Archive for 'MIddle Eastern'

Dizengoff Knows the Meat on Hummus Trick

Solomonov is back with another food gimmick that works too well to make you mad at it. Across from his chicken and donuts shop is the newest mini-restaurant, Dizengoff, a hummusiya. Like a savory, chick pea based ice cream shop, you get to pick your topping.  Although I am a life long member of Team Baba Ganoush, I knew this particular hummus would be a nosh worth spending my gelt on.  Dizengoff, named after a super hip shopping area in Tel Aviv, bring some hipness to Sansom Street with its open entrance, colorful tiled and mirrored walls, and baseball card ordering system. A few tables are located in front of the counter, though its more of a take out spot.

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Paratha Wrapped Kebabs From Kabobeesh on South St

Kabobeesh’s quirky, aluminum  West Philly location impressed me with its Pakistani style fried chicken last year. After 10 years of success in the area, the team recently opened up a location off of South Street. It has a more generic look to it, but the menu is similar. I didn’t eat an entire chicken this time.

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Pamir Grill Kabob Brings Afghani Food to the Diamond District

I was doing some serious diamond shopping (not) and noticed a new addition to the area -Pamir Grill and Kebob, a month old Aghani restaurant. The menu is all about kebobs and stews. Ample seating is available; I did take out and it was ready pretty quickly.

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Points for Neatness at Al Zaytouna

Seeking a fast and semi health lunch in the Italian Market, I popped in to Alzaytouna, a 2 year old Mediterranean restaurant. The menu, as one might expect, is full of kebabs and falafel.

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Healthy Israeli Sandwiches from Hummus in University City

For a relatively quick, healthy, and cheap lunch in University City, Hummus is a decent option. You can choose from sandwiches, salads, and platters ranging from $6 to $13 dollars.

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Meat and Pickle-Flecked Potato Salad & other Bukharian Concoctions at Shish Kabab Palace

Neither the name nor the look of the storefront of Shish Kabob Palace is particularly enticing. This restaurant, located in a strip mall, certainly does not conjure up the image of a “palace”. You can’t judge a palace by its cover I guess; the sizable menu did a way better job at reeling me in than the meat stick decal on the door.

This palace serves Bukharian and Russian food. Bukharia is a region of Uzbekistan. From my other dining experiences with the cuisine of  Russian/former USSR countries I knew this meant  I could expect funky cold salads, dumplings in various forms, soups, and skewered meats.

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Soothing, Post Hurricane Shakshuka at La Va

I hope you and your loved ones fared the storms alright. I am thankful I didn’t lose power so that the precious baked clams my mom made me that I am saving in my freezer for the right moment didn’t go bad.  Restaurants and cafes are reopening, including La Va. La Va Cafe is a cute neighborhood cafe that stands out from other because of the sneaky Israeli menu. Beyond the paninis and pastries you can find burekas, schnitzel, and hummus.

I was looking for something comforting, and upon seeing shakshuka, I was instantly reminded of a really fun meal in Israel at Dr. Shakshuka where a group of us dined from communal bowls of bright, cooked down tomatoes topped with runny egg.

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