Hummus Kitchen

When I think of the words "vegan, kosher and healthy," the word "delicious" doesn't immediately follow. However, the hummus at Hummus Kitchen could be described as unreasonably delicious. Adorned with plump whole chickpeas, it's sprinkled with lots of paprika. Its texture is made unctuous with olive oil, and its flavor is rich with tahini. This warm hummus puts those plastic supermarket containers of beige to shame! And it's not the only reason to eat at Hummus Kitchen.

In the non-vegan category, the green shakshuka, or baked eggs with spinach, peppers and tomatoes, warms you to the core. Grilled chicken is tender and is accompanied by a huge Mediterranean chopped salad. There is a condiment (I don't know the name of it) that is addictive in the hurts-so-good way that Indian mango pickles are; it tastes intensely of mint, parsley, vinegar and hot pepper. As it's Passover right now, you won't be served the traditional pita bread, but will instead enjoy a delectable thin herbed cornbread... and some matzo, of course.

Hummus Kitchen: Various locations. The one we eat at is located at 1613 Second Ave., (212) 988-0090.

Around The World in Seven Days, Part I: A Week in Astoria

My companion and I haven't lived in Astoria for very long, but we've already eaten our way around the globe! Here are some preliminary impressions, organized by country. (Of course, our journey is not over; there are many countries left to visit!)

1. Afghanistan: Balkh Shish Kabab House. The fried scallion turnovers (bolanee gandana) at Balkh will neutralize any craving for those leaden scallion pancakes found at Chinese restaurants. But my companion was disappointed in the tough lamb kebab; the salmon was much better. The rice was nondescript but the basket of thick, dense bread was satisfying. (23-10 31st St., 718-721-5020.)

2. Colombia: Botero's Cafe. The walls of this small cafe are decorated with prints of the painter's famous Rubenesque muses. After spending a little time here, I might become a muse myself. Arepas, or grilled corn pancakes, are served with melted tropical cheese, or avocados and shrimp, or "ahogado" (drowned in sauce), and the tostones are perfectly fried. (45-01 Ditmars Blvd., I can't find the number!)

3. Greece: Taverna Kyclades (also, see Elias Corner). An appetizer at Kyclades is enough for around 47 people (I'm exaggerating, but you get the drift). The fried calamari, the skordalia, and the grilled salmon steak are enough to send me over the moon, and I think I've never eaten better fried fish. (33-07 Ditmars Blvd., 718-545-8666.)

4. Italy: Michael Angelo's II Pizzeria & Restaurant (also, see Trattoria L'Incontro). I like my pizza with a thin crust, so someone recommended that I order the "Sofia Loren" pie. It was loaded with pools of melted fresh mozzarella and sliced fresh tomatoes, I only wish I'd eaten it in-house instead of having it delivered, because I think the crisp crust got a little steamed inside the pizza box. (29-11 23rd Ave., 718-932-2096).

5. Japan: Linn Restaurant. What a pleasant surprise: sparkling sushi on Broadway! It's certainly not cheap, but if you're craving Alaskan salmon roe, Japanese striped yellowtail, or even something like a fried oyster roll with wasabi mayo, you've got it all right here. A wall has been erected inside to obscure the C-Town across the street and to show Japanese movies. (29-13 Broadway, 718-204-0060.)

6. Morocco (well, Moroccan-influenced): Cafe Soleil. Every neighborhood should have one of these cozy hangouts with mismatched chairs and free Wi-Fi. Authentic Moroccan mint tea is served from beautiful silver teapots, and did I detect a bit of harissa in the potato pancake that came with my "classic French" omelette? (37-14 Astoria Blvd., 718-777-1015.)

7. Thailand: WAVEThai. I'm not going to enter the fray that is the apparent rivalry between WAVEThai and Thai Elephant, but suffice it to say that WAVEThai's "street noodles" (pad see ew) are addictive. You can order them with chicken or veggie chicken, beef, roast duck or veggie duck, squid, shrimp, tofu, scallop, or mixed seafood. The vegetarian duck's texture is meaty, chewy and substantial instead of thin and flimsy. Curries are nice and spicy. (21-37 31st St., 718-777-6789.)

Gazala's Place

That flour-dusted rolling pin in the window of Gazala's Place isn't there just for show. Gazala Halabi, the Israeli owner-chef of this week-old Mediterranean eatery, is constantly rolling out crepe-thin, whole wheat pita. She's a woman with a very important mission: to show us exactly how delicious homemade Druze-Israeli cuisine can be! Judging from my meal today, she's accomplishing her goal.

Her menu features appetizers like cegar (a rolled pita shell stuffed with spiced mashed potatoes or meat), homemade grape leaves, olive oil goat cheese spread, hummus, cucumber soup, and several salads and sandwiches. There are meat, cheese and spinach pies, and for those craving a heartier meal, there are chicken and lamb kebab platters.

Since I hadn't eaten yet, I decided to go with the brunch special: a glass of rosewater tamarind drink, fluffy scrambled eggs, a mound of nutty hummus indented with a little pool of olive oil, the aforementioned whole wheat pita ("Can I have some more?" I asked), green olives, and green salad topped with tabouli and ripe red tomatoes. While I polished this off, I discussed dessert with Gazala. Date-stuffed semolina cakes? Kenafi? She packed me up a bag of cakes and some osh al-saraia ("It's halfway between sweetened cheese and cream," she explained).

I left with a full stomach, a bag full of desserts and a full heart! Lovingly prepared food has that effect.

Go visit Gazala at Gazala's Place: 709 9th Ave. (212) 245-0709.

Maoz Vegetarian

What do you get when you cross a falafel stand with a salad bar? Maoz Vegetarian, the first NYC outpost of a popular European falafel chain. Fill your whole wheat pita with a variety of ultra-fresh veggie salads (pickled baby eggplants, sliced mushrooms and more), sauces and falafel. If falafel's not your thing, you can always go with a feta, hummus or baba ganoush sandwich (only $3.75!). Or, if your vegetarian pal has dragged you kicking and screaming into Maoz when you wanted to eat at brgr, console yourself with some tasty Belgian fries.

Maoz Vegetarian: 38 Union Square East, (212) 260-1988.

Hummus Place

I had no idea that hummus and pita could be such a sensual experience. Today, I was on the Upper West Side debating whether I should pop into Fairway. I went one block over to Amsterdam, where I enjoyed an incredibly satisfying lunch special at Hummus Place: shakshuka accompanied by mint lemonade, puffy, hot fresh pitas and a hummus as sinful as peanut butter. Silky, warm, dusted with paprika, drizzled with olive oil and topped with a little heap of chick peas, the hummus was simply amazing!

The shakshuka was quite nice as well: two eggs over easy in a stew of tomatoes and green peppers, with sesame seeds and oregano liberally sprinkled. I ordered mine with the addition of salty halloumi cheese... I can't get enough of this stuff and would have appreciated even more of it!

How on earth did I miss this place?

Hummus Place: 305 Amsterdam Ave., (212) 799-3335 (Two Village locations as well).

Alfanoose

Downtown workers were crestfallen when the original Alfanoose on Fulton Street closed. There was much speculation about the cause of the closing; had the rents gone up or had the business gone down?

Fortunately, those in search of a falafel fix need not waste any more time in idle speculation! Such time would be better spent enjoying the mouthwatering Middle Eastern cuisine at the new, improved Alfanoose. Now with plenty of room and an expanded menu, this beloved restaurant is a destination even for those who have no other reason to visit the Financial District.

All of the traditional sandwiches such as falafel, hummus, and baba ganoush are offered, as well as luscious charcoal-grilled lamb shawarma. For a side dish, there are not just one but *three* versions of mojadara, the traditional lentil pilaf topped with a heap of crisp fried onions. The tangy, tahini-yogurt foul mudamas is excellent as well. (For more food than you know what to do with, order a meat platter: your choice of lamb, chicken, or meat kibbeh comes with your choice of pilaf or green salad, a choice of hummus, baba ganoush or foul mudamas, and best of all, a homemade rolled-up pita bread!

Alfanoose Middle Eastern Cuisine: 8 Maiden Lane, (212) 528-4669.

The $1,000 Eggplant Sandwich

Yes, you read that correctly. But this sandwich won't cost you $1,000; rather, it might make you $1,000 richer! How can this be, you ask?

Well, the folks at Chickpea Restaurant, a little falafel joint in the East Village, are so proud of their roasted eggplant sandwich that they're holding a contest to find the most appropriate name for it.

(And, in a touch of both generosity and marketing genius, Chickpea will allow you to enter the contest as many times as you desire!)

Chickpea Restaurant, 23 3rd Ave., (212) 254-9500. Send your entries to info@chickpearestaurant.com.

Kapadokya

It was to be a long day at the Brooklyn Supreme Court. This was the first time I'd ever been summoned for jury duty; unfortunately, I'd neglected to bring enough snacks. Right when I was sure that the entire courtroom could hear my stomach growling, I was called to a jury selection room for a civil case.

Ironically enough, the case involved a restaurant (which shall remain nameless). As the endless series of voir dires was conducted, I daydreamed about appetizers. Finally, it was one o'clock: lunch hour!

Brooklyn Heights' Montague Street is not known for fine dining. However, I was happy to spend my hour of freedom at charming Kapadokya. This homey Turkish restaurant offers a wealth of selections for carnivores and vegetarians alike, and the $7.95 two-course lunch special is a great value. I began with a bowl of lentil soup into which I dunked homemade pita, then enjoyed a hearty vegetable casserole with rice. The waitress was very friendly; we discussed how Greek and Turkish desserts are so similar (the Turkish kadayif, shredded wheat with pistachios and honey, is the equivalent of the Greek kadaifi).

I intend to return to try Kapadokya's version of my favorite Turkish appetizers: feta-stuffed filo "cigars" and cacik (garlicky cucumbers in yogurt).

For those of you who were wondering, I was dismissed from the jury pool; I'm hopelessly biased as far as restaurants are concerned.

Kapadokya: 142 Montague Street, 2nd. Floor, Brooklyn. (718) 875-2211.

Shimon's and Max & Mina's

I love randomly stumbling upon local legends. On a recent Sunday afternoon, there wasn't an empty seat in Shimon's. This kosher pizzeria opened in 1968 and features many non-pizza items on its dairy menu, including salmon croquettes and vegetarian liver! My favorite selections were a flaky hot bureka (savory filo triangle) filled with farmer cheese, and fat, crisp potato pancakes with plenty of sour cream. Greek salad was tasty although lacking in cucumbers, pizza was quite sauce-laden, and a whitefish salad with "everything" arrived covered with tasty tahini and sauerkraut. But it was the bureka which stuck in my mind... next time, I will order one filled with eggplant.

Do you care for your ice cream flavored with lox? Spicy hummus? Or is garlic more your preference? Right next door to Shimon's is a newer legend, the truly unusual Max & Mina's Homemade Ice Cream and Ices. Before you shudder in horror, let me assure you that the magenta horseradish ice cream offers a pleasant kick, and more conventional flavors are also superb. Chocolate ice cream is like a frozen rich chocolate pudding, and freshly brewed coffee ice cream is full of real java flavor. Max & Mina's will please all palates!

Shimon's: 71-24 Main St., Flushing. (718) 793-1491. Max & Mina's: 71-26 Main St., Flushing. (718) 793-8629.