Zahav
Before “vegetable-forward” cuisine became a thing, before chefs of all stripes fell for the heady perfume of the Middle Eastern pantry, there was Zahav, chef Michael Solomonov’s much-beloved modern Israeli restaurant. Seven years later, it’s still utterly delicious, a City of Brotherly Love can’t-miss. We would happily make a meal of the lighter-than-air hummus, chewy wood oven–baked laffa bread, and salatim (an assortment of vibrant seasonal vegetable dishes) if the artfully composed mezze—think house-smoked sable piled atop a buttery challah egg-in-a-hole—and grill-kissed proteins weren’t so damn good. The two set menus on offer are a killer value, by far the best way to work your way through the restaurant’s offerings, but only the “mesibah” menu ($54 per person) will get you a taste of Solomonov’s signature dish: a whole, falling-apart lamb shoulder that’s been dry-aged, smoked, and glazed with pomegranate molasses, served with irresistibly crispy Persian wedding rice. Zahav means “gold” in Hebrew, and in this town a prime reservation is worth its weight in the stuff—which is to say, if it’s already 7 p.m. and you’re trying to figure out where you’re eating dinner, tonight’s not your night.
PRO TIP: Did we mention that you need a reservation? Online reservations open for weekend spots 60 days in advance and don’t stay available for long; weeknights tend to be booked two to three weeks out. However, the 16-seat bar and four spots at the chef’s counter are first come, first served—show up a little before the restaurant opens at 5 p.m. and you’re golden.
THE DETAILS: Dinner Sunday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; happy hour Monday to Friday, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
