Results tagged “northafrican”

MOVIE: Tonight the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series delivers two very different films. First up is The French Riviera, described as "a road documentary that follows a truck driver on a mission to earn enough money selling ice cream in the Icelandic countryside to go on a vacation on a French beach."

This week in the Times, Bruni one-stars Mesa Grill (pictured), knocking the restaurant down from the two stars given it by William Grimes in 2000. Says that while the Bobby Flay restaurant “has considerable charms… on balance [it] presents only flickers of the excitement it did [when it opened] in 1991… It’s an overly familiar, somewhat tired production. More to the point, it’s an inconsistent one.”

Bruni one-stars E.U., finds the restaurant with the tortured history "eclectic not only in terms of its national influences but also in the quality of different dishes." He loves some of the food, as well as the design and the wine list, but dislikes the desserts. Says "you're taking a chance every time you walk in."

- Serious Eats explores the ins and outs of the Japanese Izakaya, "the place where sake is."

Passionate men cook great food. And Ali is one of the most passionate men you’ll ever meet. That’s all you need to know before you go to Ali’s Kabab Café in Astoria.

Merguez is the hot dog of Morocco. In fact, this spicy lamb sausage may be nudging out couscous as the dish most associated with this North African country of so many culinary delights. In America, you find merguez most often at trendy restaurants, but in Morocco it's a more casual treat you can get on the street. It's also all over Paris, where it joins paté and jambon as standard sandwich fillings. But if you venture to the far reaches of Astoria, you can experience merguez the way it ought to be, at a corner joint called Little Morocco.

Underneath the Greek restaurant Metsovo and down the candelit stairs Shalel is a dim, decadent Moroccan-inspired bar and lounge. The wine list is extensive, the beers listed by country and the cocktails, in a word, uninspired. We tried the a Moroccan lager ($7) so you don't have to- it's not our favorite, but a spicy malt flavor does compliment phyllo wrapped delicacies better well. Thinking Belgium would be a better bet for lounging about on the oversized, soft-focus hanging lamps and soft banquets we had the Chimay. It's pricey- we didn't think we'd ever pay $10 for a bottled beer on the Upper West Side and then the the bartender didn't even pour the beer into the embossed glasses.

May 25: "Belly" Dancing -- North African Food and Wine Pairing