I’m in my Element! 100% Gluten-Free & Vegetarian in Tzfat, Israel

In the old city of Tzfat, Israel in a small alley next to Kikar HaMeginim there is the Elements Cafe.  It is the only 100% Gluten-Free restaurant/cafe in Israel.  I am asked often, “why open

a Gluten-Free Vegetarian Cafe?” The truth is when I first decided to open the Elements Cafe most of my friends told me that I was crazy. They said it was a terrible business choice.  Very few people are Gluten-Free and if you want to make money in this town you have to have food like falafel or shwarma, at least some kind of fast food that the tourist like.  They are probably right!  To get to my cafe you have to go past three of these places to find me and there is no question that they are getting much more business than I am.  So why do it?

When I was first approached by the owner of this establishment and asked if I would like to take it over, my wife insisted that I make a place to eat in Tzfat that she would be excited to go to. She felt that there was no place in town that was truly concerned about healthy vibrant food. We have a three year old son and are constantly trying to figure out ways to make healthy food enjoyable for him. I myself love both cooking and eating.  I knew that if I made food that wasn’t healthy I would eat it.  My goal was and is to create food that is both delicious, fresh, and healthy for everyone. Every day we are learning more and more that we are what we eat.

The food that we put into our bodies does make a difference in every aspect of our lives.  So I decided that even though it may not be a good business choice, to be able to help people, as well as my own family, feel vibrant and nourished in the food that we eat is more important.

At the Elements Cafe we strive to cater to everyone’s needs, as difficult as that sounds somehow we make it happen.  We try to use only fresh ingredients, organic when possible and we make an effort to give people an experience of personal care toward their goal of health and wellness.  We try to make our cafe feel very personal so you have an involvement in the food you eat in a way that is exciting and genuine.  Our goal

is that when your eating our food, you can truly say, “I am in my Element!”