Mark Twain allegedly described golf as “a good walk spoiled,” a statement with which few members of the Caesarea Golf Club would agree. The only place in Israel where golf aficionados can indulge their sport, the place also houses a very good restaurant, Mariposa, which we visited recently for lunch.
A new chef, Raz Sela, took over the kitchen of Mariposa only four months ago. His previous experience included 10 years at Turkiz, a well-established non-kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv, but adapting to strictly kosher has not produced any problems for the young, versatile chef. On the contrary, the lunch we enjoyed recently was of a very high standard, with original dishes, creative presentation, and the pleasant ambiance of a well-run, friendly eatery.
We left it to the staff to choose the dishes they wanted us to sample, and two salads arrived at our table, together with a dish of pickled vegetables (carrots, celery, cucumbers, and peppers) and fried bread slices with tartar sauce (NIS 12).
The two salads were the Shmulik and the Herb. I was curious to know why any restaurant would call a salad by the name Shmulik, and turned to Google for an explanation. It seems Shmulik was a customer who lived nearby and came almost every day to eat at the restaurant (and still does).
Both salads were good. The Shmulik had arugula, grapes, peanuts and cranberries and a spicy dressing, while the Herb salad was made with rocket leaves and a variety of herbs. Both salads had the addition of vegan feta, which was practically indistinguishable from the real thing (NIS 64).
Paper-thin carpaccio, delicious ceviche
Another pre-starter appeared, consisting of a paper-thin slice of carpaccio, perfect for nibbling on until the real food arrived.
I chose ceviche as a first official course, and this was a winner: chopped white fish, tomatoes, cucumbers, and purple onion with a lemony, slightly spicy dressing. It was so good I couldn’t stop eating it, even though the mains were still to come (NIS 80).
My companion chose chicken livers with potato puree, declared it superb, and all conversation between us ended as he savored every mouthful (NIS 98).
My choice for a main course was Togarashi crusted salmon, which means the fish is dipped in a special mix of Japanese spices, including chili flakes, ginger, and nori (dried seaweed). All I could determine was that it was rather sweet and was perfectly cooked. It came with potato puree, although the menu promised pea cream and leek fondue (NIS 138).
My companion chose grilled sea bass with a white wine and herb sauce and the same mashed potatoes (NIS 149). He said it was a superb dish.
There are many meat dishes, too, with steaks of every shape and size, but we were very happy to stick with the fish.
The dessert course did not offer any great revelations. The pistachio ice cream sported a tuile which tasted like a slab of margarine instead of being crispy. The vanilla ice cream came with cherries laboriously cut in half with pips removed and pretty edible flowers. At least I hope they were edible, because I ate them.
I drank a glass of Yarden Chardonnay, which was suitably ice cold and very good (NIS 67); my companion chose a Guinness (NIS 40).
On balance, it was a very good meal, and with a bit more effort in the dessert department, it could be considered even better.
Mariposa
1 Rothschild Street
Caesarea
Tel: (04) 626-5000
Open: Sun.-Wed., 12 p.m. to 12 a.m.; Thurs., 12 p.m.-12.30 a.m.; Fri., 12 p.m.-3 p.m.
The writer was a guest of the restaurant.