Let Down by Ottolenghi

Ever since I've first explored the area of Islington last summer, I've been dying to try Ottolenghi's restaurant on Upper Street.  Some of you may be familiar with this talented Israeli born chef who's known for his vibrant and imaginative flavor and texture combinations - especially in his salads.

My cousin Jenine who's studying here for the semester met up with me and we tried it for a late lunch.  I'm sad to say that my high expectations were shattered a bit, which was attributed to the strange service and almost a blatant disregard for the customer.

Atmosphere:
We weren't surprised to walk into a very busy cafe, which was nearly at capacity in the front.  Expecting to wait for a table, we were shocked to be seated right away at a small two top table with comfy white plastic chairs with flexible back support.

We looked around the small dining room and observed a few communal tables, quickly captivated by the hustle and bustle of this popular spot.  The front of the restaurant cleared out soon after we sat down, and we spied a few enticing foods they displayed up there such as their gargantuan meringues, various cakes and cookies, as well as the beautiful salads and meats.

Food:
Assuming this would be a bank breaking meal, given Ottolenghi's impressive reputation, we were pleasantly surprised to see they offer a nice little combo deal for a medley of two salads and a main course.  It seemed like a good value, and it was nice to see there was plenty to choose from.

Lunch Combo Plate - Jenine and I purposely chose four different salad sides so we could try a variety of things.  Slightly disappointed by the fact they were missing the pumpkin salad, we chose the fennel cabbage salad, the mixed peppers with tabouleh, the wild basmati rice salad and a roasted sweet potato salad.  I'm happy to say these were all very delicious and a big highlight of the meal, with the basmati rice leading the pack.  Surprised by this discovery, the rice salad combined a bevy of textures, including a lot of crunch from hazelnuts, and a fabulously lemony essence.  The peppers and tabouleh were also to die for and reminded me of a salad version of stuffed peppers.

The mains were a huge disappointment, mainly because we both ordered different varieties of quiches including the smoked bacon quiche and a wild mushroom quiche.  Both looked absolutely lovely but were also freezing cold.  I couldn't understand why Ottolenghi's proteges would be serving us cold eggs in an ice cold pastry crust, and said something about it to our waiter.  To my dismay, he was dismissive, conveying that they couldn't heat it up because they didn't have the proper equipment to do so.  Absolutely baffled (aren't they a restaurant?!), and even after further persistence, I was unable to get what I wanted so we begrudgingly proceeded to eat our cold eggs (sad face).

Service and Cost:
As I've already insinuated, I was pretty displeased with the service overall - not only because of the cold quiche aspect, but also because of the way the staff didn't seem to care about us. I was sad to see that a culinary master such as Ottolenghi wouldn't take great care to treat his customers in the best way possible.  Even though I continue to love his style, I can't say that a part of me has lost my enthusiasm for his retail business.

Costs are expensive for what you get (cold food!) and we paid 42 pounds (or $68) for the entire thing, including 2 glasses of wine.

1.5 Mmmms

Ottolenghi - 287 Upper Street, London N1 2TZ
020 7288 1454
Underground - Northern Line to Angel
www.ottolenghi.co.uk

Tasty Impromptu Dinner at Mezze Place

Tonight, I attended a lovely party at Mackenzi's brand new, Lockwood Shop, which is an evolution of her original Site.  The party was fantastic and gave me a chance to reconnect with folks in the community that I haven't seen this summer.  Meg was there of course, and the two of us decided to grab a quick dinner after the party at nearby, Mezze Place.  We felt like having something light, and since Mezze is also close to the train, it couldn't be more convenient.

We shared a few apps, including the Labaneh dip, bureke, falafel and the red lentil kofte.  While everything was really tasty and satiated us for the night, my two stand-outs were the bureke and the falafel, pictured above.

Bureke - Not reading the description carefully, what I thought this would be was a meat filled dish, however what arrived was something purely vegetarian.  I didn't mind, and in fact it worked out better, as the flaky pastry crust married so well with the spinach, feta and leek filling.  I liked that it was a little bit indulgent, but that the richness was cut with the fresh tomato coulis, which came as a side.

Falafel - I remember the falafel being good the first time around, but it particularly shined tonight.  The outside was crispy and nicely browned whereas the inside was almost bright green, slightly chunky and wonderfully garlicky.  It didn't need much in terms of a dipping sauce, but we couldn't help ourselves with the Labaneh, which was also a nice complement to all that hearty goodness.

Service and Cost:
We experienced really nice, attentive service tonight.  I liked that our waiter was easy going, but we never felt that he forgot about us, and our food came out in the perfect amount of time.  We hung around for a little bit to chat, and weren't in the least bit rushed to leave.

Costs remain wallet friendly, and for the above mentioned meal, we paid a total of $17 each including tax and tip.

3 Mmmms

Mezze Place – 31-18 Broadway #E, Astoria NY 11106
718. 777.2829
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.mezzeplace.com

My First Crack at an Ottolenghi Dish

After a recent visit to the U.K, I was introduced to the cuisine of Chef, Yotam Ottolenghi who's quite well known there for his vibrant Middle Eastern cuisine.  Actually, his food is sort of a craze right now, and any foodie worth their salt has either been to his restaurants, located in the trendiest parts of the city, or has one of his cookbooks sitting on their bookshelf.  Although I can't boast that I've checked off either thing on my culinary must list, I've been perusing his website consistently and have experimented with one of his dishes.  

In fact, Dan and I tried the Braised Eggs with Beef, Smoked Aubergine and Tomato tonight, and it totally rocked our world.  I can definitely see what the fuss is about, as there's a certain magic about Ottolenghi's food that makes is both sophisticated but not intimidating to prepare.  

As you can see above, I substituted the beef for ground chicken and it worked great.  The aubergine (aka eggplant) was fussy to prepare, as it called for cooking it on an open flame.  I went for it, since I wanted to create the dish exactly as Ottolenghi suggested, but after the high-maintenance experience, I realized I could've just grilled it or put it in the oven.  
The best part of the dish was the runny egg, which we broke into the fragrant meat and eggplant mixture.  It served as a velvety binder for all that roasted goodness, and I was grateful that I didn't overcook the eggs.  Phewww... I'd say this first Ottolenghi experience was a hit, and I now can't wait to continue with more dishes soon. 

Braised Eggs with Beef, Smoked Aubergine and Tomato recipe, courtesy of ottolenghi.co.uk

Arabian Nights Dinner with Lebanese Stew

I love to change up my cooking repertoire and finding about new resources is always a plus.  This one comes by way of my mom, who recently sent me link to an Australian site called SBS that has an awesome cooking section.  The photography is striking and the recipes are user friendly, so I decided to try one out for an impromptu dinner at home with Peter, Fiana, and Dan.  

The theme was Middle Eastern, as you can see, with the main course being a beef Lebanese Stew with lots of onion, garlic and a homemade mix of spices.  Generally, it was easy to prepare, the only arduous thing being the veg prep, but otherwise it was pretty turnkey.  I decided to pair with a few extra embellishments such as hummus, pickled veggies and a homemade Greek yogurt dip, which also included spices such as cinnamon, coriander and cumin.  Everyone seemed to like it, judging by the piddly leftovers - and I'll surely be making it again, as well as tapping into the other recipes on this site.  Hope you get to check it out too!

Lebanese Stew with Peas and Rice recipe, courtesy of SBS

Dan's Homemade Falafel

It was a very happy day in our household today, as Dan experimented with making falafel.  I had the idea of creating our own falafel balls, ever since we had the yummy ones last week at Crave Astoria, but Dan really took the initiative to create them.

Overall, he did a fantastic job (as you can see here), producing a lovely brown exterior on the balls and the interior was soft, creamy and rich.  I liked how light they were, as Dan didn't use tahini that sometimes gives this dish a certain heaviness.  Loving the way that he put all of it together, he layered the falafel on top of fresh arugula and then further topped it with hummus.  Toasting a few pieces of pita, we had fun creating our own little falafel sandwiches, and I loved how nourishing and filling they were.  The whole process took about a half hour, from preparation to cooking, and Dan used the below easy recipe from about.com.

Easy Falafel recipe, courtesy of about.com

What's your personal spin on making falafel?  

Mezze Place – “Mezzed Up” on Goodness

I just had to steal this funny phrase, "mezzed up", I heard from Mackenzi’s girlfriend Kellner, who loves this place so much. Mackenzi is a big fan too of course and the two have been spreading the good word about Mezze Place ever since it opened a few months ago.

Meg and I were really curious to try it, and when the time came, we organized our bi-monthly We Heart Astoria Queens Blogger social there. Hurray for that, as we all really loved it and felt extremely welcome by the gracious staff. I’m definitely understanding why it’s become such a quick favorite for a lot of folks in the community – especially vegetarians.

Atmosphere:
If you think back on the old Mundo space, you’ll remember how intimate it is, and in my eyes, that’s a good thing. The experience here feels really private and personal and although I’d recommend coming to Mezze with 1 or 2 other people, it’s OK for larger groups too, as long as you make a reservation.

While most of the décor doesn’t differ too much from Mundo, there’s one really awesome (and huge) distinguishing factor, which is a beautiful “Mezze Place” mural on the wall that’s closest to the kitchen. I kept turning around to look at it, as it was created by a local and exemplified what Mezze is all about – interesting Middle Eastern flavors, hospitality and fun. It almost looks like an infographic that you just want to snap a photo of and share with your closest Facebook and Twitter friends.

Food:
Besides the food tasting absolutely delicious, I was really happy with the pacing of it and found myself feeling pleasantly satiated after the entire experience – not uncomfortably full.

Mezze – There were many mezze shared around the big table, which was a lot of fun. And just when we thought they were done, they kept on coming. First came the refreshing, yogurt based dips (labaneh) with black sesame and oregano. They were both delicious and ultra creamy, which was perfect for spreading on the fluffly house-made pita bread that was served in a rustic fashion (aka inside a brown paper bag).

Next came the red lentil kofte (similar to Mundo’s red sonjas), which you wrap in buttery pieces of lettuce and spritz with fresh lemon. I loved them…and even more than Mundo’s version because of the friendly, bite-sized pieces.

The tabouleh salad was simple but looked really vibrant, and I adored the healthy sprinkling of blood red pomegranate seeds on top. I loved this touch, as it’s a very Israeli thing to add, the pomegranate being a symbol of life and love. Additionally, the salad incorporated plenty of fresh parsley, garlic and scallions, providing some nice bite.

Two other mezze, if you can believe it, were their homemade falafel and roasted cauliflower. The falafel stood out to me for its perfectly crisp exterior and soft (almost creamy) interior, which was paired with yummy pickles. It didn’t need a side of tahini or anything, but we couldn’t resist dipping it into the labaneh.

While I liked the cauliflower as well, I think it begged for more seasoning such as salt. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful dish and a healthful one at that.

Entrees – Each ordering our own entrée, I went for the lamb sania (sort of like moussaka) that was served in a rustic, round metal pan. I loved the layering of it, which made it look very beautiful, with the sprinkling of nuts and fresh herbs that you see on top. The lamb itself was really interesting, albeit a little chewy, flavored with a Middle Eastern spice mix called ras-el-hanout.

I also had the pleasure of trying my friend Dayna’s short ribs, which were absolutely spectacular. They fell apart upon contact with a fork and tasted rich and juicy. The sauce that coated them boasted a lovely texture that did a great job of soaking into the side of whole wheat cous-cous.

Dessert – There were three desserts we shared, but two in particular put me over the edge. The Middle Eastern cheesecake was my favorite, followed by Mezze’s version of rice pudding.

The former was almost savory, combining mozzarella cheese with ricotta and another cheese I can't remember. Topped with pistachios and some pretty-in-pink rose water, it had a unique taste that almost reminded me of Slovak-style fried cheese with a sweet finish. The best part for me was the well done, golden crust that was fun to break with a fork.

Service and Cost:
As I mentioned, the pacing of the meal was perfect, and I was glad that we didn't have to wait too long for anything. There always seemed to be something new and exciting coming, it was just a matter of time before it arrived.

We also loved interacting with Mezze’s staff, including their owner Youad, who was friendly and treated us with the utmost amount of hospitality. At the end of the meal, he thanked each one of us, and I couldn’t help feeling that our visit meant a lot to him. It’s something that makes me want to return here soon.

Costs are very reasonable and include:

Mezze - $5-$15
Entrees - $11-$19
Dessert - $8-$10

3 Mezzy Mmmms

Mezze Place – 31-18 Broadway #E, Astoria NY 11106
718. 777.2829
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.mezzeplace.com

My Own Mombar-Hybrid Tajine

Since I was recently inspired by Mombar's chicken and veggie tajines, I wanted to make my own version at home.  My brother Peter and sister-in-law, Fiana were coming over so I thought it'd make for a good opportunity to create a stewy pot of goodness to see if it was passable.  I'm happy to say that the verdict was really positive and Peter and Dan went back for seconds.

Originally stemming from a recipe for a veggie tajine, I decided to add some chicken breast cubes for good measure and to make it even more hearty of course.  Since I was already going with meat, I could've used a chicken broth as its base, but I stuck with the veggie broth to give it more earthiness.  The whole dish delivered and filled us up nicely, resting on a bed of whole wheat cous-cous with chopped dates, pistachios and fresh lemon zest.  I'll definitely be making this comforting creation again.

Chicken and veggie tajine, recipe courtesy of Whole Foods.  (just add chicken or beef to make it meaty!)

Mombar Brings the Heat

In the midst of a bitter, cold winter, there's nothing like warming your bones with hearty, comforting food.  That's why Mombar immediately came to mind when Meg, Mackenzi and I met last week for a We Heart Astoria staff meeting.  While I've dined here on several occasions  I'm always impressed by Mombar's hospitality and perpetual deliciousness.  Here's a recap of our spectacular meal:

Appetizer - Our server talked about an appetizer special that made our ears perk up.  It mentioned warm artichokes, tomatoes, onions and Middle Eastern spices that sounded like an enticing combination we were all eager to try.

The texture of the artichokes was perfect - soft enough to cut with your fork but not at all mushy.  Mild, savory flavors permeated the dish, which was a great way to start this meal, as it did a great job of intriguing the palate for other things yet to come.

Entrees - We saw several varieties of tajines on the menu and all decided to go for them.  Mackenzi's and mine were in the form of a baked eggplant tajine, while Meg's was a chicken dish with braised olives.  Both were excellent and totally different of course - Meg's more filling and savory, with tender meat, baked with crushed tomatoes and mild green olives.  

The veggie version looked really gorgeous, with a scooped out eggplant bowl, enveloping a medley of bite sized veggies such as zucchini, peppers, onions, peas and chickpeas.  I loved the distinct flavor of cumin and cinnamon that was present through the dish and made it taste really authentic.  If only I could close my eyes and be in Egypt or Morocco...

Dessert - Meg loves a good dessert and wanted to try Mombar's baklava.  They graciously split it into many small pieces for us to share, but I resisted this time.  Looking simple yet beautiful, Meg said she really enjoyed the flaky dough and the plentiful filling that she said was light enough to eat for breakfast the next day.  Just looking at it reminded me of my grandma's delkeli.  Yum...will have to try it next time.

Service and Cost:
I never tire of the careful and family-like service here.  Each diner is made to feel really important and your hosts truly ensure that you like everything.  Chef Moustafa came by, as he usually does and we all loved seeing his bright, smiling face.  He seemed gratified after we sang our praises about everything.

Costs are moderate to inexpensive, and the whole meal set us back about $30/person including tax and tip.  This also included a serving of hot teas for everyone and bottled water (they don't serve tap).

3 MmmmsMombar - 25-22 Steinway Street, Astoria NY 11103
 718.726.2356
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

Mombar – Showing New Friends Old Tricks

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been to Mombar, but it’s been consistently on my list of to-go-again places, especially when showing off the nabe to some new visitors. The other week proved totally perfect for this, as we met up with friends, Chris and Joanna who haven’t been to Astoria in quite a while – Joanna being a total newbie altogether.

Being that both of our friends are open to new experiences and they were willing to try something ethnic, I suggested Mombar, and they happily took the bait.

I love that Mombar continues to be a BYOB and we enjoyed a delicious bottle of vino with our impeccable dinner. Here’s what we got:

Lamb Tongue Appetizer – Although some folks in our party were a bit squeamish about this, everyone at the end gave it a fair shot and loved it. While I didn’t mind the image of the tongue at all, some of my friends (and Dan too) preferred not to think about it. The texture was really surprising, as it tasted really soft, sort of like sausage, surrounded by a clear, flavorful broth of onions, pepper, tomato, olives and herbs. It was a great little preview of the goodness that would follow, and I loved pairing it with the thin fry bread that was also brought to the table a few minutes before.

Mussels – While we all love mussels and were eager to try Mombar’s version, I wasn’t overly impressed. Though I liked the light broth they rested in, the actual mussels tasted a bit fishy, and I’ve certainly had better.

Lamb Tajine – I absolutely love tajines, and the minute I saw they had lamb, my decision was made. Unlike the ceramic dome dishes I’ve seen these placed in at other restaurants, this looked more like a gratinee dish, which was slightly disappointing in presentation, but of course what mattered most was what was inside. The meat was tender, succulent and nicely fell apart when making contact with your fork. Certainly the piece-de-resistance was the rich lamb broth, laced with tons of veggies such as corn, peas, tomato, squash, pepper and more. It tasted like a beautiful, rich stew that was ultra filling and a nice thing to share with your dining companion (Dan ate quite a bunch of it).

Salmon en Papillote – Chris ordered the salmon, which I was surprised about, since I don’t associate Mombar with seafood (as evidenced by the mussels). Not only was he happy about his final choice, everyone else was impressed as well, and the salmon turned out to be the biggest success of the evening. The crunchy phyllo shell was to die for, and breaking it revealed an oozy middle of veggies and the tender salmon. I’m happy to report that the fish tasted fresh, and flaked off with perfection.

Sausage Entrée – Dan’s sausage entrée was also quite nice, boasting tons of meat that was immersed in the same kind of concoction as the lamb tongue. For this reason, even though I really enjoyed it, I had trouble differentiating it from the app, and for next time, I’d go with either one or the other.

Service and Cost:
I can’t speaker higher about the service, as we received tons of personal attention and our waitress even spoke French to our friend Joanna, which was great. Chef Moustafa came out as well, and was only too happy to chat us up, provide some history behind all the food and answer any questions we had. He didn’t seem to be in a rush at all and genuinely seemed interested in shooting the breeze with us.

Costs are incredibly fair and for the dinner I just described, we paid about $25/person including tax and tip.
3 Mmmms

Mombar - 25-22 Steinway Street, Astoria NY 11103
718.726.2356
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

Achieving a Proper Winegasm

I know what some of you may be thinking, "did she have to go there?!" Yes. I did. Come on people...loosen up and just go with it.  Anywho...

Wanting to re-visit Winegasm for a while now, I was incentivized by a Scoutmob deal for $10 off.  For those of you who haven't yet downloaded this nifty little mobile app, I urge you to go right ahead, as it'll change your life and bring you tons of advantageous savings.  

Mackenzi and I headed over to this wino haven last weekend for some casual snacks and wine, both of which were delicious, the vibe being fabulously chill.  We also really found ourselves enjoying the mild temperature that we soaked up from dining al fresco.

Snacks:
Since neither one of us was particularly hungry, we went for a few sharable snacks, which I'll go into now.  The portions were quite generous, and I'd highly recommend getting them if wanting to go halfsies with a buddy.  We even had some leftovers, which was encouraging.

Muhammara Dip - While I've had this before with Dan, it didn't stand out to me as much as this time around.  A somewhat creamy but still a little bit chunky dip, it was made up of red peppers (hence its brick orange color) as well as earthy walnuts that gave it a little bite.  Paired with nicely toasted pita bread, the dip was super spreadable and somehow hearty enough like hummus.  I think it'd also go well with protein such as tofu or chicken.

Wild Mushroom Crostini - Although it sounds like a super simple dish, it was actually quite complex and really outstanding.  Its excellence really stemmed from a delicious base, which was a thin piece of perfectly toasted bread that was slightly chewy on the inside.  The topping was brilliant as well, consisting of delicate little pieces of wild mushrooms and curly ringlets of asparagus, which were all melded by a sea of gooey fontina cheese.  A piece-de-resistance was the sprinkling of truffle oil on top that really made all these flavors sing.

Service and Cost:
It's interesting that my previous dining experiences have been somewhat mixed, and we haven't always received great service.  Tonight, that was totally set right, as our server was just awesome, pacing everything out perfectly and having a sense of humor at the same time.    He was also really gracious about us using the Scoutmob coupon, which I sometimes get a little flack for, even though it's totally legit.

Costs are fair, with the above-mentioned apps setting us back $7 and $6 respectively.  We also each had a glass or two of wine, so with all of that, the discount came in really handy.

3 Mmmms

Winegasm - 31-86 37th Street, Astoria NY 11103

718.932.3331

N/Q Train to Broadway

www.winegasmeatery.com

Duzan - Refining Greatness

Last week, I mentioned that I got together with my friends from the Queens Supper Club, as we took advantage of all the after-sundown activities in Little Egypt, centered around Ramadan.  All 25 of us feasted on an incredibly flavorful meal at Duzan on Steinway Street, near Astoria Blvd.

Atmosphere:
Casual and vibrant, Duzan is a great place to visit whether you just want to grab something quick or if you'd like to stick around and dine in.  I like the bright orange and green color scheme, inside and out, which makes the space approachable and cheery.  Sitting in the dining room is really pleasant too, whether you're with a large group like we were, or just with a few friends, as they have a few 4 person booths as well as a large communal table.  Because the space isn't very large, I'd recommend making a reservation if you're with a big group.

Food:
Even though you can definitely dine in, there's no table service and you have to go up to the counter to order, which was totally fine with us.  While the menu is simple, it's filled with all your Middle Eastern faves such as shawarma, falafel, hummus, kababs and more.  We got a little bit of everything and shared it, which was super fun.

Chicken Shawarma Platter - Though the most basic of Middle Eastern dishes, you can't go wrong with it and Duzan's version was amazing.  The meat was perfectly seasoned and so juicy.  Nice char marks decorated the chicken and gave it more flavor, as did the amazing homemade curry sauce that we put on it continuously.  Also really impressed by the sides such as the long grained white rice, seasoned with cayenne pepper and parsley, and crunchy red and white cabbage slaw, we devoured the large portion almost to the last bite.  Since the portion is so huge, it's great to share with at least one other person.

Falafel Platter - Another oldie but goodie, I couldn't believe how exceptional the falafel actually was.  Boasting a perfectly crispy outside and the softest, lightest inside, each falafel ball was a stroke of culinary genius.  Even though they didn't need it, as they were moist on their own, putting the garlicky green house sauce you see above, on top of the falafel made them even more irresistible.  The sides remained the same as on the shawarma platter, except for the fries, which were just OK, and not something I'd reorder. 

Jerusalem Hummus - The hummus is a general standout at Duzan and sometimes the reason people come here.  Formed into a natural bowl, the creamy hummus surrounded its beautiful topping of hot fava beans and fresh herbs, that turned up the volume on any ordinary hummus.  Meg commented that she never thought another variety of hummus can be creamier than Sabra, but Duzan's definitely achieves that wish - and then some.  The other standout of this dish is the fluffy pita bread they serve alongside it, which is wonderfully fresh, piping hot, and the ideal way to house this creamy bean concoction.

Salads - We ordered two salads, including the Fattoush and the Arabia.  The former was the clear standout, as it had a hint of spice to it, and some wonderful crunch from the fried pita bread that served as a crouton of sorts.  Aside from that, all the veggies were incredibly fresh and the portion quite generous.  I must add that it was quite enjoyable to make a little pita sandwich out of the hummus and then the salad on top.

Baba ghanough - Taking this side dish for the road rather, I got to enjoy it as a yummy left over.  Spreading it on pita or even just regular bread, it was nice and garlicky and a little tangy-sharp from the eggplant.  Just like the hummus, it was perfectly spreadable, once again a testament to its expert preparation.

Service and Cost:
While the service was a tad slow, that's no doubt a factor of the large group we were with.  And despite a little delay, the staff was cordial and totally compensated us by giving us a few items such as an extra hummus and baba ghanough on the house, which was very appreciated.  On top of that, we loved talking to the staff, as they revealed the unique story of how Duzan got started and its inspiration, which came from their unique Palestinian heritage.

Costs are very wallet friendly, and for the shawarma, falafel and hummus dishes (plus drinks), we only paid about $21 total.  Incredible!

3 loud Mmmms

Duzan - 24-11 Steinway Street, Astoria NY 11103
718.204,7488
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd
www.orderduzanqueens.com 

After Sun-Down Treats at Al-Sham

Today, my Queens Supper Club friends and I went to the Little Egypt part of Astoria to enjoy iftar, or the meal known to break the fast of Ramadan.  While we all have different beliefs, we're interested in learning more about these traditions and were honored to take part in them.  For our dinner, we went to Duzan for some exceptional falafel, shawarma, hummus and more, but we also managed to stop for a casual dessert at Al-Sham Sweets & Pastries just a few doors down.

Atmosphere:
The vibe at Al-Sham is very friendly and hospitable, and seems like a great place to just pop into casually.  I can see a family coming in with kids, each one of them picking something delightful to snack on, as the overall aura is very inclusive and communal.  Even though there's no place to sit, people linger around and eat their treats inside, or also casually stand outside the storefront and enjoy their goodies.

Treats:
We got a few things, one of them these chocolate cigars as I call them, but unfortunately I don't know their proper name.  They were delightful, and a perfectly sized little treat to pop in your mouth after a really satisfying Middle Eastern meal.  Half of the pastry was coated in dark chocolate and the inside was filled with walnuts as well as coconut flavoring.  It was complex, interesting and really the perfect bite.

The other treat we ordered was really special, which was called Atayif, and it's traditional during Ramadan.  Looking like a little empanada with lightly golden edges, they're traditionally stuffed with cheese or nuts.  The ones that Meg and Jo got had soft cheese inside and they were just delectable and surprisingly light.  I tasted a bit of rose water in there too and maybe some honey as well.  The crust was a little crispy, which gave off a good crunch and the inside was soft and plump.

Service and Cost:
It was nice to see the folks that work here are welcoming and happily chat with you about what they're selling.  We didn't feel odd ordering anything or asking for an explanation, which we received with a smile and enthusiasm.

Costs are really competitive, and for 3 pastries, 2 of which were kind of big, only set us back $4 total.  Thanks Jo!

3 Mmmms

Al-Sham Sweets & Pastries - 24-39 Steinway Street, Astoria NY 11103
718.777.0876
N/Q Train to Astoria Blvd

Balkh Shish Kabab House - A Delivery of Afghan Goodness

It was hot the other day and I really didn't feel like cooking, so we did the next best thing and got take-out.  I'm not usually one for take-out and prefer to eat at a restaurant if I'm already choosing not to cook, but we got lazy and wanted to stay at home. 

Going through my mental check-list of trusty restaurants that deliver, my mental Rolodex stopped at Balkh Shish Kabab House, the unassuming yet ultra flavorful Afghan restaurant on the corner of 31st Street and 23rd Avenue.  Remembering back on a delicious dinner that Meg and I had there last year, Dan and I ordered a chicken and rice combination platter, their famous pumpkin turnovers as well as a side of lamb tikka kabob.  Not only was everything piping hot, it was really scrumptious.

Morgh Kabob and Chicken Kabob - This chicken combination platter consisted of both white and dark meat--the white was off the bone and the dark had some small bones that we easily ate around.  Both versions were ultra flavorful and juicy and I especially enjoyed the marination on the white meat, which wasn't spicy but had definite flair.  Each bite was even more delicious when dipped into Balkh's special yogurt mint sauce, which was so refreshing on a hot day.

Besides the meat, the bed of long grain brown rice and a side of carrot raisin salad were amazing.  The rice was my favorite because it was so deeply flavored by the drippings from the chicken that it was like eating the chicken itself.  The carrot salad, embellished with plump, sweet raisins was a great surprise that almost tasted like a sweet dessert after all the heartiness from the meat and rice.  And on top of all that goodness, just look at the portion - it can last for about 2 nights and costs just $12.

You can read about the other two dishes we had here.  I'd recommend getting the pumpkin turnovers at the actual restaurant as opposed to a delivery option because the outside crust got a bit soggy and oily in transit.

Cost:
For the above meal that I described, we paid a total of $26 and had plenty of leftovers for the next night.  If I had to do it all over again, I would've skipped the lamb and the turnovers - the chicken combo plate was more than enough for two people.

3 Mmmms

Balkh Shish Kabab House - 23-10 31st Street, Astoria 11105
718.721.5020
N/W Train to Ditmars Blvd (last stop)