March 2008
When you are up for discovering a new location and a most unusual dining experience, you are ready for MC2. This is a remarkable vegetarian restaurant in a striking venue. Beit Harishoniim, or “The Big House” (as it is called) sits at the edge of a nature preserve high on a hill overlooking Emek Hefer (not far from Kfar Vitkin).  Originally built by a wealthy Lebanese businessman, this building has a very colorful history. Today the large and impressive structure on a sprawling property contains a simcha hall, various private and meeting rooms and the MC2 Restaurant.

MC2 Restaurant celebrates dairy vegetarian cuisine. They do some of the most creative and delicious veggie dishes that we have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. In addition to the unique location and the unusual menu, MC2 has its own original dining plan: From morning till 7pm you can choose from the a la carte menu which includes a luxurious breakfast. The categories of starters and main courses are flexible, and a meal can consist of a starter and a main course or two starters if you prefer.  The restaurant estimates that meals for two from the a la carte menu average NIS 160.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 8:00pm till closing, the restaurant offers an 8-course fixed-price Chef Menu. This is a tasting of the chef’s best dishes and gives diners an overview of highlights of the menu. Tablecloths and candles create a romantic atmosphere. The 8-course Chef menu is by reservation only. The fee is NIS 160 per person.

My dining companion and I were intrigued and delighted with the MC2 restaurant. Getting there is easy – from the Coastal Road (#2) going north, take the first exit after Havatzelet Hasharon. Follow the signs to Bitan Aharon. You will be traveling on a twisting rural road with one lane in each direction. You will pass Bat Chen on your right. Continue on for about  2 kilometers and on your right you can’t miss the imposing building with a large parking area in front. Note: If you get to Kfar Vitkin you passed it.

Get ready to climb. The restaurant is at the top of an impressive flight of stairs. If you can’t take a lot of stairs call in advance and the restaurant will arrange for you to drive around and up to the house.

We visited MC2 restaurant on a Thursday evening, the only evening of the week when the a la carte menu is offered after 7:00pm. The building was impressive but the decor of the dining room was not enticing. I hope that the owners will be investing in the décor of the room for daytime diners. We did appreciate the large size tables that give you plenty of elbow room.

MC2 offers pure vegetarian gourmet foods. The dining experience addresses both the look and the taste and all the foods are beautifully presented on elegant servingware. The flavors were outstanding. Even my carnivorous dining partner was sold on this restaurant.

This is a specialty gourmet restaurant. Expect modest servings of incredible foods, both at the Chef dinner and when you dine from the a la carte menu.  We loved this policy, which enables you to taste a wide variety of foods without overdoing any one of them.

We started our meal with a selection of spreads and bread. The unusually tasty spreads were beautifully presented in a lovely modern shaped dish. One of the many specialties at MC2 is the wrap. This creative dish is made with spinach dough and is filled with all kinds of yummies. Sliced and served in rings, this is reminiscent of sushi.

Always interested in learning a new way of preparing tofu, I chose the grilled tofu salad. This was a wonderful dish that combines warm grilled tofu and crisp green vegetables with a wonderful balsamic vinegar-based dressing.  The restaurant gnocchi made with chestnuts, is a lovely course. After the starters and the salad one serving of gnocchi was certainly enough for both of us.

Natural food restaurants often go in for unusual drinks, and MC2 is no exception. We had a lovely whipped apple drink, rich, tasty, but needed a chaser of plain water.

After satisfying ourselves on the foods we were treated to several items from the Chef menu. The 8 course gourmet Chef menu is a stream of individual-sized dishes, each beautifully presented and delicious.  The quiche, for example, is a very charming miniature one-serving dish.  Also from the Chef menu came the grated beet and carrot salad, served in a most charming way: on a Chinese spoon with a single rice cracker.

“You absolutely must try the desserts” we were told.

How could we say no to dairy desserts prepared by their dedicated in-house pastry chef? If this is what they do for food, just imagine what they offer for desserts! We let the chef choose the desserts for us.

I was ever so disappointed when the Malabi came to the table. This is a Middle Eastern dessert that is not to my liking that I usually pass. This Malabi was served in a clear glass showing the thick white cream on a strawberry base. One taste of this Malabi and out went my prejudices. This is a wow dessert that should not be missed.

With our hot drinks we had we had delicious chocolaty miniature petit fours. These desserts, like the rest of the meal, were a real treat.

Bottom Line:
MC2 is a specialty restaurant that is a must visit experience both for the venue and for the outstanding food. The restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, which is part of the charm of the experience. Put this restaurant at the top of your “must visit” restaurant list.

Spreads & bread: NIS 25, antipasti with cheeses and bread: NIS 38, soup: NIS 28, wraps NIS 32, tofu salad: NIS 42, pasta: NIS 44, desserts NIS 32 - 38.