A correspondent asks if there's someplace to get this Jordanian dessert:
My 93 year-old father in law is visiting and has a hankering for Knafeh Nablusieh. I was wondering if we could ask the hive-mind as to whether this can be bought for money somewhere in the Boston area?
The Chubby Chickpea announced today it's giving up kosher certification.
The Boston Licensing Board next week hears a request by the owner of Cristelle's, 5268 Washington St., to sell the restaurant and its beer and wine license to Fadi Metri for a Middle Eastern restaurant called Fairouz.
Along with the sale, Metri will seek permission to expand the alcohol license to include liqueurs.
Al Wadi, which offers Lebanese fare, opened on VFW Parkway in 2010. Cristelle's sold pizza and subs, along with a few Greek specialties.
The Crimson reports ISD has given Sami's a month to either install plumbing or shut down, because inspectors have determined the stand at Longwood and Avenue Louis Pasteur is not mobile and therefore falls under the city building code, which requires permanent plumbing. Sami's landlord, Harvard, says it has no plans to help Sami's out by running pipes out to the stand, the Crimson reports.
A Small Boston Kitchen reviews the Middle Eastern hole in the wall on Harvard Ave., can't stop thinking about the food:
[N]ot to be missed is the spicy chicken. A neat pile of delicately slivered meat with spiced up ends makes it hard for you to want to try anything else. But please do.
The Boston Licensing Board yesterday voted to let Deep Ellum, 477 Cambridge St., take over the space next door to open a Texas-style taco place called Lone Star Taco Bar.
The board also gave Boston Kabob Co., 164 Brighton Ave., permission to stay open until 1 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. The kaboberia had asked for permission to keep the lights on until 2 a.m. those days.
Al Wadi, the replacement for the old Spring Blossom at 1249 VFW Parkway, opened last week. The kidlet and I stopped by for lunch today and concluded it looks to be perfect for those nights when you want somebody to serve you your Middle Eastern food (specifically, Lebanese) at a table, instead of just picking something up at the King.
Web site might need revising tomorrow.Azama Grill on Harvard Avenue today sought city permission to extend its closing time to 3 a.m., citing the dietary needs of the area's growing Muslim population in general and Muslim cab drivers in particular.
"There are no other halal establishments in the Allston/Brighton area," restaurant lawyer Stephen Greenbaum told the Boston Licensing Board, referring to the kosher-like dietary laws devout Muslims follow.
But board Chairman Daniel Pokaski was having none of it, asking what would stop somebody from coming in next week and demanding a late-night license because "the Italians want to come in and they want a slice of pizza?"
Remember when no self-respecting neighborhood could be without a Thai place? Middle Eastern food seems to have taken pad thai's place as the sign of happening 'hood (can you imagine that West Roxbury is about to get its second kebab place? Roslindale, take notice).
Azama Grill, which advertises it's open until 3 a.m. at 54 Harvard Ave., goes before the Boston Licensing Board on Wednesday to seek formal permission to actually stay open that late. It's currently licensed only until 1 a.m.
The Boston Licensing Board yesterday voted to grant a beer-and-wine license to Wee Angel, a Scottish bistro proposed for the site of the old Zon's in Hyde Square. The pub is also seeking a license from a separate city board for acoustic music. More on Wee Angel.
Sami's, which has been teasing JP with window signs for falafel, wraps and breakfast for almost forever now at 654 Centre St., finally got the last city permit it needs today, will do some touch-up work this weekend and, barring any last-minute mishaps, actually open next week. At least, that's what they said when I stopped in - I was thanked profusely for being so interested in their food.
It's owned by Sami himself, the guy who's been dishing up falafel and wraps in the medical district since 1979.
The Boston Licensing Board holds a hearing on Jan. 27 on a request for a beer and wine license for the Lebanese restaurant going in where Spring Blossom used to be - 1249 VFW Parkway.
Azama Grill says it'll be open until 3 a.m. at 54 Harvard Ave.
Via Grub Street Boston.
Eileen fumes that if South End Pita (on Albany Street) puts up a sign reading "Mondays Any Pita $5," it should either not charge $2.50 extra for a lamb pita or it should amend the sign with an asterisk, or something.
It can be hard to get to Samia's on Centre Street in West Roxbury when you just have to have some Middle Eastern meat - Samia closes her door pretty early these days.
I stumbled on a place tonight that can meet your kefteh and kibbeh needs at night: Cristelle's, which recently expanded and moved to a new location at 5268 Washington St.
For the most part, it's your basic pizza/sub shop (although it now also serves breakfast, including crepes). But owner Krikor Garabedian has put kefteh and kibbeh plates on the menu (along with a chicken shish kebob wrap). For $9.95, you get meat on rice with a small side salad and hummus. I got the kefteh. Very good. All that was missing was some pita bread.
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