North African cooking is among the world\u2019s best, as anyone who has eaten in Morocco or Egypt can attest. Signature dishes of the region include tajine-braised meats, poultry and seafood; steamed couscous; fava bean stews; hand-held pastries called briks; merguez sandwiches; flaky round pigeon pastries known as b\u2019stillas; meat and vegetable kebabs; and mulukhyah \u2013 a slippery soup made from a pond weed.<\/p>\n
In addition to Morocco and Egypt, the region also includes the countries of Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. They lie at the end of spice routes that extend from Southeast Asia and India, so these cuisines have available a rich range of spices, but use them sparingly and with great subtlety.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the Sahara provides flavors that run to dried lemons, olives and dates, while the northern and eastern countries of the Mediterranean rim provide their own influences, from the small dishes called mezze in Turkey, to Greek and Italian pastas, to French aioli and other sauces. These are seen, for example, in the cooking of Alexandria, Egypt, where tomato-sauced pasta is popular; in Algeria, where hero sandwiches hold sway; and in Tunisia, where pizza and pommes frites are daily fare.<\/p>\n
The Jews, expelled from Spain in the 15th century, provided their own flavors, as seen most prominently in Moroccan cooking. Before many migrated to Israel around 1950, 10% of the population of Morocco was Jewish, and there are still Sephardic towns in the Tunisian highlands. The flaky round pie called b\u2019stilla is their contribution, and so is the tradition of meats slow-cooked by braising.<\/p>\n
Despite their rich history, North African restaurants are rare in New York City, though there are many Egyptian restaurants in Jersey City. In NYC, we have none that specialize in Libyan and Tunisian cooking that I know of, very few Algerian places, and just a handful of Egyptian restaurants. Moroccan cooking should be more common here, given the country\u2019s proximity and its popularity as a tourist destination, but isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
After making a point of visiting the city\u2019s North African restaurants over the last year, here are my favorites, moving from north to south in the metropolitan area.<\/p>\n
Abu Qir<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
The most common type of Egyptian restaurant in New York City is one that operates as a fish market, but also possesses a dining room where whole fish is served grilled, fried or steamed. Abu Qir is a lively place decorated with nautical motifs, where Egyptian families gather to eat fresh fish, shrimp, and squid as well as French fries, baba ganoush, pitas, cucumber salads, seafood soups, and pastas. Grilled whole fish are the way to go on your first visit, with a side of baba ganoush. Apps and entrees, $12 to $40. 24-19 Steinway St., Astoria<\/p>\n
Merguez & Frites<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
This exceedingly informal restaurant, with a tented dining area out front, specializes in Algerian sandwiches served on especially light and crusty baguettes. Favorite is made with merguez, the coarse North African lamb sausage, with French fries tucked right in the magnificent sandwich. Vegetarians will fall in love with the garantita sandwich, featuring a filling of thick chickpea pudding. Sandwiches, $5 to $14. 40-06 25th Ave., Astoria<\/p>\n
Moroccan Bites by Siham<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
This small eatery perfectly recreates the experience of eating in a Moroccan home, with dishes rotating on a daily basis. You\u2019ll have a view of the kitchen as you watch chicken with preserved lemons, lamb shank with prunes, and other tajines being finished, in addition to couscouses, bastillas, the steamed vermicelli called seffa and pastries. Sometimes, there\u2019s pigeon soup. Main courses, $19 to $27. 28-44 Steinway St., Astoria<\/p>\n
The Kasbah Caf\u00e9<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
Kasbah \u2014\u00a0referring to the walled portion of an ancient desert city \u2014 is the most completely realized of the city’s Algerian cafes. Once again, you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re in someone\u2019s home, with a chalkboard menu that offers Algerian tacos (a flatbread wrap); couscous; salads; inexpensive sandwiches of merguez, tuna, or falafel; and more distinctive Algerian dishes like chicken reshta, a savory chicken and noodle casserole. Main courses, $17 to $27. 39-19 Greenpoint Ave., Sunnyside<\/p>\n
Caf\u00e9 Mogador<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
Caf\u00e9 Mogador presents a Sephardic take on Moroccan cooking. That means an emphasis on the small appetizing dishes called shlada \u2013 some cooked, some raw: spicy carrots, labne, falafel with tahini, cucumber yogurt, and others. There are tajines, of course, including the intensely herbal charmoulla lamb shank, plus a host of breakfasts (East Village location only). Apps and entrees, $9 to $29. 101 St. Marks Pl., East Village; 133 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg<\/p>\n
Casa La Femme<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
Once a model hang in Midtown East, this self-consciously fancy restaurant is outfitted with ornate furniture and decorations, and now attracts a crowd that seems more interested in the cocktails. The food is solid, however, encompassing the staples of a fine Egyptian meal, including expertly grilled meats, bread dips served with warm pitas, beef kofta over fattah rice, and if you\u2019re lucky, you\u2019ll find they\u2019ve made the macarona bashamel that evening, which is just what it sounds like. $23 to $64. 140 Charles St., West Village<\/p>\n
Brothers Original<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
With no dedicated Tunisian restaurants in the city, to my knowledge, in order to try the country\u2019s most distinctive dish, we must turn to this cart that parks in front of the Puck Building Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. On its menu is a brik, a flaky pastry stuffed with potatoes and a runny egg, with several distinctive Mediterranean relishes heaped on top. It is delicious, but watch that you don\u2019t squirt egg yolk onto your shirt! $15. 303 Lafayette St., SoHo<\/p>\n
Morgan Seafood<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
Located in the heart of Jersey City\u2019s Egyptian community, Morgan is a restaurant with a daily selection of scintillatingly fresh whole fish, as well as shrimp and calamari, the latter two fried or in tomato sauce with linguine and garlic. Eggplant, zucchini, chopped salad, tahini, and pitas all come on the side. The appetizer of breaded and fried eggplant tossed with mixed-vegetable pickles in a very French vinaigrette is one of the best dishes I\u2019ve eaten all year, $5 to $40. 2801 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Jersey City<\/p>\n
Tara Kitchen<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
There are 11 tajines available at this Tribeca Moroccan restaurant with branches in Albany and Wildwood, New Jersey, in addition to other obscure and outrightly homestyle selections. Standout mains include rfissa (chicken and lentils flavored with fenugreek served on a bed of shredded and buttered flatbread), tangia (lamb shank cooked with potatoes, lemon, and saffron-flavored butter), and mkwara (lamb meatballs immersed in a green relish called chermoula with cracked eggs poached on top). Main courses, $19 to $37. 253 Church St., Tribeca<\/p>\n
Mermeta<\/p>\n
Robert Sietsema for Gothamist<\/p>\n
While Bay Ridge is crawling with Middle Eastern restaurants, the North African ones are limited to a couple of Egyptian restaurants and Mermeta, a newish Algerian spot. The place, with its jocular signage, is postage-stamp-size, with only two tables peering into a steam table with a daily selection that varies by time of day. Sandwiches with French fries inside are always available, and on a recent visit a distinguished take on stuffed peppers sided with mashed potatoes, harira soup, and beef kofta cooked to order, $3 to $23. 479 73rd St., Bay Ridge<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"North African cooking is among the world\u2019s best, as anyone who has eaten in Morocco or Egypt can…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369901,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,56,63,65,64],"class_list":["post-369900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-new-york","tag-ny","tag-nyc","tag-nyc-headlines","tag-nyc-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369900"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369900\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}