Phoenicia – Hookah Time :: All Things Andy Gavin

Phoenicia – Hookah Time

May01

Location: 343 N Central Ave, Glendale, CA 91203. (818) 956-7800

Date: April 7, 2019

Cuisine: Lebanese

Rating: Good Mezzes, ok mains

Chevy has been threatening to bundle us off to brow-down (Glendale) to dine patio-side at one of his favorite Lebanese Hokkah joints.

I forgot to take good scene pictures, but you can get an idea. There are several large patios. Food is pretty classic Armenian Lebanese.

Olives and pickled radish.

Warak Enab. grape leaves stuffed with rice, oil and vegetables, cooked in lemon juice with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Kibbeh Nayeh. The classic lebanese-style tartar with burghoul, onions and fresh mint

Basturma. a slice of cured beef with a crust of exotic seasonings.

Pita bread.

Hommos. a delicate mixture of garbanzo beans blended with sesame oil and lemon juice.

Baba Ghanouj. Roasted eggplant finished with tahini and lemon juice

Labni. Lebanese yogurt / cheese.

Mouhammara. A spicy dip prepared with crushed walnuts, red pepper paste, pomegranate juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Cheese Platter. An assortment of Lebanese cheeses.

San Bousek. Freshly prepared dough with ground beef and pine nuts.

Cabbage Salad. Finely sliced cabbage marinated in olive oil and lemon juice. Middle eastern coleslaw! Really refreshing though.

Fattoush. Fresh greens in a light lemon and olive oil dressing, served with toasted pita corners and sumac.

Tabbouleh. The traditional mixture of fresh chopped italian parsley, crushed wheat, tomatoes and onions, served with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Kibbeh Makli. Beef dumpling stuffed with ground beef, bourghoul, onions and pine nuts. Plus “cheese cigars.”

Falafel.

Beid Kawerma. A southern lebanese specialty of ground beef with eggs, cooked and served in fakhar.

Sawda Djej / Chicken Liver. Tender pieces of chicken liver sauteed with spices and glazed with pomegranate juice or fresh lemon juice.

Lessanat. Lamb tongue, gently cooked to a tender finish with lemon and olive oil. Very soft — too soft.

Nekhaat. Lamb brain cooked in olive oil, lemon juice and garlic, served cold. I ate it, but the texture was a bit…

Lamb Shank. Braised with red wine, vegetables. Looks boring, but pretty good.

Lamb Shish Kebab. Marinated lamb fillet, broiled to perfection.

Frog Legs. Pan seared with lemon juice and cilantro.

Kastalleta. Lamb chops marinated with spices and grilled to your order. Very soft, but full of flavor.

Firri. A pair of delicately marinated quails, seasoned and pan-fried.

French fries.

(boring) Vegetables.

Aish El-Saraya. Sweetened bread drizzled with very sweet syrup and covered with cream on top. Sometimes, Aish El-Saraya is garnished with nuts. Love this stuff.

Gelato made by me:

Fresh back from Hawaii I created this new flavor with things I dragged home — Big Island — Coconut dairy base, Macadamia Nuts, and Fresh Mango — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Island Fever! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #Hawaii #MacadamiaNuts #nuts #mango #coconut #tropical

New flavor — Limoncello Biscotti — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor and Lemon Oreos — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Tastes just like lemon cookie! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #lemon #limoncello #Zabaione #LemonCookie #Oreo #LemonOreos

Lebanese coffee.

Hookah. This was apple flavored, I think, and there is an actual apple in there.

The wines.

Chevy and his lovely wife Mary.

Despite the terrible yelp reviews (mostly whining about the service), the food was pretty good — particularly the mezzes which were mostly excellent. Some of the meats were a bit more middling. They err toward the over marinated and not “seared” enough tasting (otherwise known as soggy). Flavors were good though and it’s very reasonable. Funny service, but they treated us well. Interesting scene.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!