Reem’s was my first stop on my Bay Area trip, how could I resist after looking at all these delicious pictures? I had a simple lunch, since this was my 2nd of 5 meals that day, I’m not doing Reems justice.
I got the cheese scone with a nutty butter and honey. I don’t know if it’s Palestinian or not, but rereading the reviews, it may have contained akkawi cheese. The scone had a pronounced cheese flavor but it was denser than how I like scones. I enjoyed it with a nutty (pistachio?) butter and good-quality honey.
My main meal was the Lahm Bi Ajeon, $7, a flatbread spinkled with thin slices of beef and onion, served with lemon and labneh. It was good, more an appetizer than a meal, a lot like a quesadilla without cheese.
Had a lovely glass of black iced tea, it was different than American iced tea, probably my favorite of the meal.
It was an experience, I got to see the “famous” Fruitvale BART, my 62 year-old husband almost got into a fight with a group of teenagers… we had to walk around the neighborhood twice before finding the small cafe, it’s next to a mini-market.
But I LIVE for this stuff! This is about as Oakland as Oakland gets. I’m excited to see what’s happening here. As for Reems, I’d visit it again because it’s so different from anything I’m used to (as is Fruitvale) but honestly, it’s a bit pricey for what you get and the food to my untrained tongue was just ok. However it’s not the food that attracted me, it was Reem Assil herself and this wonderful community hub she has created, replete with yellow shelves, uneven tables and controversial murals. The community is worth the price of admission.
