Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv exemplifies positive urban revival and the resilience of main streets, even after losing their former glory.
Once a center of bohemian life and nightlife from the 1950s to the 1970s, Dizengoff Street experienced a decline from the 1980s until just over a decade ago. Critics blamed malls for its downfall, as the street became a haven for elderly pigeon feeders and fringe groups like punks and the impoverished. However, a slow but steady transformation culminated in the opening of the renovated Zina Square, bringing back its former vibrancy.
The result is a bustling culinary hub, alongside popular brands and fashion stores. Successful bars, luxury restaurants, and excellent cafés have returned to the street. The culinary wave from the square reaches Ben Gurion Boulevard and beyond, creating an authentic Israeli food scene that sometimes seems to evolve organically.
The arrival of a second branch of the hummus eatery "Garger Hazahav" from Levinsky Market serves as a testament to this Israeli essence. Levinsky Market, another organically grown but municipally supported food hub in Tel Aviv, was turned into a pedestrian mall a few years ago, recognizing the need for a new direction.
The man behind Garger Hazahav is Tom Weissman, a restaurateur who doesn’t take himself too seriously. He admits to making mistakes along the way and is constantly learning how to run a successful food business. "I opened in Levinsky 11 years ago with a partner," he says. "He left, and I suddenly had to take on the entire business and learn how to manage it. For me, Tel Aviv is the south of the city. My partner (actress Noa Koller) and I live in Shapira, our children go to school in the area, and I’ve been biking to Florentin for years. It's still a bit strange for me to be here on Dizengoff. For me, this is not the city center but the north. But you get used to it, just like I got used to the south," he laughs.
Weissman was born and raised in the Misgav Regional Council in the (true) north of Israel. His eyes light up when he recalls his teenage hummus adventures. "We used to hitchhike during high school to eat hummus all over the north, reaching Sakhnin, Majd al-Krum, and various other villages. We'd wait for the right ride, travel with a few coins in our pockets, ask for a glass of water, eat a divine hummus dish, and head back. That’s where I fell in love with the Lebanese-Arab-Galilean cuisine."
He opened the new branch with experienced partners, Oded Tamir and the Gazata group, who are also behind Rubina and Genia in the city. "What interests Oded are locations," Weissman reveals. "He can find you a spot and envision the restaurant. I'm used to the rustic feel of Levinsky Market, but here we brought in an architect. Our kitchen is much larger, and our business license allows for meat dishes, resulting in a divine meat hummus dish with plenty of cardamom and cloves."
Weissman faced additional challenges in striving for excellent hummus in the city center. "I suddenly realized we need to produce precise hummus dishes identical to those in the south. It’s not as easy as it seems. We don't have an industrial kitchen producing for both branches and transporting hummus pots early in the morning. Both here and in Levinsky, we start from scratch, and the result must be identical. There’s a lot of talk about tradition, and 11 years in Levinsky is indeed a tradition. The pot 'remembers' the hummus, so to speak. It wasn’t easy to enter the kitchen, start making hummus, and achieve the exact same result."
A look at the menu reveals a popular pricing model. Each hummus-grain-mashawsha-fava bean dish comes in two sizes—NIS 20 for a small portion and 33 for a large one. Hummus mansaf with meat is priced at NIS 35-50.
There are also tabbouleh, various salads like cherry tomato and basil, fresh zucchini, and roasted eggplant priced between NIS 18-32, alongside deals named "Small+Small+Small" for NIS 49 or "Large+Small+Small" for NIS 59, allowing couples to enjoy a variety of dishes at reasonable prices.
"The large kitchen gives us room to dream bigger," Weissman reveals. "As our workload increases gradually, we'll expand the menu and really start to experiment."
Garger Hazahav, Levinsky 30, and now also Dizengoff 93, Tel Aviv