pitas, tea, and memory

[redbird]

I wrote this in response to a piece in the Hoopla500 about a visit to Afghan Kebab House II (see www.hoopla.com/500), and realized it belongs here:

Thanks. I need a good Afghan restaurant. (I've been disappointed by Khyber Pass on my last couple of visits.)

The Friday after the attacks, I went to visit a friend in Brooklyn, and to do some shopping. Sahadi's first. They're a Middle Eastern importer that also carries a variety of cheeses, tea, and such from everywhere from Vermont to England to I-don't-even-know-where, and have been in business longer than I've been alive.

I made a point of stopping to talk to Charlie Sahadi, who I've never actually met, and ask how things were going. A bit slow, but not too bad, and I had my tea, and fillo [sic] dough, and other good things.

Next, I stopped in at Damascus bakery, because fresh bread is always good. One of those pitas turned into a grilled cheese sandwich the next day. Simple, fresh, good food.

By then we needed dinner, so we went to Moroccan Star. It's an old favorite, another business that's been around Brooklyn a long time. Dinner was good, as always, but we were the only customers when we arrived. I don't think it was just the hour: I don't know if people were suspicious, or just too stunned to want to go out for dinner.

And now I want to go get a Moroccan chicken pie for dinner, and it's going to have to wait until next week.

Thank you for the memories, yours and mine.

Comments

[penchantnyc.livejournal.com]

I like Khyber Pass, but haven't been there since September. I did try an Afghan restaurant (Behar, in Queens) since then. The place I tried had better bread and mantoo, but the kabobs and rice weren't as good.

Did you wind up finding anyplace better than Khyber Pass? Why were you dissapointed there. The only thing I ever had that was inconsistant was the soup.

I know a great Egypion restaurant in Astoria Queens if you are interested, but it is tiny, and isn't cheap.