Israel is becoming a surprising food Mecca (yes, I enjoyed writing that). Israelis enjoy traveling and are demanding higher food quality and variety when they arrive home. That, combined with an influx of peoples from all over the globe, has started a food renaissance that makes eating in Israel a surprising joy.

Standard Middle Eastern fare has become anything but. Instead of just one "Middle Eastern" food experience, there are many wonderful variations. The Jews from Arab lands brought their own method of cooking and regional dishes with them when they moved to Israel, like summaq salad from Iraq; a lamb stew called harira from Morocco; fatoush, a salad made of eggs, olives, bread and lettuce from Syria; maraqa, a ragout of quince and lamb from Tunisia; as well as the more commonly known hummus, pita, and kebab each made with a slight variation in honor of the country of origin of the maker. There is care in the preparation of the food, and I — who tend to not like the hummus that I've had in America- couldn't get enough of it in Israel.

What really surprised my Before going to Israel we asked our cooking school partner — Italian vintner Marilisa Allegrini, who distributes her wines in Israel — for suggestions. Her comment was telling: She said that Israel was an up and coming market for wine and that they appreciated quality. We found that to be true. The quality of the local wine was very good. The wine makers in the Golan have honed their skills, creating blends of international grape varieties that are eminently drinkable.

I made contact with Daniel Rogov, food writer for Haaetz and Israel's foremost wine critic. When he moved to Israel 20 years ago, he said that the wines were so vulgar that he wondered why anyone would drink them. Now his cellar is full of wines that he looks forward to tasting not only now but in a decade. He is very pleased with the growth of the food industry in Israel and is excited about its future.

The two main cities definitely have a plethora of good food to choose from. In Jerusalem, we had one of the best meals of our trip at Adom Bar. They delicately prepared sweetbreads, perfectly grilled fish and created one of the best hamburgers I have ever tasted. My mother said that even her plainly prepared chicken had great juiciness and flavor.

Walking along the old port promenade in Tel Aviv, one can find everything from Chinese (there has been an influx of southeast Asians), to Indian, to expertly prepared fresh fish.

Jewish Dietary laws -Kashrut- do have an effect on the food consumption in Israel. It is a great place to be a vegetarian because there are many "dairy" restaurants that not only do not serve meat, their kitchen utensils are not allowed to touch it. Most beef is kosher in Israel, and there is also fabulous lamb. I don't remember seeing a pork product on even the non-kosher restaurants' menus, although many of the non-kosher fish restaurants served shell fish. Israel, like most places in today's world has, McDonalds. The only difference between non-kosher and kosher franchises is that the kosher one closes on Saturday.

Everywhere we went we met people who wanted to discuss food. They spoke knowledgeably about everything from organics to mass-market retailers. The food that was prepared for us was fresh and flavorful. We met farmers who were interested in organics and spoke to kibbutznicks who felt hydroponics diluted the flavor of the produce.

This focus on food in Israel is exciting, and I can now recommend going to Israel not just for the beauty and history, but also to eat. Beteavon (good appetite)!

Memorable restaurants:

Dag al HaDan, a fish restaurant in the Golan where they raise their own trout.

Halabi, a Druze resturant in Daliat el-Carmel, on the way to Haifa. Good sagg pita.

The Lebanese Restaurant, Abu Gosh, near Jerusalem – a good stop on the way to the airport. Amazing hummus with pine nuts. Terrific fried halloumi cheese.