Pic courtesy of LeftInBayRidge
A Middle Eastern-food craving in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, will most likely lead you to Tanoreen—an unpretentious, family-owned restaurant that’s been getting an increasing amount of buzz over the past few years. And Tanoreen is admittedly pretty solid, even if a Middle East transplant might take issue with the sometimes timidly flavored dishes. But Bay Ridge’s tinier, lowlier Karam is bolder and arguably better on the whole, if you’re willing to contend with a cramped room where you can’t really sit (there are just a few stools, and the whole operation is designed mainly for takeout). The Lebanese food here—especially the outrageously juicy chicken shawarma rolled up in fresh hot pita, or the sujok (spicy lamb or beef sausage), or the lentil-rice-onion moujadara stew, or the classic parsley-and-lemon-jammed tabbouleh, or the rotissserie chicken with creamy toum (garlic sauce)—is as authentic as it gets, and hard to beat anywhere in the city. The place doesn’t look like much, but foodwise it’s most definitely not just your basic falafel-and-hummus stand. Karam bears repeat schleps out to Bay Ridge, and a little courage to taste your way through the entire repertoire—including some of the down-home and hard-to-find dishes, like the traditional preparation of lemon-spiked, linguini-like brains (cow brains, to be exact).
Karam: 8519 Fourth Ave. between 85th and 86th Sts., Bay Ridge; (718) 745-5227. Tanoreen: 7523 Third Ave., at 76th St., Bay Ridge; (718) 748-5600
Prices/Features: Cheap/Vegetarian-Friendly