Dining Out / Unbeatable Italian - Haaretz

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Wed., November 28, 2007 Kislev 18, 5768

Israel Time: 05:57 (EST+7)

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Dining Out / Unbeatable Italian

By Daniel Rogov

For many years Big Mama - and its chef/owner, Boaz Kwintner - was the mythological joint that made gourmet pizza a hit, at least among Tel Avivians. When Kwintner moved on, almost a decade ago, the restaurant remained but took a definite downhill turn. Now the spot is occupied by the recently opened Pappa's, and the restaurant once again is offering the basic dishes of the Italian kitchen.

Nearly everything has been left as it was - only the floor has been renewed, the bar made a bit larger and a new, more sophisticated air-conditioning system installed. The wood slatted windows still open to a pleasant terrace overlooking the fringes of the Carmel Market, and inside, industrial style air-conditioning ducts sit comfortably alongside ceiling fans. This simple but pleasant design reflects the atmosphere of a neighborhood trattoria, and is backed up nicely by a compact but well-executed menu.

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Lunch opens with a complimentary and quite rewarding antipasti platter of thick slices of sauteed zucchini, nicely browned and sprinkled with a bit of pepper; a thick slice of baked sweet potato; cubes of red beets; and best of all, a large head of fennel, grilled and served whole, sprinkled with a light vinaigrette sauce. There was also a small offering of a distinctly Middle-Eastern eggplant salad. Because that does not usually appear as part of an Italian antipasti, it appeared a bit out of place. The generous antipasti was served with a hot and flavorful focaccia.

We went on to a dish of fried and tempting calamari rings. Soft and flavorful, the calamari was served with a rich, smooth and just hot enough aioli sauce, the chef happily demonstrating no fear in using an abundance of garlic as southern Italians so justifiably adore. From there we had a pizza with mushrooms and bacon. The pizza had a thin, Napolitan-style crust that was just crisp enough, the mushrooms were fresh and al dente, and the julienned bacon strips just salty enough. With these dishes we also ordered a green salad. Although we ordered the "small" portion, it came in a more than generous serving, with crisp red and green lettuce, arugula, red onion rings and sunflower seeds tossed with a well-made balsamic vinaigrette.

I continued with a portion of grilled chicken livers and potato puree, served in a Marsala-based sauce for an Italian touch. The livers, browned nicely on the exterior but pink inside, as they should have been, were tasty; the ring of puree surrounding them was smooth and rich; and the sauce, although simple, combined the sweetness of the wine with a generous helping of black pepper. All in all, like each of the preceding dishes, this dish was simple but well-executed and thoroughly enjoyable.

For dessert we shared a tiramisu served in a white ceramic bowl. There are not many Italian eateries that do not include this dessert on their menu, and there may be no better test of how much the restaurant cares for its clients than by the quality of this dish. This was one of the better examples of tiramisu I have tasted recently; the combination of mascarpone cheese, espresso, sponge cake, liqueur and cocoa powder was light, airy and flavor-packed. There is no better accompaniment to tiramisu than espresso, and the coffee we received was strong and flavorful.

Call this basic Italian food if you like, but that is precisely the advantage of a trattoria menu. If the dishes are well-executed, as they are here, clients feel not only that they have received a good value for their money, but that they have passed a pleasant afternoon or evening. The service was good and the wine list, although simple, offers quite a few good options. In our case we opted for glasses of the red Valpolicella Classico of Allegrini and the white Campograndi Orvietto Classico of Antinori, both of which proved lovely with the dishes of our choice.

Our food bill for two came to a most reasonable NIS 165 (the antipasti is on the house during lunchtime) to which glasses of wine added NIS 25 each. At those prices, an unbeatable deal. I most definitely intend to return.

Pappa's: 12 Hillel Hazaken Street, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 510-7373. Open daily noon-midnight.

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