Dining Out: Lorenz & Mintz

On my recent trip to Israel, I got the chance to stay in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Beer Sheva. On my first morning in Tel Aviv, my cousin and I woke up with one shared thought on the brain: brunch. 

We've been to many popular breakfast spots together over the years, and my cousin was feeling the itch to try somewhere new. She did a quick search on her phone to see what the internet would say is the best brunch in Tel Aviv and within an hour we were dressed, out the door and on our way to Lorenz & Mintz. 

The restaurant is in an excellent location, on the border of two neighborhoods, Neve Tzedek and Florentine. It shares a courtyard with Neve Schechter, a Jewish cultural center. The day we arrived it was pouring rain, but it's easy to see how beautiful this setting would be on a sunny day. 

As soon as we walked in, I was struck by the palm frond print wallpaper. If I ever have a house with a powder room, this is exactly the wallpaper I'd choose for it. 

The lush green vibe continues to the counter area. I love the plants decorating the top, right over the glassware. 

Can we also talk about the tile floor? How stunning is this? 

Once we were seated, I noticed the gold flatware on the table. I think I need these for my next awards show party! 

Our first order of business was drinks. Ice tea for me (which came with fresh mint and sliced lemons) and cappuccino for her. 

While we were deciding what to have, our waiter brought us a basket with three types of bread and three small bowls, which had guacamole, tabooleh and cubed feta cheese. 

After much deliberation, my cousin went with the eggs benedict. 

I asked what she thought of their rendition and she replied, "This is very yummy. It's a huge portion. The base was brioche, which is the best - so flaky! The eggs were cooked perfectly." 

Now, before I share with you what I had, I have to explain how it was described on the menu. Lorenz & Mintz has a menu in Hebrew and they also offer a menu in English. The English menu listed an item as "sourdough toast with roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, cheese and two eggs."

Ladies and gentleman, this what arrived: 

An entire breakfast pizza! 

This was the size of two dinner plates and they brought me a steak knife to saw through it. I couldn't get over what a huge portion it was. 

Once the shock wore off and I took my first bite, my eyes rolled into the back of my head. This was outrageously delicious! The combination of the tomatoes, olives and cheese was divine, made even more so when you got a bite with some egg. The eggs were cooked sunny side up and were just a little bit runny when you cut into them. 

I ate so many incredible things on this trip, but this breakfast pizza is definitely in the top three. 

I was already completely smitten with Lorenz & Mintz when the waiter brought us our check on this adorable tray.

Whoever was in charge of the design and decor of this restaurant nailed it.

If you find yourself in Tel Aviv, add Lorenz & Mintz to your list. The breakfast pizza is waiting!