Koshertopia has confirmed that Two Cousins Burgers located at 265 West 231 Street has opened. The new restaurant is supervised under the Vaad of Riverdale and offers a variety of burgers, subs, salads and other delicacies. Their shnitzel in a laffa is excellent!
Hi.
I am the new Kosher Kritic. I felt I should open this blog by introducing myself. So….
Hi.
I am the new Kosher Kritic.
For my first review in this position (I have previously written featured reviews for Blossom and Ariel’s Kosher) I decided to go to Golan Heights, an old favorite from my college days (that’s right, I went to College. Impressed?) when I would stumble in at 1 in the morning fresh out of the library (Hi Mom) badly in need of some good comfort food.
Golan Heights, located on Amsterdam Avenue between 186th and 187th, is a classic Middle Eastern restaurant in every sense of the phrase. From the food – an extensive collection of Mediterranean delicacies available in a laffa (soft doughy flatbread), pita, or on a platter – to the atmosphere – the bustling crowds, the Israeli ordering system (read: yelling as loud as you can), the entirely exposed kitchen, and that distinct “we’ve been cooking schwarma in here all day” smell – to the prices and portions – reasonable and overwhelming.
I know what you’re thinking – “I get that it is a schwarma place, I actually figured that out from the name believe it or not, but how about you tell me if it’s worth my time!” We’re getting there. I’ve been eating at Golan for almost six years now, and I’ve had almost everything on the menu – no small feat. You can order arguably the best schwarma laffa in the city (as huge as it is succulent) or you could be a bit more adventurous and order teriyaki chicken – grilled juicy dark meat pieces that are my personal favorite.and If you’re not feeling particularly Middle Eastern you can order a hot dog pita (only four dollars!) or “Zaidi’s Nuggets,” spicy fried chicken on loan from the late Ari’s Deli. If you’re there on a Thursday night make sure you try the chulent, and if you’re lucky enough to be there on one of those glorious days where they have lamb shish kabobs disregard everything I have said until now and order that instead.
This is only the tip of the iceberg but this review is running long so let me sum it up. Golan Heights is the ultimate comfort restaurant. You don’t go everyday (college kids excluded) and you don’t go on a date; you go there cause you’re hungry, it’s close, the food is great and it’s reasonably priced.
Golan Heights
2553 Amsterdam Avenue
New York, NY 10033
(212) 795-7842
Olympic Pita has been going through a bit of an identity crisis lately. When I first discovered it last year, it was a casual falafel and shawarma restaurant. Then, it became Baraca with dimmer lighting, more modern décor, a much pricier menu, and sushi! In recent weeks, the name has reverted back to Olympic Pita. All of these changes never affected the quality of the food, fortunately.
Olympic Pita is fantastic for many reasons, but mainly because it offers something that most pita places in Manhattan do not: homemade laffa. For those of you who may not know, laffa is freshly-made, over-sized pita baked in a tandoor oven that comes out with the perfect combination of soft and crispy at the same time. As soon as you open the door to the restaurant, you can smell the laffa baking.
On the way to our table the main dining area, we strolled by the laffa oven and the salad bar. Everything looked delicious. We started with an order of hummus, which came with a piping hot laffa for dipping. The best way I can describe this combo is “heavenly.” The hummus was garlicky and creamy, and topped with great tahina and olive oil. Although it doesn’t say it anywhere on the menu, the basket of laffa can be refilled as long as there is hummus left – so, be sure to ask!
Every lunch order comes with a trip to the salad bar. You are allowed to fill up one small plate with a delicious assortment of coleslaw, Israeli salad, pickles, etc.
For my main meal, I ordered a falafel laffa, which comes with hummus, harisa, Israeli salad, and French fries. I have had fries in pita before, but those were always bland and soggy. Olympic Pita’s fries were actually good on their own, and even better squished in with falafel and covered in hummus! The falafel was absolutely delicious…a little spicy, crispy on the outside, and a ton of flavor.
Even with all its changes and my few minor complaints, I can’t stop raving about Olympic Pita. It is definitely as good as any falafel I’ve ever had in Israel.
And finally, a few additional Miss Menu pointers…
