Meet the artist and have a chef guide

A tour of Jaffa restaurants and markets guided by chef Nir Tzuk, a visit to artists' homes, special deals at local restaurants and tours to get to know the city are only some of the events being offered in the Tastes of Jaffa Festival over the next 10 days. The festival opens today and runs through November 27.

"Until now there were not enough attractive points that could be used to revive Jaffa, and now it's happening, says Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai. "The beachfront promenade has been extended to Jaffa, the refurbishing of the market is soon to be completed, and people feel there's a reason to come." Tourism had dropped in Jaffa, where tensions had run high; one-third of the city is Arab, two-thirds are Jewish.

On Saturday (from 11 A.M. to 6 P.M.), artists and residents will open their homes to the public. Visitors can get a map showing all the open houses, where they may see drawings, sculptures, photographs, fashion designs and jewelry. "No less than 50 people asked to open their homes to visitors," says Dror Amir, the general manager of the Jaffa borough. "Residents want to show visitors the other Jaffa."

Chef Nir Tzuk will guide food tours of the city (NIS 40 per person) on the two Fridays of the festival, tomorrow and on November 26. The tours, approximately two hours, will leave at 1 P.M. from the Flea Market, visit the restaurants and markets along Yefet Street and feature food tastings. "We want to expose the restaurants that serve specialty dishes, beyond the hummus and beans, and offer a real culinary experience in the restaurants on Yefet Street," says Tzuk.

During the festival, local restaurants will offer tastes of special dishes free of charge, alongside dishes ordered by diners. Among the restaurants participating in the special event are: Poika Bar, Habalkan, Gouetta, Alhambra, Monca, Cordelia, Vitouche, Pini Be'hatzer, Puah, Shama, Yoezer Wine Bar, Jaffa Bar, Noa, Dr. Shakshuka, Chouchouri and Ish Ha'anavim.

Another place to visit is the Yaffa bookstore and cafe, which opened last summer at 33 Yehuda Meragusa Street (corner of Yefet Street). From 1948 until the opening of Yaffa, there was not a single bookstore in Jaffa, Ramle and Lod where one could buy books in Arabic. Some of the books come from Hebron and Ramallah as well as Arab countries. The store sells books in Arabic, Hebrew and English and background material on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

During the festival the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourism Organization will offer tours to get acquainted with Jaffa's ancient alleyways and the hidden history in its walls, including Jaffa by moonlight (today at 8 P.M.); the Flea Market in the footsteps of Menachem Talmi's stories (tomorrow at 11 A.M.); a tour for the whole family with reenactments of Perseus and Andromeda, Judah the Maccabee, Napoleon and Abu Nabut (Saturday); a tour along the beachfront promenade to Jaffa (on November 23); and an architectural tour noting building styles in the Ajami neighborhood (November 27). The cost of each tour is NIS 10 per person. The tours are contingent on a minimum number of participants; call (03) 516-6188 to register.

The festival will also see various cultural events taking place in Jaffa. The Horace Richter Gallery (24 Mazal Aryeh Street) will feature a performance this Saturday night (at 8:30 P.M.) of "A Prayer of Love" with the Moran Children's Choir performing a requiem by Gabriel Forre and a selection of folk songs under the baton of Naomi Faran (tickets are NIS 60). On Wednesday evening, the Simta Theater (8 Mazal Dagim) will host "My Way," with Shlomi Goldenberg and his troupe hosting singer Haya Samir in a performance of Frank Sinatra hits (tickets, NIS 50).

The festival is the brainchild of the Jaffa borough local administration in conjunction with the Tel Aviv-Jaffa Tourism Organization and the office of the municipal spokesman.

	Cordelia, one of the restaurants offering free tastings. Above: a Jaffa street.
	Photo by: Photos by Tali Shani