusalem Grill and Bar -
1740 S Winchester Blvd
Campbell, CA
(408) 866-2666
jerusalemgrillbar.com
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Jerusalem Grill and Bar
1740 S Winchester Blvd, Campbell, CA 95008
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rworange
Nov 14, 2011 11:00 PM
Thanks. I just stumbled across their facebook page. Some of the yelp reviews are almost painful to read ... people who know nothing about this type of food. The ratings are pretty screwed up for various reasons even though it averaged out to four stars.
Anyway, they have some interesting dishes on the menu I don't recall seeing: Hamusta kibbeh soup, Sephardic sofrito, megadarra, maclube, sabich
kibbeh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KibbehSofrito
http://www.balagan.org.uk/recipe/meat/sofrito.htm
http://www.jwi.org/Page.aspx?pid=2052megadarra
http://baregrills.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/on-the-pulse-part-three-megadarra/Great description of the dish in general on that link " its main ingredients are just rice, lentils and onions ... and fills you up like a bellyful of warm cement. But it’s ... unbelievably good, provided you like onions: sweet and caramelised and spicy and comforting all at the same time"
maclube
http://notesfrombehindtheblockade.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/the-tunnel-tax/
