|
|
|
Hie Thee to Mamoun’s
In 20 years, not an awful falafel on Howe Street
Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant, 85 Howe Street, New Haven (203-562-8444). Open 11 a.m.-3 a.m. daily.
|
Business New Haven
11/17/1997
By: Angelina Anderman
|
Seemingly since the dawn of time, Mamoun's has been a fixture on the New Haven scene, open every day of the year, providing healthy, affordable sustenance for hungry students working into the wee hours. When we visited recently, Mamoun's nephew, Suleiman Chater, told us that the restaurant had just celebrated its 20th anniversary in New Haven. Not bad going when one reflects on the speed at which favorite venues come and go these days.
All the regulars seem to know the menu by heart, rushing in and out with the speed of lightning. The remainder of the room, which is on the dark side, proves very interesting after one's eyes get accustomed to the gloom. The walls are covered with carpets in the style of the Levant, a large copper candelabra and plenty of colorful brass lamps shed a soft, dim light over the diners.
No wonder Mamoun's has remained popular for so long. The food is terrific, and so are the prices. Middle Eastern food can perhaps be described as one of the tastiest, healthiest cuisines available. Once sampled it is hard to forget the flavors; actual cravings for hommus and baba ghannouj can even ensue.
Mamoun's Middle Eastern food is based on the Syrian and Turkish style and although the spelling of various items may vary according to provenance, the result is always the same - delicious. The menu is divided into two parts, vegetarian and non-. Each part is subdivided into sandwiches and plates. The plates are an expanded version of the sandwich and priced accordingly.
As a simple guide for neophytes; falafel is a tasty, fried chick pea mixture which comes in a little ball; hommus is a chick pea paste dip; baba ghannouj is a thick creamy dip made from eggplant; tahini (which forms the base of sauces) comes from sesame; and everything comes with the flat Arabic pocket bread called pita. Non-vegetarian dishes are confined to chicken and lamb. A friendly and enthusiastic waitress, who negotiates the entire room with speed, is happy to explain the menu.
We selected the combination plate which included hommus, baba ghannouj, chicken kebab (could have had lamb), three falafel balls with tahini sauce with pita bread for $6.95. The chicken was tender cubes, freshly grilled and tasting of herbs and lemon, the falafel balls were crispy and all the other items were soft and creamy - a delicious blend of tastes and textures.
We ordered a plate of stuffed grape leaves ($3.95) which were warm; filled with rice, onions, mint, spices, olive oil and lemon - more lovely flavors and plenty to share. We added a hommus sandwich - a pita stuffed with lettuce, tomatoes, parsley, onions and tahini sauce mixed and topped with a generous dollop of the wonderful hommus ($2.25). This sandwich alone, which comes sitting upright in a wire basket lest its bountiful fillings drop out on the way to the table, or from table to mouth, is quite enough for lunch.
A falafel or baba ghannouj sandwich is also $2.25, while a Makdoos filled with small stuffed eggplants, walnuts and garlic marinated in olive oil is $2.45. All sandwiches with or without lamb or chicken are prepared the same way. For between $2.70 and $1.70 extra the vegetarian sandwiches become plates.
Kebabs, kefta kebabs (with ground lamb or chicken patties) and lamb or chicken steak sandwiches range from $2.75 and $3.95. These too can be augmented into plates with double the ingredients and lots more sauce for an additional $4. All plates come with pita bread in a basket.
Mamoun's does not sell liquor. Besides sodas there are interesting drinks such as mango juice (95 cents and $1.75), tamarind drink for (80 cents and $1.50). Iced tea, Mamoun's tea (try it, you'll like it) or regular coffee is 85 cents. Turkish coffee, that wonderful thick, sweet elixir, is 75 cents or $1.45.
Middle Eastern cuisine calls for exceptionally sweet desserts, and Mamoun's fills that bill with baklava or halavah for $1 a portion or $1.50 for the cavity-finding Turkish Delight.
For a quick, satisfying, healthy lunch for incomparable value in unusual surroundings, Mamoun's Falafel Restaurant has proved its quality and stamina for two decades. If you work around the New Haven area and have missed out, put this landmark on your list of “things to do.”
|
Go FirstGo PreviousGo
NextGo LastGo
to Index
|
|
