Out for breakfast in Jerusalem

• By GLORIA DEUTSCH

‘Summertime – and the livin’ is easy,” as Porgy sang to Bess. It’s also a great time to go out for breakfast on a Friday morning, the Israeli Sunday.

We chose Breddo, a well-established place run by seasoned restaurateur Itsik Sulam together with a partner, Ilan. Breddo – which has just changed its name to FifoBread for some inexplicable reason – is the place to find amazing bread and indescribably wonderful coffee, both essential elements of a good breakfast or brunch.

The bread is baked in situ, and we tried three different kinds – baguette, focaccia and ciabatta. Slathered with butter, this would have been enough, but we were also there to report on the rest of the food.

My companion, to whom conservatism is more of a religion than a political belief, could not imagine deviating from a set breakfast, while I decided to go for shakshuka as a change from eggs on toast.

Very often we go out for breakfast and share one, as they are usually so loaded with different kinds of food that there is plenty for two. This one was no exception, but my companion managed to finish the whole thing on his own.

Besides the sunny-side up egg, course, there was a side salad and a variety of dips for the bread. Three different kinds of cream cheese, avocado, a black olive tapenade, salsa and tuna salad completed the breakfast, plus butter and jam for some nursery-like treats at the end (NIS 65). For less hearty appetites, this would certainly be enough for two.

The shakshuka came in a very hot metal dish perched on a bread board. It was hot in both senses of the word, which suited me fine. It consisted of a very spicy and thick tomato sauce in which two eggs nestled appealingly.

I had asked for the addition of halloumi-style cheese and mushrooms, and a very large helping of the fried cheese delicacy topped the eggs and added an extra dimension to the dish. The few mushrooms made no impact whatsoever. Nevertheless, it was a substantial and enjoyable breakfast, helped along by the small side salad in a sweet and acidic dressing (NIS 58).

A variety of cakes, pastries and cookies are available, both to eat in the restaurant and to buy and take home. Neither of us felt we could absorb another crumb after our breakfast, and we said our farewells to Itsik and Ilan, both busily preoccupied in taking good care of the other customers.