Blue Hall Music

About

by Sybil Kaplan Photographs by Barry A. Kaplan Blue Hall Music Yoel Solomon 12, Nachlat Shiva Phone - 02 625-6488 Hours - Sunday through Thursday 12 noon to 3 a.m.; Friday - noon to 2 hours before Shabbat begins; Saturday evening - 1 hour after Shabbat ends to 3 a.m. Kashrut - Mehuderet (Mehedrin rules but not related to a specific rabbi) Walk down the steps near the Kikar Musica stage, through the door and you are transmitted into a cave-like atmosphere with white curved walls, a lot of Jerusalem stone and violet-blue lights. Straight ahead is the longest bar I have ever seen, fully stocked, with 12 stools; turning slightly to the right are tables for 21. Come back to the entryway and walk past the picture windows looking into the tables of the bar area. Next is the large seating area for 47, with a stage at one end. Off the stage area is a small party room for 12 with blue drapes and blue lights. Back to the main room and down a hall, there are tables for 14, then a back office area looking into the kitchen. Downstairs is a party room for 60 and a place for karaoke. Tables are white with white padded chairs, and plants in red flower pots sit on ledges around the room as the primary décor. Music plays in the background to add to the atmosphere. Our host, Yogev Nativ, one of the managers since the restaurant opened, is responsible for the bar and stage. Owner is Eodad Unger. Nativ tells us Blue Hall Music was a bar for 30 years known as Blue Hole bar, a hole in the wall with a large courtyard, which Unger bought in 1993. Then he initiated renovations and went "under ground" which became this kosher, gourmet restaurant. Three nights a week, there is live music--Monday, beginning at 9.p.m.; Thursday, beginning at 11 p.m.; and Saturday, beginning at 10 p.m. The menu offers 6 first courses and is called "opening record"; these range from NIS39-NIS54 NIS. Salads (5 choices) are called "the symphony of the garden" and range from NIS32 to NIS56. There is also a soup of the