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On the stretch of Dekalb Avenue in Fort Greene just east of Fort Greene Park is a stretch of reasonably priced, neighborhood restaurants including the local Middle-Eastern favorite, Black Iris. Cash only and BYOB, the friendly servers at Black Iris seat you promptly in a dim brick-walled room hung with tapestries at one of a dozen tables in a room made drafty by people constantly walking in and out.
The menu includes standard Middle Eastern fare, but servings are both copious and notable. Appetizers star a host of salads and grains: hummus, smoky babaghanoush, lentil and bulgur salad, and grape leaves among others, which you can order in an entree-sized combination of five picks to the plate.
The homemade pita bread alone makes the trip worth making. It arrives warm out of the oven and can come topped with olive oil, sesame seeds, and thyme (zaatar bread) or with garlic and parsley. Unadorned, it makes perfect accompaniment to any of the above appetizers, or serves as the base for 10" pitzas, top-able in innumerable ways, from lamb and onion to grilled eggplant and tomatoes.
Entrees -- big enough for two meals -- come with a choice of hummus or babaghanoush, a weak mix of greens, and the star of the plate, kebabs (chicken, lamb, or vegetable), or the heartily-spiced merguez, a rich lamb sausage. Entree options are also available as sandwiches, a better option if you're eating on the go.
Service in the dining room can dally on busy nights, but the food, the price, and the casual atmosphere are all reasons to take your time dining with friends and a decent bottle of wine.
Black Iris is located at 228 DeKalb Ave. (nr. Clermont Ave), Brooklyn. (718)-852-9800. Open daily from noon - 11 p.m. Delivery available.
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I went to his place once. Ordered baba ganoush (sp?). They had the nerve to charge extra for pita bread! Plus the baba sucked. Needless to say, I never went back. Should mention that that was quite a while ago though.
I haven't gone back since the night a mouse ran across my friend's shoulders while she was seated at the bench and they were complete snots about it.
The gem of that evening was that the woman at the next table was absolutely horrified and vocal about her horror, and the waiter insisted to us that she was making it up. He kind of missed that all of us had seen this particular figment of her imagination.
I think our bill was under $10, but they didn't take a penny off.
I'm not talking about a mouse skittering by in the corner, I'm talking about mouse feet, one after the other, over her shoulders and through her hair. I know that it is New York City and sometimes this happens, but when it happens the waiter is supposed to apologize profusely, promise to get an exterminator in and tell you that your meal is on the house. I would have been happy with apologize profusely, actually.