Darna, located at the corner of 89th and Columbus is the best thing to happen to the Upper West Side. In fact, it’s the best thing that’s happened to kosher cuisine in New York. From the authentic Moroccan recipes to the romantic décor, Darna has it all. But what makes this place so special is the owner, Yehuda Avital. Yehuda is one of the most charming, charismatic and philanthropic people you’ll ever meet. Community means so much to him that he convinced the Orthodox Union to let him keep the restaurant open on Shabbat, so people with no Shabbat plans can have a place to go. To know him is to love him – and his food!
As we’ve discussed before, I’m not going to be American’s Next Top Chef anytime soon. So for $39.99 (+ tax and gratuity) you can have the most fun and filling Shabbat experience. Whether you want your Shabbat meal delivered or you want to eat in the restaurant, Darna takes the fret out of Shabbat prep with just one phone call. All you have to do is call in advance to place your order or reservation and you’re good to go.
The Shabbos menu changes, but usually includes the following starters hummus, Zaatar pita, baba ganouj, Israeli salad and tahini. Challah, grape juice and soda are always included. The starters are so good and filling, so you have to pace yourself. I brought friends of mine to the restaurant a few weeks ago, and my Italian friend told me he had dreams about the baba ganouj after our dinner because it was the best he ever had! I seriously alter my diet before a Shabbat meal at or by Darna. Everything is so flavorful and you seriously feel like you’re in Morocca with every bite you take. Onto the next course …
If you like salad, you are in for suc ha treat! The Shabbos menu includes the famous salad full of mixed greens, mandarin oranges or mangoes, pecans, cranberries and cherry tomatoes and a roasted red pepper vinaigrette – or my favorite — the Greek Lemon dressing you’ve ever tasted. After the salad, it’s onto the salmon.
Darna’s salmon is baked in a Moroccan sauce and cooked to perfection. I’ve been to Darna several times for Shabbat and have been to countless events that have been catered by Darna, so I’ve had many of their entrees. When you go to the restaurant or order food for Shabbat, you get to choose a chicken or beef dish. You don’t know what the dishes aer in advance, but they’re all amazing.
From the herb marinated skinless breast of chicken to chicken braised with preserved lemons, olives and traditional seasoning, the chicken dishes are out of this world. Sometimes Darna serves pan fried chicken cutlets coated with their special herbed breading or their whole roasted Cornish hen stuffed with dates, almonds and mushrooms. Whether you’re choosing between a chicken or beef dish you can’t go wrong. And if you’re in a big group, I recommend getting enough of both for everyone to share.
The beef options range from braised short ribs with Harrissa sauce to ribeye steaks. I’ve never had such soft beef in my life. You barely need your knife at this place! The entrees are served with rice or another side; but, if tajine chicken or beef is being served Mixed vegetables over couscous are brought out, too. The chicken zohara is braised with preserved lemons, olives and traditional seasoning. The beef tajine is a plate of tender beef cooked with dried fruits and almonds. Both make me wish Shabbat was every day.
Cookies and fruit are also included in the Shabbat menu. Bottles of wine are extra.
As you can tell, I LOVE this place But, in order to have an experience as perfect as the food, you have to have any catering order in writing and go over every reservation in advance. I’ve ordered dinners and found the dessert was missing or checked my credit card and found I was accidentally overcharged. I know these things happen, but I’m just saying be sure you’re getting what you wanted to prevent headaches. And when you make your order make sure you go over it with the person taking your order and get her name. This way, you can keep track of everything in case something gets lost in translation.
I hope to see you dining at Darna one of these Shabbats. There’s nothing like seeing the tables near you do Kiddush, motzi or break out into zemirote. And by the time you leave, you’ll understand why I think it’s the best restaurant on the planet.
Shabbat Shalom!
KK
Click here for the Darna listing
Whenever I am downtown in the Nolita area I enjoy stopping by Wild Ginger. A cozy spot tucked away on bustling Broome Street. It’s a Pan-Asian Vegetarian café. On this particular visit a vase of sunflowers greeted us as we walked through the doorway’s fabric curtains, which are tasteful and inviting. Exposed brick surrounds you on two of the three walls and the back wall is painted a lime green. Lamps hang from the ceiling and at night the soft glow really intensifies the coziness of this place. It’s a quiet place to sit with friends or on a date. The music is atmospheric and adds a background layer to your dining experience. The restaurant boasts thirteen wooden tables with a long bench running alongside the right wall. Small pillows are spread out over the bench seating and tables can easily be pushed together for larger parties. It’s the clean, laid back, friendly attentive service that really makes my visit a memorable one. I was very impressed with the food presentation and I took some culinary visual observations to use during my own hospitality.
