12 December 2007

Tanoreen



For some odd reason NY Magazine and The Times love this spot. Oh, and Zagat just named it the top Middle Eastern restaurant in all of New York City. I'm sorry but I'm starting to think chef/owner Rawia Bishara has incriminating photos of someone, somewhere.

Tanoreen is just a lowly, random Middle Eastern joint on 77th and 3rd, next door to the old Once Upon A Sundae. I think I've been inside handicap bathrooms bigger than this restaurant.

Anyway, last year New York Magazine graced our lowly Tanoreen with five stars and the coveted #1 spot on their "Best Cheap Eats" list. But not before referring to Bay Ridge as "the ends of the earth". I love insulated Manhattan people. They are so charming and clueless.



Zagat names Tanoreen top Middle Eastern restaurant in NY {Daily News}

So as you can imagine ever since the nod from NYM, the place has been booming. So I guess now their lease is up and it's as good a time as any to move to bigger digs. They said they're gonna keep the original spot open and seamlessly move into the new location - they're not sure where it'll be just yet.

I dunno, I ate at Tanoreen about 2 years ago — before the critics came —and everything I ordered was cold. Like, it wasn't supposed to be hot or anything, it was supposed to be served cold. Thing is, I didn't think I was ordering a bunch of cold food when I picked it off the menu so I was quite confused and disappointed. I thought revenge was the dish best served cold, not the "Vegetarian Combo".


I don't see any steam coming off that plate, do you?

It's difficult to appreciate the subtleties of flavour not to mention the "individual components of the signature Tanoreen spices that Bishara scatters about like pixie dust" when its straight from a refrigerator, so I really have no opinion of Tanoreen. In fact, I think I'll officially list my opinion as "N/A".

My mother swears by the place and she's been going there since before NY Mag and The Times starting jocking it. She usually goes with my Godmother who is a real foodie, so maybe this place is good, I dunno.


BBBRRRrrrrrr... it's cold in here!

Maybe with their new spot Tanoreen will have room for some stoves and ovens, and they'll start selling some warm food!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Me and wifey were obsessed with that place when we lived at the end of the Earth. Easily the best Middle Eastern jernt in NYC, better than most MI food in the mideast. The vegetarian combo was always negotiable and they hook it up if you order wild, keepin' it real, non menu items. I hope they didn't get a big ass a-la DiFara and ruin a good thing because of a few write ups.

Tracey said...

I used to go there and there was this thing with pine nuts. no idea wtf it was but it was sofa king delicious, and piping hot.