Lebanese Bay Ridge (plus Paneantico)
I started out a big fan of Karam (the popular place on 4th ave just barely north of 86th). They went a bit downhill in the mid-90's, and Mazza Plaza, at 5th Ave and 80th, claimed to have their old chef and made better food, as well as a broader selection. So I became a loyal client of Mazza Plaza for many years.
Now Mazza Plaza has a new name - Al Safa, and new staff (some of the kindest, friendliest people ever). Same menu, same vibe, but alas the food's not half as good - though I hate to say it, given the niceness of the people (the chef needs to learn to put the same love and attention into his cooking that he brings to his customer interactions).
So I returned to Karam for the first time in a long, long, time.....and loved it. Their toom (garlic sauce, akin to aioli) is still great, their chicken shwarma is near-perfect, and they get all the little stuff right. Baba gounoush was remarkable, maybe better than the old days.
The real news is that while Bay Ridge's Lebanese community (mostly Christian, prosperous, and well-assimilated) is one of NYC's oldest ethnic communities, there seems to have been a recent wave of immigration, witnessed by the first new local crop of Lebanese restaurants since I started paying attention in the late 1980's. I spotted over a dozen brand spanking new places, but tried only one, a takeout called Samia's 7922 3rd ave 718-748-3337. Terrific baklava and vinegary closed spinach pies, and about the best zataar bread I've ever had. Surely other treasure, too. I need to go back and try more.
There's much exploring to be done in the nabe just in general.
One non-Lebanese note: I've never shared the board's high regard for Paneantico (9124 3rd Ave), the Italian bakery, and every time I return it disappoints me a little bit more (though as their baked stuff descends, their savory steam table offerings look better and better). I was shocked by how "meh" my most recent sfogliatelle was. Pasty and completely lacking in zing.
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Al Safa
8002 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Samia's
7924 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
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Went to Karam a month ago for the first time. The small closed spinach pies were fantastic, as were the chicken pies. (They're open-topped, like a shumai.) I froze them and had them a week later, and they were still excellent. Also got a small container of I-don't-know-what-it's-properly-called-but-on-the-menu-it-says-"apricot pudding." It's a liquidy puree of dried apricots with golden raisins and slivered almonds. Too sweet to eat straight, if that's what's intended. I served it to friends for dessert with small scoops of drained Greek yogurt, and they thought I was a genius.
Jim--Go back to Paneantico on a Sunday and GET A SUGAR DOUGHNUT. I know it's not an Italian pastry. Just trust me.
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209›5 Replies-
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re: carfreeinla
The pastries at Paneantico aren't great, yes. But the food from the steam tables and the giant sandwiches are consistently excellent. And its sister establishment a block south, Piazza Mercato, has great prepared food, butcher, pasta, cheese, cold cuts, olive oil, etc. And terrific lard bread.
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Piazza Mercato
9204 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209 -
re: carfreeinla
I usually go to Karam's for the chicken shawarma sandwich but today I made a detour and went for the roast chicken to go. Wowee! Juicy, tasty skin and a decent sized bird to boot! Can't go back to supermarket rotisserie chicken after this...Thanks again carfreeinla!
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
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jen kalb
May 1, 2011 05:46 PM
glad Karam is back in form and that you are cruising the area again.. Paneantico (bay ridge) has always been a pretty meh pastry shop.
The 14th ave store is better largely because they are close to the bakery but their standard italian pastries are not much better than average - and they dont make the paneantico any more except (they claim) by special order and even it had declined before they stopped producing it regularly.Id like to know if anybody in Brooklyn makes affirmatively good sfogliatelle that is warm and fresh.. It mostly is cold and stale, it seems to me.
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209Paneantico
9124 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209›5 Replies-
re: jen kalb
This thread is especially disheartening with reagrd to Royal Crown breads taking a dive or no longer produced...and to top it off, they had, this side of Andre's Hungarian Pastry, the finest cheese danish, topped off with toasted sliced almonds. It has changed.
Karam's babaghanoush is to be worshipped, hall-of-fame calibre.
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209-
re: Mike R.
jen kalb
May 2, 2011 06:49 AM
Ddont mean to create a misleading impression - Royal Crowns Breads are still very good,and worth seeking out, but they dont make the very large Paneantico which was their specialty any more. I feel like the breads are a little saltier than they used to be, but maybe thats me, not the breads.
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re: Tay
missmasala
May 2, 2011 09:37 PM
agreed. we've been getting royal crown bread pretty much every week lately, and it is saltier. still love their chocolate bread, tho.
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I am a moderate regular at Karam- was lukewarm on it for a long time- but the last two chickens that I have brought home have been over the top great. One little new twist- ta woman behind the counter...
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209›2 Replies -
Jim Leff
Apr 28, 2011 10:49 AM
Oh, cool!! More info on the old Mazza Plaza people! God bless the Internet! See the bottom comment here: http://leftinbayridge.blogspot.com/20...
"Joe Ayoub, the recent and last owner of Mazza Plaza, sold the entire buisiness and will be doing something else in the future. "
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re: Jim Leff
Thanks for the report.
I'm a big fan of Karam as well. I tried Al Safa last summer in a head-to-head comparison and their chicken shawarma just didn't stack up. Even the toum wasn't as pungent as Karam's! However, the father and son combo who served were extremely friendly and even gave me extra pita bread.
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Karam
8519 4th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209Al Safa
8002 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
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