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April 04, 2005
Comfort Food: A Good Middle Eastern Platter
Right in the middle of walking through an Egyptian exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday I had a craving for the pita bread at Zaytoons on Smith Street. So much so that I decided to tell Derek immediately (I was tired and hungry) in a not-exactly-museum-volume tone of voice and got stares from people.
The association was lost on me then (our brains were fried after the Marilyn and Basquiat exhibits) but my craving probably had something to do with the over-the-top Egyptian decorations that used to be at Mr. Falafel. While Mr. Falafel has decent Middle Eastern food, these days I'm getting more and more attached to Zaytoons and The Olive Vine. Zaytoons is near the Carroll Street F stop and is probably the better of the two, but last night we ended up at The Olive Vine on 7th Avenue at the Flatbush end (there's another location at 7th Ave. and 15th St). Both places have brick ovens and the homemade pita is heated to order. Both have combination platters, so I can get a little bit of everything -- humus, babaghanoush, lentil/bulgar, foule (beans), stuffed grape leaves, cucumber/yogurt, etc. Both have fantastic mint tea and lentil soup (with lemon on the side). Maybe it's the brick-oven smell or the laid back staff, but lately I've found these places to be really comforting -- especially when you're worn out after a stressful day. The cost of dinner there won't break the bank either, and the food is pretty healthy, which can't really be said for al di la, as much as I try to convince myself otherwise.
Posted by csageday at April 4, 2005 11:35 PM