Zahav: The cookbook and the restaurant

I just bought the Zahav cookbook, the purchase of which was inspired by a trip to Shaya in New Orleans, and reminded me of our visit to Zahav in Philadelphia a few years ago. While there are a ton of great things about that trip, I want to focus on our favorite meal.We came upon Zahav by total accident. We had planned on going to Hop Sing Laundromat for a drink and to figure out dinner, only to be turned away (Sam was wearing a pair of Jordan's and they didn't allow sneakers). After a quick google, we found Southwark and took the walk south. Southwark and it's wonderful bartenders was great to us. After a few cocktails, some chatting and some snacks we met a guy walking his dog outside. We all chatted, got along, and we asked for a dinner recommendation for the following evening. Oddly enough, he worked at Zahav, a restaurant neither of us had heard of! He invited us to come by and taste a few things, and we of course obliged. Zahav is in a weird space. It's huge, packed, and most definitely not where you think you would be eating hummus, but the food was phenomenal. With just a few dishes, I was 100% in love. Get your hands on the Zahav cookbook, as fast as possible people!