Now Featuring Chef Angelo |
July 2005
Vaqueiro
is a concept restaurant. It's what the Brazilians call "Churascuria"
- an all you can eat grill. In this Israeli version, we have one
of those wonderful "ingathering of exiles" fusion. Here is Stanley
Lifshitz, a veteran South African oleh, as our host, serving a
Brazilian meat grill, which is mostly South African inspired,
with touches of Spain, U.S., U.K., France, and of course, Israel.
 Okay - you are in for a real trip! Tighten your seatbelts, but
as the dinner progresses you will be loosening them. Did I say
this was all you can eat? The idea of a concept restaurant, besides
the food, is that it is a show from start to finish. The staff
are well trained for this performance, gaucho pants and all. To
train, they "shadow" a staff member for four days. There is then
a written test with 100 questions. There is even a moed bet (second
chance) for those that don't pass first time around.
This is the deal: There is no written menu. 149 shekels gets you
10 different meat courses,  including six salads, bread and roast
potatoes. The salads change daily with the whim of the chef, but
you can expect to find a good potato salad, a pasta salad, cabbage
salad, an eggplant dish, a beet and apple salad or an orange and
onion salad. The salads are also all you can eat, but caution,
don't fill up on salads and bread when the best is yet to come.
This is most definitely meat lovers paradise, but if perchance
there is a non-meat eater in your party, salmon is available.
The well-trained staff serve all the food family style and will
explain each dish. At any stage you may ask for seconds. Another
strategy is to try all ten dishes and then ask for seconds of
something you really like. Either way you won't leave hungry.
The Menu:
Served one after another...
| 1) |
Chicken
wings in a peach sauce. The waiter brings a huge skewer to
your table straight from the grill. We were encouraged to
eat these with our hands. |
| 2) |
Empanadas—like
a meat knish—this version had a nice flaky crust and nicely
spiced meat filling. |
| 3) |
Potjie
(pronounced pot-key or as the Israeli say poike) This is basically
a stew cooked and served in a black witches cauldron. The
staff bring the whole pot to the table. The stew will vary
from day to day but the basic principle is layered meat and
vegetables that never get stirred. |
| 4) |
Boerwors
- a mildly spiced South African sausage seasoned with nutmeg
and coriander. All the food is made in house, and Stanley
is particularly proud of his creation of boerwors. My South
African companion gave it his seal of approval. |
| 5) |
Roastbeef
- Again the whole piece brought to the table and one could
choose a cut from the crispy ends or medium or rare. |
| 6) |
A whole Thanksgiving turkey also wheeled out. Again you may
choose any part of the bird that is your favorite. As an American,
I can vouch that the turkey melts in your mouth and is soft
and juicy with a honey basting. |
| 7) |
Corned
Beef cooked South African style |
| 8) |
Goose
legs in an orange sauce |
| 9) |
Entrecote steak |
| 10) |
Bobotee—A
South African dish of dark turkey meat stuffed with dried
fruit. |
After
the meal we were served an apple sorbet to cleanse the pallet.
And a very nice touch, we were then given finger bowls to clean
our hands after digging into all this food.
Dessert is extra and also part of the show. Again the cart is
wheeled out and one can choose from the house specialty Cape Brandy
Cake, Chocolate mousse, lemon pie and other cakes. We loved the
Cape Brandy cake (one portion can easily feed four). It was more
like an English pud.
There are two rolling wine carts with 6 or each of Stanley's favorite
reds and whites. Again, the staff can tell you everything there
is to know about these wines. In fact, it was a veritable course
in wines for the uninitiated! The explanations take awhile, but
its part of the show and makes for a complete dining experience.
So even if you are not a wine drinker, it's worth the experience
to hear about the wines Israel has to offer.
Setting:
 Vaquero
in on Haneviim St, one of the most beautiful and historic streets
in the city. The restaurant is in a lovingly restored old building.
The interior is divided into intimate areas and a big space ideal
for family gatherings. Occasionally, there are special events
with music and even a poolroom for pre and apres dining. There
is also a charming outdoor porch for catching the delicious Jerusalem
air.
Bottom Line:
Vaqueiro is off the beaten track, but don't let that fool you.
Reservations are a must. This is an experience that you won't
have elsewhere and will be talking about for awhile after. On
the eLuna gapevine it should go far. We also like to patronize
Anglo establishments, where we feel at home and the food and service
meet our demanding expectations.
Lunch: 12:00 - 4:00pm per person menu of 6 selections "churrascaria" style, NIS 79 all-you-can-eat.
Dinner: 6:00pm - 11:00pm 10 different types of meat, unlimited, NIS 149 per person. |