Mediterranean
Brunch at Balaboosta in Nolita
I believe in second chances (ok, maybe that applies mostly to restaurants). The chef has an off day. The waiters are not in the best of moods. Maybe it’s just not the right dish or meal time that exemplifies the restaurant at its best. On that last point, let me just say the first time I went to Balaboosta was for dessert and tea, and it was pretty disappointing. But I did say, and I quote, “the rest of the menu sounded good, so I’m not writing it off just yet. I’ll definitely go back for another meal — just not for the dessert this time.” And that I did.
Brown sugar cubes
So when my friend Samar was in town and we were looking for place near SoHo, I remembered this Mediterranean spot again. The vibe is just as buzzy in the morning and looking over the menu, it was hard to decide between the breakfast pizzas, or something more sweet like the coconut brioche french toast. I wanted something with a little bit of spice to it, so I went with the Shakshuka, Moroccan baked eggs in spicy tomato cazuela, spinach, grilled country bread and added a side of merguez. Samar went with the lamb-egg special of which the name totally escapes me.
Shakshuka
Lamb and eggs
Our food was satisfying and I’m glad I gave it a second chance. It’s probably pretty normal price-wise for the area, but for a meal and coffee here totaled about $50 — a little more than I think what you get portion-wise makes sense. If I’m looking in the area, I’d definitely go back though. We didn’t have to wait long for a seat and the service was great. But if you’re willing to sacrifice a short-wait time, and looking for the same genre of food for brunch at half the price, I’d visit Cafe Mogador in the East Village instead for their brunch specials.
Restaurant Info:
Balaboosta
214 Mulberry St # 1
near Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
212-966-73661
Nolita
REPORT CARD
Meal: Brunch
Occasion: Out of town visitor catch-up session!
Price: $$$
(Out of three stars)
Ambiance: ***
Food: **
Service: ***
Would I go back?: Yes (for brunch)…I still need to try that French toast!
Nomad in the East Village
Nomad
I’ve been passing by Nomad in the East Village almost every day this week and it always looks so warm and inviting inside. The Moroccan/French restaurant serves traditional plates and tapas and has the most gorgeous decor of jeweled lanterns, tiled tables and dim lighting. Man, even their bathroom is so pretty I almost took a picture, but that would be weird so I didn’t. In the back, they have a beautiful enclosed courtyard-like space. The food, I found, was equally impressive.
Moroccan bread starter
The Little Owl in the West Village
Little Owl
Inside
No, it’s not just you. It just occurred to me too that I’ve been spending a lot of time in the West Village lately! I’m making no excuses for it though — it really has some of the cutest restaurants.
The Falafel Fail
- Falafel attempt 1
I’ve been cooking a lot these days (pat on the back)…but every once in a while, things can go horribly wrong. My first stab at making falafel — or Failafel, as coined by Christina from the writing class I spoke at last night — was one of those times. As I began to realize that it wasn’t going so well, I almost stopped taking pictures, deeming it now useless for my blog. But I think it’s part of learning…and also a chance to pay further homage to the pure awesomeness of our mothers who could work that kitchen as if they never burnt toast in their life…and probably haven’t.
Naya – Lebanese food in Midtown East
I’ve been so excited to test out my new camera [it's kinda like an SLR on training wheels...goodbye point-and-shoot, hellllo Canon G11]. The first restaurant I happen to use it at was Naya — a Lebanese restaurant in Midtown East.
Inside Naya
OK. First of all, Weirdest Welcoming Award goes to Naya.
“How many tonight?”
“Two, please.”
“Do you have a reservation?”
[Looks at half-empty restaurant] “I mean….”
“Ok, I’ll see what I can do.”
[uncomfortable laugh* He's probably trying to make a joke]
“This is all I have right now.” [points to a perfectly normal, empty table, sandwiched between two equally empty tables. The seriousness of his demeanor shows us he was in fact, not joking earlier]
“That’s…totally fine.”
Israeli Couscous with Veggies
Thursdays are starting to become my cooking night with Archana 
. We try to keep it healthy and easy and here’s another recipe we stumbled upon using Israeli couscous. I don’t think I ever had this type of couscous before — I’ve only tried the tiny, grainy type. It’s a bit carb-ey but is a good source of protein and fiber, and paired with the right seasoning and veggies as you’ll see here, is absolutely delicious.
We got the recipe from Epicurious but had to make some alterations to the proportions. I’ll give you the recipe we used, which feeds 4.
