I was wandering around for Christmas Eve and so many places were closed. I ended up at Dar 525 on Grand. They had a TV playing soccer and it was quite empty …but everywhere was empty.
I got the Kafta Kebab lunch special (ground lamb kebabs with Pita Bread, Green Salad, Rice, Humus And Babaghanouj $8). It was plenty of food and really good.
Dar 525 – 525 Grand St (btwn Union Ave & Lorimer St) Brooklyn, NY 11211
I was walking around for two hours looking for a new place to eat a late lunch last week while I was stuck in Brooklyn because of the storm. Either I was turned away or the places I wanted to try were closed. I started walking back home and saw that Mahzen Grill (a newish Mediterranean restaurant) was open.
It was already 4pm and I missed their lunch window. Whatever. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten all day.
I ordered a beer and the Hunkar Bengendi (Beef stew on a bed of creamy roasted eggplant puree $19). It was good. Tender meat. The Eggplant Puree was like Baba ghanoush. They gave me bread, but it didn’t really help the dish. Although it looks like it needs bread or something, it really doesn’t. Actually warm pita bread might’ve been good.
It’s not often I spend $30 on lunch. But whatever, I was starving. And I’ve been very fortunate after all this Sandy mess. Very fortunate. I can celebrate that at least.
This place gets pretty good Yelp reviews. I saw that they were doing a lot of delivery. It’s weird, because it doesn’t look like a place that would do delivery. Maybe because it looks like an art gallery.
Mahzen Grill – 739 Grand St (btwn Graham Ave & Humboldt) Brooklyn, NY 11211
I’m in charge of hitting play on the ipod shuffle at Jody & Christa’s wedding. After a quick rehearsal, we all had dinner at Lokal in Greenpoint. Same place we went for brunch when my bedroom flooded a couple years ago. I went with the Lenguini Scampi with Shrimp, which was good. But dang, the Cod was the bomb …over creamy mashed potatoes and asparagus.
Janet said, “Oh my Cod!” Then I said, “Hey, let’s not get Cod up.” Then Mickey said “Cod Dammit!” Then I said “Hey, let’s all just Cod down” …which sounded good at first, but then everyone realized how bad it was. I got some sympathy laughs. Then Marissa won with, “Oh don’t Coddle him.”
The Good: Good Cod! Wasabi Aioli on the Tuna Burger, Bread Pudding and Chocolate Cake desserts!
The Odd: a little bird flew into a guy’s lap at a table outside. It apparently had a broken wing and just sat on the guy’s bill holder, staring at him. Another guy came by and took it away in his baseball cap.
Lokal Mediterranean Bistro – 905 Lorimer St (btwn Bedford & Driggs) Brooklyn, NY 11222
They’ll give you a free sandwich if you Like them here on Facebook.
Went to Pavement’s Wowee Zowee (33 1/3)
Those good ideas I came up with, I forgot them after a huge styrofoam cup of Bud at Call Box Lounge. Here’s a new idea. A little notepad to help remember the stupid shit I think of when I’m drunk. Or an iPad.
Mediterranean Shawarma (@ Noble St) – 849 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn 11222
Hot Dog Eating Champion Takeru Kobayashi @ Japan Society
Stood in line at the armory on Lexington to get into the MoCCA Festival. A girl came up to me and said, “…Jason Lam?” I thought she was a food blog fan so I told her it was nice to meet her. She said she’s met me several times and we were Facebook friends. Oops.
It was one of those days when I couldn’t decide what to eat. Walked around for an hour. Then I couldn’t believe it. No line when I walked by Rainbow Falafel –1:20pm this sunny Thursday. So I walked right up. Falafel sandwiches are up to $4.50 these days. 😯 It’s been a while since I had one of these. Not very bold in flavor, but great texture. A few people started to line up behind me, but still …only a few.
Rainbow Cafe Falafel – 26 E 17th St (btwn 5th Ave & Broadway) New York, NY 10003
Got to be Jeff’s +1 to a taping of John Oliver’s new Comedy Central stand-up series, so we stopped off for a pre-bite at Hummus Place. My first time at one of these restaurants. Tasty hummus. The pita was warm and soft. Pickles for only 75cents. I liked the green hot sauce a lot. I’d dab a little on my tongue. Hummus –I learned it could be a meal.
At the comedy taping, I laughed pretty loud & hard in the back of the room at some of the stupider jokes –so much that I think few people turned around to see what the hell? Now I know how my friend Shonali feels.
Hummus Place – 99 MacDougal St (btw Bleecker & W 3rd St) New York 10012
I spent about an hour walking around because I was so indecisive for lunch. Yeah, check me out trying to pick out a toothpaste. I’m getting better though. I ended up at Fava where they have falafel pita type sandwiches. I splurged for the Mediterranean Combo (falafel, humus, baba ganoush, grape, leaves and feta cheese). It was really good. But I’m curious if you really get more when you are paying more or you’re just paying more because they have to scoop more different things in your pita. I only got one falafel. I guess that makes sense because you are only limited to the physical size of the pita. But say for instance lamb on rice and chicken on rice is both $5. But if you want lamb and chicken on rice, it is $5.50, but you’re only getting half lamb and half chicken –not more physical meat if you just picked one. I don’t get it. But I will get it, because I like more different things on my plate/pita.
Fava – 77 Lexington Ave (@ 26th St) New York 10010
