GOOD EATS NYC 2024 (A Blanket Thread)

That is on my list, but I only want the side dishes.

Without ever having tasted your hummus, I can state that it’s nowhere as good as that from Abu Hassan (two locations) in Jaffa. Best I ever had.

I’ve had the best, most crave-worthy hummus in my life made by a caterer in central PA. Go figure.

Believe me, Abu Hassan’s is better.

I’ll take your word for it :wink:

I only went to Dizegoff once, but really liked their hummus variations with meat and whole chickpeas. I ALSO liked hummus place.
As far as my home recipe, I found I really didnt like chickpeas cooked or soaked with baking soda, thought it imparted an off flavor. Maybe this is a factor of the quality of our water here in NY, but I do not use the soda. I have use the technique of processing the garlic in the lemon juice and salt which does remove the rawness of the garlic flavor I DO NOT strain out the solids nor do I remove the chickpea hulls I will increase the lemon, tahini and garlic to make have tahini sauce then hold some aside before adding the chickpeas, as well as the parsley, aleppo pepper, cumin and olive oil we like to add to our hummus. Hummus freezes well so we usually make extra, its a cheap and healthy luxury.

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not a surprise but so sorry…

What sets it apart?

Hard to say. First of all, I haven’t had it for years. But it was tastier – I realize that this is a statement more about me than about the hummus – than any other hummus I had had. It was much better than any hummus that I had made.

That’s very self aware. “Best” for food to me always implies “in my opinion” or “to my palate”, whether spelled out or left unsaid!

Re hummus, I find most people’s favored hummus has way more tahini than I enjoy, so I’m very cautious to follow recs. I like to taste the chickpeas, not tahini, as the main flavor, and I like some chickpea texture vs totally smooth baby food texture.

In my family, we have found that most store-bought hummus can be elevated to “best” status for the palates involved by whipping in more tahini and fresh lemon juice. Occasionally micro-planing in a bit of garlic. And olive oil at the end.

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I’m so sad I missed it.

What was your verdict as to which was the best hummus? I feel like Oriental Pastry or Karkanni’s used to be really good, but I got lazy and just started going to Damascus (who I think has the best babaghanouj) and rarely cross to that other side of Atlantic these days.

Oh I don’t remember, it was 40 years ago, we liked almontisir (sp), the baba at sahadis, I recall @SteveR mentioning he likes the baba from Damascus. We have pastry from Damascus in the kitchen right now!

Is there another Damascus is westchester or do you mean the one in Brooklyn?

Anyone been to CHEZ NAPOLEON (midtown west)?

I walked by the other day and saw a sign that said “oldest running french restaurant in NYC” – never seen the place before.

Then I looked them up, and they had a Kickstarter going to raise money because the building was shut down by coned for a while.

Brooklyn, I was there far too much when we lived in the neighborhood. We stopped in on the way to Indian table.

Many times, most recently with ninkat. It’s an above average place that consistently serves good food at a reasonable price point and friendly atmosphere. In NYC, that’s worth a lot.

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Good timing, as I’m typing this just after a lunch cobbled together from things bought at both Sahadi and Damascus on Atlantic Ave. I’d never had the hummus with peppers (sweet red I think) from Damascus & it was very good. The baba at Damascus is way better than at Sahadi – at Damascus, its mainly eggplant & its smoky, but at Sahadi it’s a hummus (chick pea based) with eggplant added. An interesting take but, in my opinion, not really baba g.

Knafe, I have a theory it gets better 3-4 days after I buy it.

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Me too.

Working my way through the lahmacun and fatayer, almost done.

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