Los Cuñados Mexican Prada

MÉXICO 🇲🇽

📍 195 Monroe Street, Passaic, New Jersey

EDITOR'S NOTE: I was originally working on a piece about this market and weekend barbacoa purveyor at the end of 2019 and as the pandemic began in 2020. It was going to be a bigger project to pitch to a local outlet because of the special nature of the place and people. As things ground to a halt and I eventually moved to Los Angeles in summer of that year, it obviously fell through the cracks. The restaurant is still operating and expanding, and should be part of your plans if it has not been already.

The first and most important thing you should know about eating barbacoa in the back room of this otherwise sleepy Passaic market is that like in the most popular spots in México, you need to plan on being here by mid-morning at the latest. Any later than that and the most coveted cuts of lamb have already been purchased by families who came closer to 06:00, just after the restaurant opens on Saturdays and Sundays.

Since barbacoa made right requires cooking overnight, it is a weekend morning tradition, and groups start filling tables here as soon as the sun is up (and before in winter). Lamb and goat barbacoa makes their way onto some menus in New York City and New Jersey, but more likely than not these preparations do not involve the proper rubs, high quality meats, and long slow cooking that make for the best. And that is of course why people are not lining up at those places like they are here.

The restaurant sells both lamb barbacoa and carnitas by the pound on weekends, orders of which are served with freshly made tortillas, salsas both red and green, limes, pickled peppers and onions, and cilantro. Many people take their booty home to share with family, but you can eat here just as easily if you are coming from far away.

It would be wise to include at least one bowl of consomé to an order, made from the overnight lamb fat drippings and fortified with chickpeas and many hearty bits of meat. Dunk your extra tortillas in this oily extravagance, going back and forth between self-prepared tacos de barbacoa and the consomé seems like the business of heaven.

You can also come for prepared tacos if you desire (below), without the commitment of pounds of meat. They make big tacos on their large fluffy homemade tortillas sold individually, perfect for anyone coming alone. These are available for both barbacoa and carnitas, and again if you come early enough you can select your preferred cuts of each.

The only negative comments that seem to be spoken about the restaurant are the relatively high prices, but the quality and care seem to brush these aside almost immediately for those that know the difference. The old phrase "you get what you pay for" is quite appropriate for a good meal here.

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I COULD USE YOUR HELP

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Kamil's Lebanese Cuisine

LEBANON 🇱🇧

[COVID-19 UPDATE: Kamil's is open for takeout and delivery. Their large, well-designed back garden is now open for outdoor dining.]

Kamil's, which has always had a great following for indoor and outdoor dining and hookah, has adapted to 2020 fairly well by the look of things. Opening up the front door, you may not believe this, as the interior dining room is now a ghost town. But come in the evening and their large back garden is full of people enjoying their meals outdoors in Clifton.

For those still not comfortable with that, or preferring to eat at home, the takeout operation is going strong and works quite efficiently. Call in your order and it will be ready in 15 to 20 minutes, grabbed at the cashier and getting you on your way.

This was the strategy for a recent takeout order that picked up an array of dishes that made for three or four meals over the course of the next few days.

As seen above, the meal centered around an order of Kamil's mixed grill ($21.95), a platter of grilled lamb chops as well as lamb, beef, and chicken kebabs all served with rice, pickles, and side of toum to slather across everything. The rice is full of more garlic, and a lot of butter, and could not be more decadent. Each piece of meat is marinaded and grilled quite well.

As with any respectable Lebanese meal, there were cold meze for dipping. The sour yogurt lebneh with garlic ($5.95, above, bottom left), sweet roasted Aleppo pepper muhammara ($5.95, above, top center), and chickpea-overload mousabaha ($4.95, above, middle-right) made a formidable combination, covering all the bases.

An order of arayes with sujok & cheese ($6.95, above, bottom right) rounded out the meal and was delicious, although for next time it is recommended to pull this out of the order and eat immediately.

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CLIFTON New Jersey
1489 Main Avenue

I COULD USE YOUR HELP

Eat the World NYC is and always has been free. No advertisements block the content or pop over what you read. If this website has helped you explore your city and its wonderful cultures a little better and you have the means to contribute, please consider doing so. Eat the World NYC is a labor of love, but also takes a lot of money and time everyday to keep running.

You can Venmo me @JAREDCOHEE or click here to send PayPal donation, no account is necessary. Thank you!

Taqueria Los Güeros

MÉXICO 🇲🇽

Spanning Northern New Jersey from Perth Amboy to Englewood, Taqueria Los Güeros has become something of an empire with a full ten locations. Their logo features a spinning trompo of al pastor meat, what their shop is best known for and the main reason they keep expanding. New Jersey has much better street taco quality than rivals to the east, while places like this continue to nail the point home and offer a place to sit as well.

This location on Monroe Street in Passaic is a good introduction to the chain, in one of the best Mexican neighborhoods in the city. Upon entering, make sure to peek through the window into the kitchen and see their gigantic beautiful trompo. During eating hours, the spit is kept with great skill and the meat comes out perfectly.

What sets Taqueria Los Güeros apart from most of the competition in this part of the world is their terrific adobo blend, a mixture of dried chilis, achiote paste, pineapple, and all the secret spices. This is applied to the small strips of meat before they are mounted onto the spit to be grilled vertically.

You can find the meat in many forms here, but why not start with a plate of los tacos ($6.99, above), a portion of four mini D.F. style taquitos loaded with al pastor, onions, and cilantro. They do a good job bringing the packaged tortillas back to life with some grilling and oils, but make sure to squeeze some lime and load it up further with the gorgeous red salsa that arrives with other condiments.

Another compelling order was the mini torta al pastor ($3.49, above), which because of size and price acts like an appetizer and an easy way to try more food. They do not give this small sandwich short shrift here though, the meat is placed on a very nice miniature bread and is thoroughly enjoyable. The miniature option is also available in carnitas, creating the chance to create somewhat of a slider platter if desired.

While a pineapple is there on the spit providing its juices, and the marinade uses flavor from the fruit, they do not seem to use slices on their tacos or tortas here, something that is missed. This could probably be fixed by request if you cannot live without it.

On trips to Mexico City, at al pastor taqueros on the street an order of a gringa ($8.49, above) can usually not be resisted. Versions there are usually two small flour tortillas encasing al pastor meat and cheese, basically the size of a taco but in quesadilla format. Here at Los Güeros the order is a meal on its own, using larger flour tortillas like the ones wrapping burritos.

When you become tired of al pastor, if that is possible, there are quite a few other directions the menu takes including other antojitos and full combo plates with rice and beans.

These taquitos ($6.99, above) are filled with chicken and deep dried, with a sprinkling of añejo cheese and a side of sour cream. The rice and beans are not going to blow your mind, but the price point is genuinely ridiculous for food like this, and the condiment carrier is ready to put in service if you require.

It is not difficult to see why the company has expanded so quickly to fill the needs of many in New Jersey. Will they go further and bring their trompo skills east of the river and into the boroughs of New York City? Here's to hoping.

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PASSAIC New Jersey

231 Monroe Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Lit Charcoal Shawarma

JORDAN 🇯🇴

About seven months ago, a new shawarma spot opened in this space on Belmont Avenue, taking over from another Middle Eastern restaurant that only lasted a couple years at most. What was interesting though was the "Since 1990" which graced the awning, but this required a little more investigation since there were no other branches and this location was brand new.

This passage of time of nearly 30 years is an homage to the proprietor's father, who first opened a similar restaurant in Amman in that year. He currently has three restaurants in Jordan, but this is the first of the same style here in the United States. When asked about the differences, the woman at the counter said it was healthier, but after eating it is the importance of that charcoal smoke getting into your meat just like at the backyard grill.

Take a peek into the kitchen to get a look at the chicken shawarma spit (above) to get a better sense of the cooking style. Youtube videos of horizontal charcoal shawarma spits are on and in constant rotation on the television here, but being up close is exciting.

Options here are simple, chicken or beef (the beef is on a "standard" vertical spit), served alone as a wrap or as a combo with fries, coleslaw, pickled vegetables, and garlic sauce. Most people opt for the combo, continuing a trend of popularity of Arabic-style shawarma with fries being seen around different parts of town.

You can order these by length, in 12, 18, 24, and 60 inch increments, the latter of which is the family combo. This 18" shawarma combo (above and below) included two 6 inch lengths of chicken and one beef, as mixed orders are allowed. As promised, the wraps are accompanied with fries that are dusted with spices and a nice container of garlic sauce that is perfect for dipping them if you do not want extra on your sandwich.

While the beef is good in its own right, the chicken is the obvious star of the show, smoky from the charcoal and perfect in taste and texture. It feels like not a drop of fat has left the bird during cooking as every bite is moist and tender.

Almost as equally exciting is the fruit cocktails and smoothies portion of the menu, where many options are available. Those seeking juices or smoothies from one or a couple fruits will be well taken care of, but you can also go big with the addition of fresh fruit, nuts, honey and cream.

The concoction below had it all for $9.99, and could have been a lunch on its own if desired. Recommended.

Next time you find yourself at the Paterson Great Falls, instead of coming into Paterson for a meal, make your way up the hill to Haledon (pronounced HALE-dun) to check out this new and interesting shawarma shop. Leave a comment on the wall if you like, and take a trip back 30 years with the family that started cooking in Amman.

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HALEDON New Jersey
361 Belmont Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Hungarian Meat Center

HUNGARY 🇭🇺

Wander into the small Hungarian Meat Center on a weekend, and the intensity of cured meat hits you at the door. Most places are markets that sell meat, but it is clear that this small Passaic business, open since 1988 by the same family, is worthy of the title of "center." Their website, www.kolbasz.com, is the Hungarian word for sausage. While they may seem unassuming, this place comes to play.

Since all the meats have been dried and/or smoked already, the smells of the center are outstanding and addictive. Walk in when things are freshest on a Saturday and you might be introduced to paprika szalonna, a luscious cut of smoked pork fatback that is bright red from paprika, Hungarian salami and head cheese, and of course fresh kolbasz which hangs from behind the counter.

The shop also carries a large selection of Hungarian and Eastern/Central European candies and drinks. The racks are fun to peruse for the perfect snack to satisfy a sweet tooth after meals nearby.

On weekends they also receive fresh loaves of poppy seed and walnut filled breads known as beigli, hugely popular around Christmas in Hungary but here available all year round.

Mákos beigli ($8.50, above and below) is what they call a poppy seed strudel, about 35 centimeters in length and full of poppy seeds and sugar. A spiral is revealed when you cut through the thick crust, a lovely moist and sweet bread hidden within. The walnut (diós) version is similar in a lighter tone.

If you are ever fortunate enough to be invited into a Hungarian's home for the holidays, you will likely see the two served side by side.

Open the freezer and find Fenom (below), a chocolate covered cheese dessert that Hungarians grow up with. Before eating, let it start to warm up just a bit, so the chocolate gets melty on your fingertips. Talk about them long enough with someone who has childhood memories, and eventually they will try to convince you of all the health benefits involved as well.

Either way, it might just be the perfect dessert after a heavy meal.

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PASSAIC New Jersey
189 Parker Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Café Bubamara

SERBIA 🇷🇸

Like most areas in and around the city of Paterson, the small neighborhood of Botany Village was once full of folks who worked in silk and wool mills at the beginning of the 20th century. The small community is part of Clifton, NJ, running just north of Passaic and touching the Passaic River. Plant nerds will be disappointed to find out the namesake is actually the Botany Worsted Mills, which opened along the river in 1889 and operated until the 1950's, although most of the factory complex is still intact along Dayton Avenue to the south.

Along with Garfield on the opposite side of the bank, the neighborhood has a large amount of Eastern Europeans and their descendents. Besides a nearby Hungarian butcher and Bosnian burek shop just south on Parker Avenue, there is a Balkan market across the street and plenty of Polish establishments across the river.

One of the most noteworthy businesses in Botany Village, Clifton, and the entire vicinity is a growing cafe named in Serbian (бубамара) for a ladybug. Unlike many Balkan spots in and around New York City and northern New Jersey, the menu takes a deeper look at the cuisine and offers much more than the most famous simple dishes.

It was surprising to see the name Turkish coffee ($3, above) on this menu, as during trips in Serbia and Bosnia there was constantly scolding for using the term. "This is Serbian coffee" would be a typical response. No matter what it is called, the presentation alone is worthy of an order as the set comes on a wonderful plate. A full list of coffee and tea drinks are available and can be enjoyed in their brand new and quite comfortable outdoor covered garden.

Before diving into some of the more rare menu items, at least one homemade burek ($6.35, above and below) must come to the table. Although this size is described as "personal" it is still quite large and comes with a full bottle yogurt for dipping, drizzling, and sipping, an essential part of eating a burek.

As seen below, this version is with spinach but is packed with cheese. The dough is very thin and very hard to cut nicely, layers of it and the filling almost become one mass towards the center. It is one of the better bureks you will taste in the area.

Also available in mini versions for half the price, these present good options for taking home. Besides spinach, there is meat, cheese, potato, zucchini, mushrooms, and apple versions.

The cafe itself has a very friendly vibe and is set up well to take solo diners or large groups. Especially now with the back garden and large flatscreen TV, just about anything can take place here.

Anyone having traveled in Turkey will recognize the Đevrek ($13.75, above and below) as simit, but as with many foods consumed by the peoples of the Ottoman Empire, the influence was left behind as the borders shrank in size. This dish comes with a truly Mediterranean bent though, using the cured meats so popular on both sides of the Adriatic Sea and a cheesy yogurt topping to make it uniquely Balkan.

In the end the "beef" version (below) tastes a bit like pizza, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Pepperoni and cheese combine within the crisp, sesame-encrusted bread to create bites of pure joy, especially when a generous dollop of yogurt is placed on top.

A pepperoni pizza inside of simit, almost.

If you get up to walk around and give your stomach a break between courses, you might notice Serbian or Macedonian conversations here and there, but the motif of the restaurant seems to be an ode to Yugoslavia, with the old flag hanging proudly in the garden and framed photos and items displayed everywhere including the beloved Yugo car, which unfortunately was only marketed in the United States for a brief stint ending in 1992.

Translated to English as "savory crepes" the slane palačinke ($12.95, above and below) are available in both oven baked and fried formats. On this day, the latter sounded right and was ordered with ham, cheese, and mushrooms. It is served with another sour cream concoction, this much more savory with garlic and herbs.

Often you can eat non-fried palačinke in Serbia as a dessert, with jam or fruit or cheese, which resembles a blintz. A special asterisk on the menu recommends that you ask your server for the sweet crepe list, if you still have room for another course near the end of a meal.

With no knowledge of anything similar to this here or during travels, an order of yogurt popara ($11.75, below) was a must. This dish is made using stale old crusty bread and yogurt and comes just slightly sweet from sugar or cheese or a combination of both. Other versions of popara are usually eaten for breakfast, and it can easily be imagined that this would work for that too, maybe with a drizzle of honey.

Café Bubamara is obviously the type of place that folks living within five or ten miles will make their regular local hangout, but it is also worth coming from farther afield for the unique items coming out of the kitchen. Newcomers are welcomed as old friends, and the bright ladybug shows itself on almost every surface.

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CLIFTON New Jersey
263 Parker Avenue

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Star Pide Salonu

TURKEY 🇹🇷

The only thing missing seems to be the Black Sea, the northern border of Turkey that everyone seems to agree has the most delicious (and first) pide restaurants lining its southern shores. That, and some outdoor seating overlooking the beauty.

A proper pide experience can mirror those found in a good pizza shop. A wood-fired oven should be around but we'll accept gas in a pinch. When someone orders, flour is spread out on the table, dough is rolled out, toppings added. The pide goes into the oven with the help of an elongated wooden paddle, comes out piping hot and is cut up and served. It is best shared with groups.

In many full-service Turkish restaurants, they do not have a proper oven and/or skilled cook, but in a place dedicated to the craft you know they will. Their ease with the paddle, which resembles the oar you would use in a canoe, is almost like a show.

There are many options for your pide, but why not try the super karisik ($25, above), cut up and stacked in three rows in the photo but actually made as a five foot long boat. "Karasik" is just mixed and includes ground beef, pastrami, sausage, potato, and cheeses.

On the side a nice dish of red tomato relish and some pickles show up, the former for folks who want to add some spice to their pide. Each piece has a slightly different feel, the ends are more doughy where the pide comes to a point while the interior has thinner crust and more ingredients.

The refrigerator case facing the dining room holds some really tasty sütlaç ($5, above), a Turkish-style rice pudding with slightly burnt top layer. The version here is creamy, rich, and delicious.

The oven in the back also churns out popular lahmacun ($4 each, minimum order or 2, not shown), thin, round discs covered in ground beef cooked in peppers and spices.

Star Pide Salonu has been around well over a decade, was renovated late last year, and is still going strong on Paterson's Main Street. Stop in and tell us what you think.

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PATERSON New Jersey
1059 Main Street

Map of Eat the World NYC:

Al-Mazaq Restaurant & Bakery

IRAQ 🇮🇶

On the first evening of Ramadan, when fasting is not yet required during the day, our arrival before sundown was greeted with respite from a day that had just seen the strongest storm of the year to date. The skies were doing their best to let a few rays of sunshine though and the colors of sunset battled on the horizon with darkness.

Main Street in Paterson, NJ is well known for Middle Eastern people, restaurants, groceries, bakeries, and hookah bars. At some point we had made it one block over to Getty Avenue for a Peruvian food truck, but this was our first venture to East Railway Avenue, just south of I-80 and the distinct border between this and the Latin American parts of Paterson.

In this more industrial-feeling portion of Passaic County, a new Iraqi bakery and restaurant has bloomed about four months ago, and initial impressions are superb. Humidity was still high, and preparations with a movable air conditioning unit were being made in anticipation of a healthy evening crowd. The small space is home to good spirit, stacks of Iraqi flatbread, a self-serve coffee station, and plenty of seats for customers wanting to eat inside. Even the clients taking out their food got involved in the chat with others sitting down while they were waiting. The TV is tuned to MBC, the Middle East Broadcasting Center, and news and gossip seem to share top billing in conversations.

For $4.99, tea service comes on a golden plate, with scenes from the former Ishtar Gate of Babylon. Even if you do not like tea, the money is well spent in the opportunity to enjoy the detail. As usual, this Middle Eastern tea is strong and bitter, and works well with a healthy portion of sugar.

While drinking and waiting for food, enjoy some of the art and photography that adorns the walls. When one customer saw me doing just this, he told me the story of "Factory Square," which was prominent in a couple of the photos. He related the struggles there to those relating to Martin Luther King, Jr. here, but unfortunately something in the translation did not quite go perfectly, as I was unable to find more information on these terms.

The meal began with kibbeh ($4.99, above), which in Iraq, unlike the versions with bulghur in parts of the Levant, the ground meat is surrounded with a rice crust.

Advertised on the website as "Iraqi kebab," and a good portion of the reason we came in the first place, the lamb kebab ($13.99, below) is a platter of three ground lamb shish kebabs served inside of their special Iraqi bread and alongside plates of homemade pickles and salad.

Opening up the remarkable and unique bread is almost a ceremony, where you expect heavenly sounds to emerge. The ingredients inside are lovely and colorful. This kebab is delicious, a show-stopper, and should not be missed. No sauces are served, and none are needed. Grab pieces of bread and meat together and enjoy. The side dishes are sharp with freshness and sour vinegars, perfect respite from the fatty oily meats.

It was so delicious that we ordered a mixed grill platter ($19.99, not pictured) to go, which included one of these, two chicken, and a lamb tikka kebab. It made an excellent lunch for the next day.

A bowl of bamia ($4.99, below) was also part of the feast, a sour okra stew. In Iraq, sour tomatoes are used in the preparation, but these are unavailable in the states so the taste is best replicated with dried lemon powder. Sometimes this stew can include meat, but this version was vegetarian.

By the time we finished, we were not ready to leave. Surrounded by friendliness and hospitality, this felt like a place we had been coming for a good portion of life. Questions from the proprietor and employees kept asking us if everything was ok and how we had found the new restaurant in the first place. If we ever had a question, a long answer was given to more than satisfy our curiosities.

When I went to look at framed money on the wall, expecting it to be all from Iraq, another customer quizzed me if I could pick out the two notes that were actually from there. Of course it was necessary for him to point them out, as most of the notes were Arabic-only. With our takeout order ready, we said our goodbyes and wished them luck. With Ramadan, business would be shifted later in the evening, but if you have the chance to visit during these times, it should be quite special.

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PATERSON New Jersey

46 East Railway Avenue

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