Pic courtesy of Ilili
Impossible to be Lebanese and not have cripplingly high expectations of Lebanese restaurants in NYC—partly because there are barely any to speak of. (Yours truly is of Beirut extraction.) But chef Philippe Massoud is doing spectacularly authentic, big-flavored Lebanese food, and it’s really unmissable. The kibbe nayeh (a steak-tartare-like hill of raw meat mixed with burghul and eaten with pita bread, olive oil, and white onion); the red mullet with pita chips, tahini, and and lemon; the juicy kebabs; and the chicken livers with sumac and pomegranate molasses are reasons enough to be alive. The lunch and dinner prix-fixes are some of Manhattan’s best deals.
Ilili. 236 Fifth Ave. between 27th and 28th Sts.; (212) 683-2929.
Prices/Features: MOD, VGT, GRP (See Welcome to Salmaland for key to letter abbreviations.)