Falafel Tanami

ISRAEL 🇮🇱

Sometime last spring a new falafel shop popped up in Midwood, Brooklyn, owned by the former operators of Famous Pita on Coney Island Avenue up in Kensington. More recently, this branch has opened in the heart of Borough Park, a block away from the main shopping avenue.

While I was waiting for my first taste, an orthodox man approached the small counter and exclaimed "This really reminds me of Israel!" Online reviews seem to agree, although to be honest there is not all that much in the shop. A small table carries a bunch of fresh toppings and add-ons for your pita, maybe that is the trick.

While your fresh falafel balls are in the fryer, the man who constructs your sandwich will run through these and start adding as desired. Hummus, Israeli salad, fried eggplant, fries, pickles, etc... it is all included in the price. For $7, a loaded falafel pita comes your way, topped off with a good dousing of tahini sauce.

The pita itself, while presumably from a package, is quite enjoyable and soft. The falafel balls remain gooey on the inside while fried to perfection and a nice crisp. None of these are sitting around and all fried on demand, ensuring a fresh sandwich.

A self-serve condiment bar is available as well just in case you were too shy with the toppings when prompted.

Next time back I am looking forward to trying a sabich, another sandwich within a pita that consists of slices of both fried eggplant and hard-boiled eggs. This breakfast sandwich is all the rage in Tel-Aviv these days.

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BOROUGH PARK Brooklyn
4305 12th Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Cemi Cafe

MONTENEGRO
ALBANIA

When exiting the F and G trains at Church Avenue on the border of Borough Park and Kensington, decisions to go in opposite cardinal directions can bring you to opposite ends of the world. Within this decision is also the ability to travel from one end of the spectrum of Islam to another, all the way from Bangladesh to the Balkans. While most of this intersection is a Muslim world of food and mobile phone shops on offer for South Asians, walk a couple blocks west to find odd little Cemi Cafe.

Above their awning, they advertise Italian food and speak nothing of the few treasures on the menu from the Balkans. The countries of the former Yugoslavia and Italy do share a common border and a sea between them, but their foods are not so related.  But I certainly would not put it past this place to serve excellent pastas since Italian food is prevalent in the Balkans, especially further north towards the border. Something told me from the voices in the dining room that I should concentrate my efforts on the non-Italian items though.

Despite recognizing Slavic, I could not pin down these voices and asked the bartender about the workings here. Himself, the chef, and most of the patrons turned out to be ethnic Albanians from Montenegro. In that country, they make up about 5% of the population while here in this restaurant they made up more than 90%. Only me and the Central Asian (one of the countries that ends with -stan) waitress could claim origins from elsewhere.

On a Friday night, I sat down and had the bar to myself while the tables all filled up with men taking drinks. Water and coffee for some, beer and cocktails for others. Was no one eating or would that come later? For now, the place was like a community center.

I put in the order for far too much for one person, and was asked "Do you know what is ajvar?" Yes and yes please was my verbal response, while inside I was jumping and shouting that was the reason I came. The red pepper sauce ubiquitous in the Balkans can and is slathered on just about everything, and for good reason: it is delicious. I also snatched up one of the feta filled bureks ($6, above), and broke up pieces while I enjoyed the rest of my meal.

A "small" order of cevapi ($8, below) affords you five pieces and a nice crisp salad with more feta and the important ajvar. Also included is wonderfully pillowy homemade bread which had me sending compliments to the chef. Both the meats and the burek are certainly not the best I have ever eaten, but they are good and especially so for this section of Brooklyn.

As my hunger receded I could more easily enjoy the people and atmosphere, grab a Heineken and eavesdrop on conversations I could not understand. The mood is jovial and the standoffish feel one might get when entering for the first time is whisked away as a preconception.

BOROUGH PARK Brooklyn

61 Church Avenue

Progreso Honduras Restaurant

HONDURAS 🇭🇳

Honduran flags fly over the awning, in the window, and inside of Progreso, one of the only exclusively catracho joints in New York City between Staten Island and the Bronx. The owner, who must hail from El Progreso, a city in the northwest, also has a small grocery and deli at 4503 Fort Hamilton Parkway of the same name. That location serves steam table foods and has a wide range of Central American products.

At the restaurant though, the menu is quite extensive and the city's small Honduran community can really get a familiar taste with a wide range of meals and three popular beers from back home.

The space is covered in blue, with tablecloths and walls all taking their image from the Honduran flag. A jukebox is available as well as two very large screen TVs for futbol. Scenes from El Progreso decorate the walls.

During a recent late lunch, a table of five large women were gossiping at a large volume, but once their five large platters arrived, the delicious smells almost drove everyone else with an empty stomach mad.

The daily lunch special ($8, below) gives you either chicken or steak with beans, a coleslaw like salad, and rice. The chicken version you see comes with a nice stewed red sauce, although the beans seemed like an afterthought and not typically Honduran.

Despite being alone and not being able to split an order of baleadas sencillas ($5, below), an order went in anyways for the Honduran specialty and most of it went home as leftovers. The beans, cheese, and cream inside are just about perfect, this version would have made them proud in Tegucigalpa.

My only concern was the stubbornly mean server and her complete disregard for any form of friendliness. When the word "lunch" slipped into my otherwise Spanish sentence, she spat "No inglés!" back at me and was thoroughly unconcerned with any of the patrons.

Plátanos maduros con frijoles y queso (below) arrive piping hot and stuffed with Honduran style beans and a spread of grated cheese. The Central American crema on top is a winner as always, slightly sweet and just right.

I do look forward to being here for some big games, cheering on one of the smallest countries to make the World Cup in 2014. This is definitely the spot for that to happen!

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BOROUGH PARK Brooklyn

5303 Fort Hamilton Parkway

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