Caballero Restaurant might change the way you think about the ultra-Orthodox and good food. Meir Mizrachi, raised in a haredi family and a former student at Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, is the founder and the inspiration for this Jerusalem establishment aspired to create a high-end quality meat restaurant for the feinschmecker.
Charming and friendly, the father of five is a picture of ambition. In just a few years, he worked his way up the ladder in the corporate food industry. Then a visit to a high-end hotel restaurant in Tel Aviv changed his direction and inspired Caballero.
Mizrahi is a stickler for detail. Nothing but the best at his restaurant. The atmosphere is rich with antiques, crystal lamps, carved wooden furniture, and decorative accents. Tables are covered with cloth and cloth napkins. Staff must dress in uniform and wear long Italian aprons. Mizrahi apologized, as cola was poured into our glasses, that he was unable to get it in glass bottles and must serve it in plastic bottles – not up to his usual standard.
The Caballero kitchen is in the hands of chef Yisrael Dudek, the best in the ultra-Orthodox culinary world. Dudek is also the chef at Solo Carne in Bnei Brak and the culinary consultant at several other kosher restaurants.
Despite the Spanish name, Caballero is an intrinsically Jerusalem restaurant. Dishes are inspired by iconic Jerusalem foods, each with the chef’s twist.
The first item on the starter menu is the bread with dips (NIS 25). Been there, done that, we thought. Out comes a Jerusalem bagel resembling what one can find on street stands in the city. But this specialty bagel is from the Nehama bakery and is warm and crusty. The three dips are from the school of Chef Dudek. One is eggplant blended with – you’ll never guess – pickles; another is an orange dip based on pumpkin; the third is a cashew-based cream. We usually just taste the dips and go on to the next course, but we enjoy these dips until the last bite.
Dudek’s signature dish is called Windows Jerusalem (NIS 85) and is modeled after a dish at the (non-kosher) Hudson Restaurant. An array of thin slices of meat arranged on a platter are covered in the chef’s specialty meat sauce. The Windows Jerusalem sauce is sweeter than at his other restaurants and was most appreciated. The “Sizzling Hot Appetizers” section of the menu also includes Machaneh Yehuda Polenta (NIS 87), inspired by the market of the same name and made with mushrooms, scallions, and – here’s the twist - roasted pastrami. Midnight Humus Escapade (NIS 79) is made with red lentil humus and the surprise ingredient in the iconic Meurav Yerushalmi is sauerkraut.
We enjoy two creative salads with our main course. A mixed tomato salad and a fresh salad, each with a twist (NIS 79). The Jerusalem salad includes fresh vegetables dotted with whole chickpeas on a tehina base. The salad is topped with walnuts for an attractive, esthetic, and very tasty dish.
Dudek is a master of meat preparation and most of the menu reflects his specialty. With few fish options, the “Entrée” menu offers high-end meat dishes such as Asado, Brisket, Tongue, and Stir-fried Liver, in the NIS 200 range and Entrecote Steak, Tomahawk Steak, and Lamb Spareribs, all in the higher price range. Each meat dish has the chef’s special “touch.” Duet platters are also available that can probably feed a full table. At the top of the menu is the VIP Gentlemen’s Carnivore Platter at NIS 450 per diner. When you visit Caballero bring a healthy appetite and your credit card.
Caballero1 Hamarpe, Har Hotzvim, JerusalemReservations: 0(2) 537-7000Kashrut: Kehilot Open Sun.-Thu., 6-11 p.m. Closed Fri. and Shabbat. The restaurant can be booked for parties on Fridays and off hours.
The writer is the founder and CEO of eLuna.com, the premier English-language website for kosher restaurants in Israel.