An ode to the too-short reign of Sara Karmer and her time as cook at this sewage-treatment adjacent gem.
For anyone with a car or the patience to walk all the way up here, you're rewarded by comforting fare with heavy Arab accents. My parents and I came for brunch on a recent visit - they were visiting from upstate and brought their car - and left converts.
The waitstaff did a good job of salvaging a borderline disastrous kitchen experience. It took more than an hour for our entrees to arrive, but their errors meant we got to sample even more of the menu that we ordered. One freebie, a cardamom sugar bun, balanced the sweetness with spice in a way that reminded me of why I like kheer so much. Any of the baked goods, including the house bread, cheese pastries or flaky bread, would make good smaller breakfasts on weekdays - if this were available close to a subway station.
The entrees didn't disappoint either. The lamb and apple sandwich is heartier than you'd expect in such a dainty space, and was hard to finish after the appetizer. The yogurt, mint and apple are here in supporting roles, never overpowering the flavor of the bread and the meat. A spin on a shashuka, here called poached eggs and a spicy tomato stew, is rich and flavorful, another winner.
I hope that the new chef retains the now famous rabbit three ways, which unfortunately isn't available at brunch. Perhaps they can rectify that, so we try that on a future visit, no matter the hour.
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