Bereket

"Six big lamb meatballs crown a pile of really savory rice on the kofte plate."
Michael Stern






"This picture makes me think of a succulent sound the lamb meatballs made when my teeth cut through their rugged skin and into the meat, causing juices to flow. The meat is dense, well-balanced by the spritely salad and toasty wrap that enclose it."
Michael Stern



"Finer dining: tables at the new Bereket are covered with tablecloths."
Michael Stern



"The best dessert I've had since the hot fudge sundaes of Buffalo. It didn't hurt that this square of kadayif was hot from the oven, causing its rosy sweetness to virtually erupt at first taste."
Michael Stern



"The guys behind the counter said that the gyro du jour changes. Sometimes it is lamb or lamb and beef. This one is chicken. They will slice it for a wrap or full plate."
Michael Stern



"Only modestly garlicky, this humus is more about the leguminous nature of the chickpea, accented by tahini and lemon juice."
Michael Stern



"Before tightly wrapping my kofte sandwich, the chef asked if I would like to take a picture of it all laid out."
Michael Stern



"Starting at one o'clock, if memory serves: babaganoj (eggplant, tahini and garlic), acili ezme (hot red peppers, tomato and spice), cacik (yogurt with cucumbers and herbs), humus, [mystery thing that was delicious, reminiscent of potato salad], spinach with sour cream, and eggplant salad with peppers, garlic and parseley. Not a ringer in the lot. Smoky-toasted pita bread comes alongside for dipping."
Michael Stern



"A close view of Bereket's mixed lamb and beef gyro. This good stuff did not come from one of those compressed cylinders at a typical gyro stand. The Bereket guys assemble it in such a way that it is a textural adventure, from velvet soft to crunchy edge, as well as a taste-buds epiphany."
Michael Stern



"The white rectangles of cheese on this bright salad are a reminder of just how good feta cheese can be: briney with an assertive tang that cow's milk products simply cannot deliver."
Michael Stern



"Although it is in the back of a gas station and prices are criminally low, Bereket is a most civilized place, as evidenced by this lovely glass of tea that followed lunch."
Michael Stern



"American sodas and bottled water are available, but I could not resist this apricot juice that really was quite fruity, and a boon companion for the savory, spicy food."
Michael Stern



"Some of Bereket's meats. From the left, chicken meat balls, chicken kebab, a sausage of beef and lamb, beef kebab, and meat from a gyro of lamb and beef. Those long green peppers on top are very hot."
Michael Stern



"Gyros are available as a sandwich, but the plate is effulgent: heaps of meat, plus freshly roasted peppers of different sizes and some salad and (not shown) pita bread."
Michael Stern



"The one lone table at the old Bereket. Cozy, yes, but impractical indeed."
Michael Stern



"Adana kebabs are very spicy skewer-cooked lengths of ground lamb."
Michael Stern



"A quartet of baklava await eating."
Michael Stern



"Behind the Turkish counter is a cooler with both American and Turkish drinks, from Coke to apricot juice."
Michael Stern



"Although the new location is quiet polite and food is served on real plates, this order of rice pudding was served unceremoniously in an aluminum tub. Who cares? It is creamy, rich, and delicious; and the rice itself is a revelation."
Michael Stern



"Sigara Borek in the making: a mixture of feta cheese and parsley is tightly wrapped in a triangle of filo dough, then fried to a crisp."
Michael Stern



"You couldn't ask for a nicer couple of guys working in the tiny galley kitchen of the old restaurant. They're still on hand at the new location."
Michael Stern