The best lasagna in Israel is hidden in a moshav in the Modi'in region

Some places stay hidden not because they are far away, but simply because they are not part of our collective awareness. The Modi'in region is exactly that kind of place - half an hour from Tel Aviv, 20 minutes from Jerusalem, yet it still feels like a secret destination that those who know it are reluctant to reveal. Between Highway 1 and Highway 443 stretches a landscape that operates at an entirely different rhythm: Quiet moshavim, open fields, people who work the land and know each tree by name. Anyone who leaves the highway and ventures inside quickly realizes there is no need to fly to Tuscany to eat lasagna fresh from a Neapolitan oven, pick strawberries straight from the field, taste olive oil that has won international competitions, or simply sit in a grove with freshly squeezed orange juice and breathe for a moment.

I have written about the Modi'in region more than once before, and even then I understood I had only scratched the surface. This is not a place that can be fully explored in a single visit. On my latest trip, I discovered new places, met people who chose to put down roots specifically after everything around them had been shaken, and found several quiet corners that are hard to believe exist so close to home.

There is a good chance you have already visited Tel Hadid once before - perhaps on a school trip, perhaps during a family outing years ago. But Tel Hadid is a place that deserves another visit, because every time it offers something different: Winter blossoms, summer shade, warm sunset colors, and the sense of perspective that only a viewpoint like this can provide.

The road to the summit passes along Highway 444, through carob groves, olive vineyards, and ancient olive trees whose twisted trunks tell the story of hundreds of years rooted in this land. During winter and spring, it is worth stopping along the way to admire the blooming cyclamens, anemones, and irises. At the top, the coastal plain stretches out before you: The towers of Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Lod, and Ramla - and on clear days, even the planes taking off and landing at Ben Gurion Airport can be seen in the distance.

Those who want to explore further can leave the car behind and follow the marked trails connected to the Israel National Trail. I drove along some of them in a jeep and met quite a few young hikers making their way on foot - a reminder that this place is much more than just a scenic lookout. Before the climb to the summit, there is a coffee cart operating during the week, and on weekends a food truck serving excellent hamburgers also opens nearby. Down in the carob grove, visitors will find a shaded picnic area.

Before heading back down, it is worth searching for the ancient jujube tree at the top of the hill and the Roi Lookout on its western edge. And for history lovers: Archaeological remains found at the site date from the Early Bronze Age to the Byzantine period, including a magnificent mosaic floor depicting a ship sailing on the Nile.

At the entrance to the moshav of Beit Nehemia stands Benno, a restaurant whose story is no less impressive than the food it serves. Owner Meir Karnash took a long road to get here - from working in the kitchen of a pub in northern Israel, through studies at Le Cordon Bleu, working alongside Meir Adoni, and training at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Provence. When the COVID pandemic broke out, he opened a meat restaurant here, which during the war became a logistics center that sent out around 70,000 meals to soldiers and evacuees. Today it operates under a new concept: An Italian-style dairy restaurant with an attached delicatessen.

The oven, handcrafted in Naples and reaching temperatures of 550 degrees, is at the heart of the experience here. From it emerge pizzas, focaccias, calzones, and other surprises.

When the food arrives at the table - bubbling and fragrant - it is hard to believe you are sitting in a small moshav in the Modi'in region and not in some cozy trattoria in Provence. The Greek lasagna with spinach, feta, and mascarpone was rich and perfectly balanced. The folded focaccia with camembert, cherry jam, and pears - a combination that sounds complicated on paper but feels completely natural in the mouth - was simply incredible. A pizza topped with caramelized leek, hazelnuts, and drizzled honey finished the meal and made us give up dessert altogether.

Keep in mind that seating is outdoors among fruit trees, and by the end of the meal it becomes very difficult to leave.

Open: Sunday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Kosher.

On October 7, 2023, just three days after the Levin family finished planting 1,400 new olive trees in their groves in Moshav Mazor, the world changed. The additional 20 dunams that were supposed to be planted on October 9 never happened as planned. Eventually, thanks to volunteers who arrived to help, the family managed to complete the work as well. That story captures something deep about this farm - quiet determination and uncompromising love for the land, even when everything around is falling apart.

Shmulik Levin, who founded the farm in the 1960s and led its flourishing years, is no longer with us. Yuval, his son, and Keren, his daughter-in-law, who now manage the farm, continue his path while adding their own expertise: Both are certified olive oil tasters recognized by the International Olive Council, and their olive oils win awards every year in competitions בארץ and abroad. From their latest international competition they returned with gold and silver medals.

The farm is located near Ben Gurion Airport, so visits are often accompanied by the hum of airplanes overhead - a sharp contrast between the slow pace of the grove and the chaos happening above all our heads. At the farm shop, visitors can taste and buy olive oil, olives pickled according to a family recipe, honey, and produce from neighboring farms. It is a wonderful place for anyone who wants to support Israeli agriculture without compromising on quality.

Open: Sunday–Friday. It is recommended to call before arriving. 5 Hashahar Street, Mazor. 054-6488663.

The small moshav of Nehalim feels like a hidden treasure trove of tourist attractions. One of them is Doron Min Hateva, a home dairy that has been operating here for 45 years. Doron Forer’s parents established a dairy farm in 1960 and produced cheeses based on the knowledge and experience they brought from Romania. Doron took things in a slightly different direction: He built a herd of goats and sheep, and from their milk he produces cheeses sold only on-site or through Wolt.

At Doron Min Hateva you can find a wide variety of cheeses - both hard and soft - with the selection expanding ahead of the upcoming Shavuot holiday. Everything is displayed in a well-organized shop selling cheeses, honey, olives, and natural goat milk soaps. Behind the store is the pen where sheep and goats live together harmoniously. At the moment visitors cannot enter and see the animals, but in the future there are plans for organized tours that will also include a cheese-making workshop, where participants will leave with homemade Tzfat cheese. For now, these tours are available only for private groups by prior arrangement.

Even without seeing the animals, this is a wonderful place for a short stop and to stock up on excellent cheeses for the road or for eating on-site. I picked up a cheese platter recommended by the staff, focused mainly on aged cheeses, and every single one was excellent. Platters range from NIS 100 to NIS 200.

Open: Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.; Monday 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; Friday 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. 19 Hermon Street, Nehalim. 03-9328559. Kosher.

In a small grove next to the community center and library of Nehalim, Itzik Ben Ari placed a coffee cart. Its unusual name comes from his childhood - “Ingale” means “good boy” in Yiddish, and in the neighborhood where he grew up among Holocaust survivors, the grocery store owner used to address him and his friends that way. Itzik, who in his parallel life works as a lawyer and real estate entrepreneur, entered the coffee cart world almost by accident. He noticed his daughters spending hours at coffee carts, realized there was something there he did not understand, and decided to look into it. After learning the business, he entered a tender, won it, and established a coffee cart in Nehalim, where he has lived for the past five years.

What emerged is much more than a standard coffee cart where most things are bought frozen and reheated. The orange juice and smoothie served to us were completely fresh and squeezed on the spot, and the salad that arrived at the table was fresh and generously topped with cheese. The sandwich with cream cheese, pesto, and grilled halloumi came in warm bread that would have been worth eating on its own. Soldiers in uniform receive free coffee here. In the afternoons, the place fills with families and children, and it is easy to understand why: This is exactly the kind of corner people look for at the end of a long day.

Open: Sunday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.; Friday 8:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Kosher.

Uriya Forer, 34, grew up in Nehalim and worked as an agronomist until, like many of us, October 7 changed his direction. After long reserve duty rotations came a decision: To return to his father’s farm and work there. He planted a strawberry field, added cherry tomatoes, Mexican tomatoes, golden berries, and in summer also sweet corn, mini peppers, and black raspberries. His background as an agronomist is evident in the produce. The strawberries you pick there are rich in flavor in a way that is difficult to explain to anyone who only buys strawberries at the supermarket.

The self-picking experience includes explanations from Uriya about agriculture - he speaks about the soil the way others speak about their favorite playground. There is also an archery area for children.

Uriya publishes updates about picking days on Facebook and WhatsApp. At the moment the farm is usually open on Fridays from 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

Entry fee: NIS 40 per person, fruit to take home is charged separately. 052-7487474.