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Al Safa
Anthony
May 10, 2012
A mainstay of the ethnic food cornucopia that is Main Street, Paterson, NJ, Al Safa features Middle Eastern comfort food.
Kibbeh
I visited with anthropologist Lisa La Valle-Finan, who writes about New Jersey’s cultural communities. When the Syrian owner stopped by our table, we asked him which dishes on the menu are typically Syrian. His response echoed what I have learned about the most common “Middle Eastern” foods. Many countries share the same dishes – hummus, falafel and shawarma, for example. They may have different names in different parts of the Middle East – shawarma, doner kebab or gyro, for example – but the basic ingredients are the same whether you order your sliced meat sandwich in Damascus, Beirut, or Cairo. The spices and way it is prepared will vary slightly from country to country. Al Safa uses a seven-spice blend (red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander and caraway), or baharat, typical of Syrian food. At Al Safa, the owner is Syrian, the guy behind the counter is Palestinian, and many customers are Turkish.
Shawarma
We sampled some excellent kibbeh (a deep fried mixture of bulgar wheat, ground beef, pine nuts and onions), baba ghanouj (eggplant dip) and hummus (chikpea dip), served with a package of pita bread. I also ordered a beef shawarma sandwich, sliced from the large spits of meat rotating behind the counter. Nicely spiced and served in a pita with pickles, yogurt and a pepper sauce, Al Safa makes a very good shawarma. The menu includes falafel, lebneh (yogurt, garlic and mint dip), various charcoal grilled kebabs, as well as grilled liver, marinated kidneys and “tounges & brains” for the more adventurous.
The restaurant has a take out counter with a few tables. Upstairs, is the large dining room and an outdoor patio.
Links
Fattal’s Bakery
Anthony
April 13, 2012
A one stop shop for fresh Middle Eastern baked goods; desserts; halal meats; groceries; prepared foods (buy the hummus!); a cafe in the back serving shawarma (sliced meat sandwiches) and lahmajeen (flatbread “pizzas”); and distinctively, a gold jewelry counter.
Al Helal Meat and Fish
Anthony
February 14, 2012
Fresh Fish
I found Al Helal Meat & Fish Market thanks to Mayor Domenick Stampone of neighboring Haledon Borough, who Tweeted enthusiastically about this Middle Eastern spot and invited me on a recent ethnic food tour of Paterson.
Like many of New Jersey’s best ethnic food spots, at first glance, Al Helal appears to be just a market. Groceries and housewares are up front. The meat counter in the back is well stocked with fresh beef, lamb and goat. (The market follows Islamic dietary rules, halal, so no pork.) Unlike your local Pathmark, the butchers here proudly display every cut, including tongue, liver, kidney, tripe, tails and feet. The fish counter along the left wall is just as impressive, with at least a dozen varieties of fresh whole fish on ice. I saw red snapper, porgies, sardines, striped bass, branzino, perch and rainbow trout, among others.
Charcoal Grill Working its Magic @ Al Helal
What makes Al Helal unique, and worth a special trip, is that you can pick a whole fish, or a piece of meat, and they’ll prepare it for you on the spot – grilled, fried or broiled. Along one wall, to the right of the entrance, an impressive brick-framed grill smokes with hardwood charcoal. The guy at the fish counter gives you your selection in a bucket, and you walk it over to the grill man. I opted for a lamb chop and some homemade lamb sausage from the meat counter. At the grill, I asked for my lamb chop spicy. The grill man worked his magic with a spice rub and direct flame. Fast food as it should be.
Grilled Meats
A few minutes later, my lamb chop was perfectly grilled, nicely spiced, and served atop a heaping plats of rice and grilled vegetables. The sausages have a nice flavor and are delicious scooped up in a fresh pita. Fortunately, I had opened a bottle of ayran, a Turkish yogurt drink (like Persian doogh), which I needed almost immediately to counter the super spicy grilled jalapenos. Make sure you sample a few of the excellent salads and sides, like creamy hummus, flavorful red pepper spread, or a very nice Turkish salad. My entire lunch, including the drink, cost $15.
Next to the grill spin two tall spits of chicken and beef shawerma, a big draw. One customer told me he comes five days a week just for these sliced meat pita sandwiches. The menu includes kibbeh and various grilled kebabs. Customers can sit on a stool and eat at the small counter or along the window. When it’s warmer, there are a few tables outside.
Olives & Pickled Vegetables @ Al Helal
Al Helal Meat & Fish Market sits on the corner of East Railway and Crooks Avenues in Paterson, next to the railroad tracks and the bustling Farmers Market, which is most crowded on Saturdays.
Nablus Pastry & Sweets
Anthony
February 13, 2012
K’nafee
Nablus Pastry & Sweets is a tiny shop on Main Street, Paterson serving Middle Eastern cookies and confections.
Locals come here for the K’nafee (also Kanafeh), a popular Arabic sweet with origins in the ancient Palestinian city of Nablus. Served warm, the freshly made K’nafee at Nablus Pastry comes in two forms – a round, thin layer of white cheese, covered by a slightly sweet mixture of syrup and semolina, topped with crushed pistachios; or a rectangular version topped with thinly shredded pastry noodles. Unique and very tasty, you should try this Middle Eastern specialty.
None of the treats behind the counter are labelled, so just point at whatever looks good if you’re unfamiliar. The woman behind the counter is very friendly and happy to make suggestions.
The Cookie Display @ Nablus
Pastries @ Nablus
Taskin Bakery
Anthony
February 11, 2012
Family owned and operated, this bakery offers delicious, brick oven-baked, traditional Turkish breads, pide (pita), simit (Turkish bagel), and savory baked goods (acma, pohaca, borek). The spinach and cheese filled borek, flat squares of thinly layered, flaky yufka (phyllo) dough, served warm, is excellent. Try the large Turkish pide next time you have kebabs or hummus. Their sweet cookies and desserts, especially the pistachio baklava, also get rave reviews.
Serving the local Middle Eastern community and beyond since 1997, Taskin has a small parking lot with a retail counter entrance in the back. Look for the “Bakery Open 24 Hours” sign, just off the Parkway on Hazel Street. Cash only.
