CAFE MOGADOR

Another night of exploring beyond Manhattan.  Back to Brooklyn's Williamsburg area, which seems to be my favorite little town in Brooklyn.

I couldn't remember the name of the restaurant except I knew that the place was packed when we walked by last time, after dinner and said to ourselves that we would like to try this.  And so we did!

A good choice indeed.  They serve simple Moroccan food that's well prepared.  Nothing seems to be overcooked. (Nothing that we ordered anyway).

One stop over the East River and we get to eat in a nice garden area like a green house.

We decided to have 4 different kinds of appetizers to share:

The sardines had a very light tomato sauce.  A better version of the canned Portuguese sardines of course.

The Halloumi cheese was served with a grilled skewered vegetables and pieces of bread squares.

The mussels were large and juicy.

The grilled lamb above us delicious served with a salad andon rice.

The lamb tagine in lemon is juicy, tender and lemony.

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• DORADO

  7/13/2013

  After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the…
• SULLIVAN BREAD

  7/12/2013

  My staple in the kitchen:Strecci - plainFilone breadMulti-grain PullmanSour dough Pullman bread They supply top restaurants in the city.
• BENOIT

  7/12/2013

  I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love. Yes,…

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FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• DORADO

  7/13/2013

  After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the…
• SULLIVAN BREAD

  7/12/2013

  My staple in the kitchen:Strecci - plainFilone breadMulti-grain PullmanSour dough Pullman bread They supply top restaurants in the city.
• BENOIT

  7/12/2013

  I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love. Yes,…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• DORADO

  7/13/2013

  After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the…
• SULLIVAN BREAD

  7/12/2013

  My staple in the kitchen:Strecci - plainFilone breadMulti-grain PullmanSour dough Pullman bread They supply top restaurants in the city.
• BENOIT

  7/12/2013

  I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love. Yes,…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• DORADO

  7/13/2013

  After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the…
• SULLIVAN BREAD

  7/12/2013

  My staple in the kitchen:Strecci - plainFilone breadMulti-grain PullmanSour dough Pullman bread They supply top restaurants in the city.
• BENOIT

  7/12/2013

  I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love. Yes,…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• DORADO

  7/13/2013

  After we went to the fusion taco place in Chelsea Pier 57, I had to try this place on the…
• SULLIVAN BREAD

  7/12/2013

  My staple in the kitchen:Strecci - plainFilone breadMulti-grain PullmanSour dough Pullman bread They supply top restaurants in the city.
• BENOIT

  7/12/2013

  I can't believe I have not written anything about Alain Ducasse's bistro or brasserie in NYC that I love. Yes,…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• BISTRO PETITE

  6/29/2013

  Our friend recommended this place for us to go to in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It's a French Bistro whose Chef originates…
• GO BO Vegetarian Restaurant

  6/29/2013

  I have been wanting to eat here for some time.  It's actually better than I thought. The place looks nice…
• Dinner Party

  6/27/2013

  Last night. I had a get together dinner at our place.  It started as a plain dinner plan for me…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• BISTRO PETITE

  6/29/2013

  Our friend recommended this place for us to go to in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It's a French Bistro whose Chef originates…
• GO BO Vegetarian Restaurant

  6/29/2013

  I have been wanting to eat here for some time.  It's actually better than I thought. The place looks nice…
• Dinner Party

  6/27/2013

  Last night. I had a get together dinner at our place.  It started as a plain dinner plan for me…

Subscribe to this Feed

FOODYHOLIC'S Choice

• BISTRO PETITE

  6/29/2013

  Our friend recommended this place for us to go to in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  It's a French Bistro whose Chef originates…
• GO BO Vegetarian Restaurant

  6/29/2013

  I have been wanting to eat here for some time.  It's actually better than I thought. The place looks nice…
• Dinner Party

  6/27/2013

  Last night. I had a get together dinner at our place.  It started as a plain dinner plan for me…

Subscribe to this Feed

Above is their homemade bread served with babaganoush.

On the left is the mixed grilled plate with merquez sauce, chicken and lamb served with salad and basmati long grained rice.

I like this restaurant for its value, taste and ambiance.

I asked them if their St. Mark's branch in Manhattan was exactly the same.  They said that the menu has a little difference.

CAFE MOGADOR 

133 Wythe Ave
(between 7th St & 9th St)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
Neighborhood: Williamsburg - North Side

(718) 486-9222

http://www.cafemogador.com/william…

ALGERIAN RECIPE

Sometime earlier this year, I was invited to a Middle Eastern Cooking Demonstration and contest.  Each Chef represented a country.

This flyer was distributed to us so that we can make it at home.

I am delighted to have had this recipe which was actually prepared in front of us while attending a Middle East cook off contest sponsored by an organization at the UN which was held at the Consulate of Kuwait.

NOMAD - A Moroccan Restaurant in the East Village

Do not be confused!  I just blogged about The Nomad in the Nomad Hotel located in the Flat Iron district - 29th Street and Broadway.

This restaurant is located in the East Village on Second Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets.

It is a casual place and a trendy Moroccan decor, affordable prices, with good portions.  They actually claim to be a South African restaurant.

One of our appetizers was Tabouleh.  This one had grains in it - maybe because it's Moroccan style rather than the general Middle Eastern version we are accustomed with.

The special Moroccan stew with prunes and nuts was tender and flavorful.  If you don't like prunes, you can request for them to remove it.

You know me, I'm always curious to try other dishes that I've never had.  So, I chose this chicken cooked in filo-type dough sprinkled with some powdered sugar and cinnamon.  It's alright but there were other dishes that I tried at the table.

The mini crab cakes and shrimp as appetizer could be one's main course.

NOMAD
78 2nd Ave  New York, NY 10003
(212) 253-5410
bingr.yelp.com

LUNCH AT THE FOOT OF MT. HERMON

As we continue through my Pilgrimage in Israel, we drove north to explore the upper regions of Israel to the foot of Mount Hermon, overlooking Syria and the Road to Damascus. There was snow at the foot of Mount Hermon and here we stopped by a little place to eat.

As a foodie, I ordered something else other than a felafels for lunch.  I forget what it's called but I opted for this crepe-like bread that's made in front of you which she stuffs with cream called labne, drizzle what I think is olive oil, and sprinkle it with some condiments and spices.

The crepe-like bread is crispy and contains the labne with spices and olive oil inside.
One is free to get some pickles and vegetables on the side.  I ordered some dessert and they're tea.

This is where we stopped over to have our lunch at the foot of Mt. Hermon.

By the way, Mt. Hermon is north of Israel and where the spring water comes down to feed the River Jordan.

HEROD'S HOTEL IN TEL-AVIV

I recently went to Israel for a Pilgrimage trip to the Holy Land.  This trip is most unforgettable since I am very well versed with its biblical history.  In fact, it is everything I have learned since childhood come alive.

With all my anxiety of what accommodations and food we may have, to my surprise, my first day experience proved to be awesome!

Due to the recent bad weather and flooding the week before, our hotel went under water and therefore was upgraded to a hotel by the sea.  What more could you ask for.  Our room had a balcony overlooking the parked boats and pool.  Most importantly, the food was well presented and deliciously prepared in an array buffet-style.

The new assigned hotel was called HERODS. 



There was the chef who cooked the lamb burgers, chorizos, duck breast and fish to dish it out fresh for you.

There were slices of peppers being grilled as well.  Do you see the duck on the left, chorizos in the center and the lamb sausages to the right?

They had chicken, stews, noodles and 2 more dishes on this side. 

There was stuffed grape leaf and a variety of yellow peppers to the left

Above, you can watch the array of desserts at Herods Hotel by the Mediterranean Sea in Tel-Aviv where we stayed.  And it's no surprise why I helped myself as evidenced below.

And you think this was dinner?  The following morning, I couldn't resist to try breakfast!  They had fresh baked pastries and breads.

 

 

 In the background was Challah type brioche bread and in the foreground was a very flaky apple strudel (that's what I thought it was).

On the right were more pastries such as mini freshly baked croissants.

How about some warm Herods chocolate sauce to pour on top of your waffles on the left.  Or eggs with savory tomato sauce.

We had a large choice of smoked fish to choose from including smoked salmon.  I liked the large sliced ones in the middle third from the right.

You can order eggs the way you want it as well.

Imagine 5-6 rows of these filled with food to choose from for breakfast.  It's like a Las Vegas buffet but healthier. (I think)

There were even cheeses to choose from.  So, next time you get bumped off a hotel, maybe you'll end up with one that's better than what you had expected!

HERODS HOTEL
155 Hayarkon Street, Tel Aviv 63453, Israel

Ranked #24 of 78 hotels in Tel Aviv