One thing this trip has been missing is one of my favorite pastimes: partying. Ever since moving to NYC in 2002, dark rooms with bright, flashing lights have been a big part of my weekend itineraries. After whetting my appetite at Maxim, I was ready to see if Israelis live up to their wild reputation and see if Tel Aviv could handle this shizz.
But before we could hit the dancefloor, we spent the afternoon strolling the artist market at Nahalat Benyamin. On Tuesdays and Fridays, the pedestrian walkways in this small triangular section of the City Center swell with booths offering exquisite handmade jewelry, handicrafts and art, all decently priced. We had been briefly on Tuesday and returned to finish my souvenir shopping.
After freshening up, Shirley’s parents picked us up for dinner in Yaffa. The restaurant, translated “The Old Man & the Sea,” is a Arabic-owned huge food hall overlooking the ocean serving overflowing plates of seafood and huge spreads of mezzes. Because Shirley’s parents are regulars, we got a perfect view of the sunset and gorged ourselves on hummus, bread, falafel, yogurt dip and a big plate of fried shrimp and calamari.
Full of fried goodness, we went home to rest up for the big night out. Things get started a LOT later here, so we didn’t even leave for the pre-party until 1AM. After hanging a the apartment of some of Shirley’s friends, we headed out to a club called Lizard for a party called Pacotek. The party focuses mostly on minimal techno and features a variety of local DJs. The club had a nice underground vibe; located in the outskirts of the city in a more industrial area, the back part of the venue is open, letting the cool night breeze waft over the sweaty dancers. Since John Digweed — a “superstar DJ” who became famous spinning at NYC’s legendary club Twilo — was playing that night, the crowd was a bit thin. Nevertheless, we had a great time letting off steam on the dancefloor and I got to know Shirley’s friends better.
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| [08.06.27] Tel Aviv |
