[Pigging by Wilfrid: October 16, 2015]
Traditional Lebanese restaurants in New York: go! Well, what about Ilili? Listed occasionally as Lebanese, it calls itself "Middle Eastern" and offers lobster hummus and moussaka. Or Al-Bustan: a good contender, and it seems to have been around forever.
But what about Byblos? Older than Al Bustan even (it opened in Murray Hill in 1990; re-opened at its current location in 2012)? I admit, I'd overlooked it. It was my first visit when I accepted an invitation to dine as their guests last week, my second when I returned a few days later on my own dime (unrecognized).
Hey, what happened to mezes anyway? In this world of "small plates," where every cuisine--from Japanese to Italian--is awakwardly claimed to offer tapas--how did the Middle Eastern custom of grazing on countless titbits while sipping Raki or local wine get overlooked? I remember glorious meals in Istanbul, tables loaded with saucers of this and that--calf's brains, tabbouleh, rainbow-colored dips; perhaps a perfunctory kebab to follow.
With a lengthy choice of hot and cold mezes on the menu (most around $8 to $10; anything more expensive seems comfortably to feed two), and a list of small estate Lebanese wines, Byblos strongly commends itself as a small plates experience. My second visit was to the bar, to eat just that way. It's (relatively) new location is capacious, stretching in an L-shape from a West 28th Street entrance to the main entrance on Madison Avenue. The high-ceilinged dining room is restfully decorated--Jerusalem stone pillars and original art work, but refreshingly not a hint of kasbah kitsch--and the tables are widely spaced.
At the first dinner we started with some of those mezes--far and away the highlight of the dinner.
This may seem hyberbolic, but I don't know that I've ever had a better baba ghannouj--rich, smoky, accented with the sweet-acidic crunch of pomegranate seeds. As good, the muhammara, which presents as a simple red pepper dish, but gives way on the palate to the lingering flavor of crushed walnuts.
Hommus is offered with pine nuts or meat, but ours arrived dressed simply with oil and lemon juice.
Pita was house-made and hot, and a tray of radishes, olives, and peppers finished the spread. I'd like to sample the pies more widely too--spinach, meat, cheese or zaatar (sesame and herbs)--and the cheeses.
More unusual was the kibbee presentation. I'm familiar enough with kibbee, essentially a ground lamb and bulgur meatball, not to mention the Dominican version, quipe. But I've never before had it served in a silky yoghurt sauce: a subtle complement. (Oh, and there's raw kibbee on the meze menu too).
Seafood or kebobs represent the two entrée directions if the mezes aren't enough. Chicken, lamb, and kafta kebobs were dramatically presented on fierce skewers.
But again my attention was seized by the small plate accompaniment, a really fresh, sparky tabboule, heavy on the parsley, light on the tomato, and fit to be eaten on its own or with--as I did--some scraps of pita.
The peas were unnecessary. The kebobs were just fine, but you'd do as well in some of the city's Turkish restaurants, not to mention that special Palestinian venue in Bay Ridge, Tanoreen.
And one more surprise to finish: home-made knafeh. New to me, so I can't tell you how good a rendition this is, although it's surely authentic. Described as a sort of Lebanese cheesecake, it's a sort of soft disc of cheese, mixed with crisp noodles, and topped with pistachio. And it's not, as you might expect, highly sweetened in baklava fashion.
I did get to grips with pies and cheese when I returned to graze at the bar. I do recommend this as an operation for two people: the more interesting wines on the list are available by the bottle--the glass options fairly limited (although it's a full bar)--and some of the mezes are make best sense shared.
For example, the kibbee naye, a weighty mass of subtly seasoned raw lamb, textured with grains of bulgur and scented with fresh mint. This is terrific (it comes with a jug of EVOO for moistening), but there's enough for four people to get a decent taste.
Shankleesh too was generously served. Cubes of creamy, aged cheese are tossed with crunchy onion and notably fresh pieces of tomato, ideal for wrapping in warm pita. I admit, I ate almost all of this myself.
And at last the pies, spinach, light and fluffy, and also featuring onion, walnut, and--most noticeably--pine nut. These were clearly baked to order, and as a general rule you won't be rushed here. Busy weekends may be different, but on weeknights two servers (supported by the proprietors) take care of the large dining room and the bar. This isn't a place to be in a hurry.
And we had some spicy fries too, so why not admit it? Only mildly spicy, but crisp, and good with a squeeze of lemon. To drink, a fruity Bekaa Valley Pinot Noir, and something I strongly recommend with this food, a Lebanese Pale Ale, "961," herbed, malty and slightly sweet.
Two people can eat a lot from the meze menu for $50. Grills and seafood dishes are mostly in the twenties. Here's the website.
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