Burgers + Beer = July 4th

Five Tel Aviv area establishments, as well as a sixth in Kfar Saba, are planning a special menu in honor of the US of A's 230th.

By ARI MILLER
burger 88 (photo credit: )
burger 88
(photo credit: )
It is not unusual for an expatriate community to continue to celebrate the national holidays of its country of origin. It is unusual, however, for the host country's pubs, bars and restaurants to plan the festivities themselves. In Israel, a country that is particularly fixated on the red, white and blue, such is the case. Five Tel Aviv area establishments, as well as a sixth in Kfar Saba, are planning a special menu in honor of the US of A's 230th. Apparently, when it comes to Israel's gastronomical vision of the world's lone superpower, they see hamburgers and beer. "Israelis live to celebrate all holidays," explains Oren Semyonov, who coordinated the Independence Day celebrations. "You know, hamburgers, beer - it sounded like a good idea," he notes. All the participating restaurants regularly include burgers on their daily menus. In the Florentine neighborhood, Bugsy Bistro Bar (26 Florentine Street, 03-681-3138) will offer a 220 gram burger and draught beer for NIS 59 all day long. Ingrid Bar Restaurant (9 Hamasger Street, 03-688-0022) is putting together a 230 gram burger of fresh ground beef, fries, coleslaw and a third liter of draught beer for the all-inclusive cost of NIS 69 and is open from noon until the last customer. The well-known Stefan Braun (99 Allenby Street, 03-560-4725) has put together a meal consisting of a 220 gram burger and a third liter of Goldstar for the price of NIS 47. The price is taken from the date itself, 4/7 (the European version providing a more reasonably priced meal to the American 7/4), and the deal will be offered starting at 11 p.m. the night of 3 July and continuing through the following day. Mishmish (17 Lillienblum Street, 03-516-8178), a classically designed 50's style lounge bar, is putting together a meal deal consisting of a 220 gram burger on a homemade bun with fries and a third liter of Sam Adams from the tap for NIS 69, beginning at 8 p.m. and running until the last customer. Finally, in Tel Aviv itself, Meat Bar (52 Chen Boulevard, 03-695-6276) has three mini-burgers, totaling 220 gram of red meat, and a side of coleslaw for NIS 54 and specially priced draught beer for the day's celebration. For those expats unable to make it into the White City itself, Belgo Bar (21 Atir Yeda, 09-766-6077), in Kfar Saba's new industrial complex, has kept you in mind. And, with two 100 gram mini burgers along side a frosty Miller draught beer for NIS 58, it just might be worth the stop.