Independence Day is set to be chock full of food, drink and music. For the big "five-nine" there is much planned for just about everyone in your Zionist family. The festivities begin on Monday the 23rd, Independence Day eve. Fresh off the mourning tip there is no time to play catch up. It might be best to ease into a hard night of partying with some good food - which, on this day, usually means copious amounts of meat.
Arkady Gaydamak: Throwing one of the biggest open parties Israel has ever seen on Independence Day at Yarkon Park.
Photo: Courtesy
The newly opened Burgus Bar (96 Yigal Alon, 03-561-6333) is an American-style diner catering to the gluttony tooth. Bring three of your friends along because this place offers a special deal for four that includes onion rings, chicken wings, French fries, green salad, four burgers and four beers for the all-inclusive price of NIS 199. For your dining pleasure, cult Israeli films will be screened on plasma screen TVs.
Head to the Ingrid Resto-Bar (9 Hamasger, 03-688-0022) for your fair share of beef, straight from the Golan Heights. With various cuts such as New York Strip Steak, Porter House and T-Bone, call ahead to reserve a space and a steak because supplies are limited.
Continuing from Independence Day eve through nearly the entire course of the holiday is the Bugsy Bistro-Bar's (26 Florentine, 03-681-3138) falafel-themed menu. Accompanying these fried, round delicacies of leek, goat's cheese and eggplant and Parmesan are back-to-back DJ's playing sets exclusively of Israeli music spanning the country's entire, albeit brief, history.
What is a country if not a glorious melting pot? Well, while you are chewing that one over, it is worth your while to take your empty stomach to Hevesh (2 Allenby, 077-210-0181), a relatively new Ethiopian restaurant on Tel Aviv's beachfront promenade. In addition to kosher cuisine, there will be live music by the in-house band.
"Thank God, the Brits are back!" is the theme at Jeff (1 Tchernikofsky), the British-owned and operated eatery - because after all, if you do not remember your history, you might just be doomed to repeat it. The cornucopia of flavor here will be served up to a celebration of British pop.
Barzilay club (13 Harehev) is on the same vein with a three-phase party in the works featuring three UK imports - Rob Random, Ctrl Z and MC Skepta. Set to begin at midnight on Monday night, Barzilay hopes to placate the Israeli masses for the lost European passport, a salary in pounds and footballers who play for keeps - although it will cost you NIS 90 (or NIS 70 in advance, 052-671-5775) and you had better be 22 or older, otherwise keep reading...
Going a bit more exclusive is the Zappa Club (24 Raul Wallenberg, Ramat Hahayal) with a four-DJ lineup and an hour-long cocktail hour for reserved guests only. Set to begin at 12:30 a.m., Monday night, D Groovy, Udi Ben-Canaan, Spacecat and B Wicked will be tearing it up all night long. NIS 100 gets you in but call either Shai (050-720-3022) or Nitzan (050-842-6345) to reserve a discounted ticket for NIS 60 and secure your space on that coveted cocktail list.
For the alternative types there is the momentous combination of PAG, Electropanika, 1984 and Notorious GAY for what will surely be an event to secure your patriotic leanings until Israel hits 60. Heading back to their roots, this party goes down at the Comfort 13 club (13 Comfort) where 20 DJs spread out over four floors will keep the night's soundtrack all over the place with 80's music, R&B, hip-hop, electro, techno and new rave. Also scheduled to perform is Flowers of Jerusalem, a religious boy band. Beginning Monday night at midnight, entrance is set for NIS 60-80.
The Israeli rock band Habiluim is playing Levontin 7 (7 Levontin, 03-560-5084) from 10 p.m., Monday. Tickets are NIS 70 or NIS 60 purchased in advance, which will buy you not just the concert and not just entrance into one of the hippest venues in Tel Aviv but also a night full of the smooth DJ-stylings of Moran Paz.
No night in Tel Aviv is complete without a rooftop party on the Southern side. At 11 p.m. head on down to 5 Kalisher, fork over NIS 35 and go on up for the view, DJs and schmoozing.
Of course, if you want to head over to Tel Aviv's Yarkon Park, you might be in for an interesting surprise. Arcady Gaydamak, the Russian-born billionaire who may or may not be running for this country's top spot when elections next hit, is throwing just about one of the biggest block-parties Israel has ever seen. Starting noon Tuesday for families, it will continue on through 11 p.m. With at least 200,000 people expected to attend, food and drinks will be available for a nominal fee, and the proceeds earmarked for a charity of some sort. If you are a kid, expect a free Popsicle. Gaydamak intends to do it up like it is Vegas, baby. The performance line-up is set to include Mashina, Rita and Rami Kleinstein, Sarit Hadad, Ivri Lieder, Eyal Golan and a fireworks display spectacular.
No matter how your night goes, be sure to be awake for the 6 a.m. Tuesday morning start of Haoman 17's (88 Abarbanel, 03-681-8686) Good Morning Israel. This daylong party is scheduled to run until midnight, during which the highlight is DJ Steve Lawler, the four-time winner at the DJ Awards in Ibiza and the creator of both the VIVA album series for Ministry of Sound and the Lights Out series for Global Underground. Entrance, which you can make at any time during the day, will cost between NIS 160-180. However, for those of a frugal nature, tickets may be purchased in advance, at a discounted price at both the Sexy Shop (150 Diezengoff) and Krembo Records (18 Sheinken) during the day or at the Evita Bar (31 Yavneh) at night.
If it is nostalgia that you are after, then chances are DJ MosheL and DJ Tamir Yoav of 102 FM will treat you right. The two are combining forces to produce a night of classic rock, both of the foreign and domestic varieties. The set list will feature music from but not limited to, Arik Einstein, Kaveret, Gazoz, The Doors, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane and Otis Redding. Admission is NIS 50, but you have to be on the list to enter - a minor task that is easily remedied by visiting progrock.co.il or sending a text message to 054-4705-992. No music dated past December 31, 1979 will taint your ears at the Zamir Club (34 Allenby) on Tuesday from 10 pm on.
