Carmel Davidovitch refers to herself as a passionate cook and food lover. With her partner Tom, she created Carmel - Israeli Street Food. A home for traditional Israeli feasts.
Davidovitch was born in New Zealand, moved to Israel at a young age, and then returned to the land of the long white cloud with Tom in 2016. Food always intrigued her, mainly due to growing up around various cultures and flavours. As her passion developed, Davidovitch joined a Boulangère course at the best culinary school in Tel Aviv, which inspired her to open a business.
The Carmel - Israeli Street Food menu includes fluffy pita bread made from scratch, stuffed with falafel, chicken and fresh salads and a range of traditional sweet pastries led by the popular Rugelach croissant. Davidovitch’s motto for her food is to keep things fresh and simple.
Rugelach
“Israel is a melting pot of many different cuisines and cultures, which inspire me in the kitchen,” said Davidovitch.
Something exciting that happened recently for Davidovitch was a collaboration with Chef Peter Gordon’s Homeland Cooking School. She came up with a three-hour class teaching Israeli-Jewish dishes and recipes.
“It was sensational meeting people from different backgrounds and teaching them how to braid Challah bread and then having a feast all together at the end of the night.”
Falafel Pita
The people are the owner’s favourite part of working in Hospitality - human interaction and putting a smile on customers' faces, all while building her fantastic team.
Covid was a pretty big game changer for Carmel - Israeli Street Food, but they managed to work through it with the help of an awesome community and by being innovative. The biggest challenge at the moment is hiring staff, but Davidovitch expects it to get worse before things get better.
Davidovitch can be found in the gym or eating pizza when not working. Three staples in her pantry at home are eggplant, tomatoes and butter - versatile ingredients that can be incorporated into many dishes.
She offered three pieces of advice for someone just beginning their hospitality journey; the first is to set goals and write them down. The second is to make sure they’re matching their lifestyle expectations, and the third is to work on a budget and keep a close eye on food costs.
