Breakfast and Brunch at Market House Hotel Address: Beit Eshel St 5, Tel Aviv-Yafo Phone: 03-797-4000

Built on the ruins of a Byzantine chapel, this stylish boutique hotel is a 2-minute walk from Jaffa Flea Market, 4 minutes' walk from the nearest beach and 5 km from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.

Sophisticated rooms with chic tile bathrooms come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minifridges, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. Many rooms include balconies, some with sea views.

A complimentary breakfast buffet and evening cocktails are served in a funky, industrial-chic lounge and dining area. Bike rentals are available.



Jaffa’s Market House Hotel. (photo credit:PR)

The upscale Atlas boutique hotel chain boasts one property in Jaffa, the Market House Hotel, on the fringe of the Flea Market. The expertly refurbished building was built on the ruins of a Byzantine chapel, which can be viewed through the lobby’s glass floor. Twice a day, for breakfast and a light dinner, part of the lobby is transformed into a dining room, which from 7 a.m. to noon is accessible to anyone who wants to partake of the hotel’s morning buffet.

What was impressive about the breakfast buffet was not its size, since at first glance it looked quite small, but the amount of food that could end up on your plate in an endless procession from the limited display area to your table. And this all-you-caneat feast is priced at NIS 80 per person.

It doesn’t take long to scope out the entire buffet, but it is definitely worthwhile investing a minute or two surveying it all before digging in. For example, we only discovered the hot food buffet – featuring flaky cheese and spinach burekas – after filling our plates as a result of making a first pass at two groaning sideboards.

The first thing that caught our eye on the buffet were the breads, thanks to French baguettes standing tall in their container. They marked the spot for an array of fresh, crusty breads that included a rustic round loaf, one studded with black olives, and a basket of ciabatta rolls, including multigrain seeded rolls. According to the hotel manager, the breads come from the supply bakery Lahma, which delivers the breads 90 percent frozen, so they can be warmed up and taste like justbaked even on Shabbat morning, despite kashrut restrictions.

Count Darori's Old Fashioned Kneidlach Recipe (Matza Balls)

About 8 kneidlach

What’s Passover without kneidlach, a.k.a. matza balls? The recipe below details old-fashioned, homemade kneidlach. You’ll be surprised to see how easy they are to make; just handle the batter gently when you form the balls, as squeezing will make them tough. You may use plain room-temperature water, but soda water makes the lightest matza balls. The quantity of water will vary according to your matza meal; some brands absorb more water, some less. The batter should be stiff, but not doughy or kneadable.

You may boil the kneidlach directly in soup, but they result lighter if cooked in plain water.

Ingredients
2 whole eggs
4 Tbsp. oil or schmaltz
1 scant cup matza meal
¼ cup soda water and up to ¼ cup more if needed
1 tsp. table salt

Optional: ½ tsp. ground ginger

Method

1. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, fat and matza meal with a fork.
2. Add water, salt, and ginger if using, stirring to make a stiff batter. Add more water by tablespoons if the batter seems too solid.
3. Cover the bowl and chill for two hours.
4. Set a large pot of salted water to boil.
5. Wet your hands to prevent the batter from sticking, and gently form balls about the size of a walnut.
6. Drop the balls into the boiling water. Lower the heat to medium. The water should be simmering. Cover and cook 40 minutes.
7. Drain and serve in soup.
8. Kneidlach accompany soup, of course, but can also stand in for potatoes. Dribble schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) over the cooked and drained dumplings and brown them in a 180° oven for 10 minutes. Lacking schmaltz, fry a small onion in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle it over the kneidlach before setting them in the oven to brown.