Midtown Lunch

The last lunch date of my Israel travel friends at Mamma’s was very successful. We wanted a new place to try when we all got together again. After doing some online research, I found out that the speciality food store Bitar’s also serves Middle Eastern food. A long walk to Federal street worked up our appetite.

At Bitar’s, platters of fries come with fried onions, tahini, peppers, and… your choice of meat. We excitedly picked gyro.

This is what it looks like all mixed up. Charred meat, onions, and white sauce on fries is undeniably delicious and a fun plate for a few friends to share and dig in to as long as nobody steals all the meat.

A refreshing and healthy tabouli salad (cracked wheat, parsley, tomato, onion, lemon juice, lettuce) for $5 will make you feel less guilty about eating a meat-fry platter.

For $4.50, a nice sized bowl of paprika and oil topped baba ghanouj comes with warmed pita. We finished every bit of the thick spread.

A pizza with roasted peppers, olives, feta, and tomatoes is the healthiest pizza I have seen in a while. But the pungent feta and tangy marinated vegetables on top of the baked bread infused with Israeli spices (Zaatar, sumac) has a lot of flavor.

The variety of shareable plates makes this a great place to come with a group to enjoy some Middle Eastern flavors.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Fun menu of Middle Easter snacks
• Items for purchase include jars of harisssa, cheese, and spices

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• No real waiter service, you pick up your food from a counter

Bitar’s, 947 Federal St (@ 10th St), 215 755-1121