4/7/2023 0 Comments Cafe aldente studio cityThis young (and small) kitchen has its hands full concentrating on the mezes and entrees. Lunchtime brings juicy kebab sandwiches - moist grilled marinated chicken breast with thick garlic paste in pita bread or one of the California-esque panini made with soujouk or Cypriot-style fresh white cheese.ĭesserts aren’t made in-house, and, while that’s understandable, it’s a pity. Meatier mezes include sautéed filet mignon slices atop a mound of hummus or simply napped with a meat reduction. Or go for the bamieh, tiny almond-size okra stewed in an onion-tomato Provençal-style sauce, or the layered cheese pastry, su borek. And the ways to amuse your palate are seemingly endless.įor the dolmades, Asian eggplants are hollowed out and stuffed with a rice- tomato-garlic mix. If all this seems pretty fancy, the prices are not. Showier still, the Armenian soujouk sausage gets flamed with brandy-like arak at your table. Basturma, the Armenian answer to bresaola or bundnerfleisch, comes thinly sliced on five baguette rounds, each topped with a sunny-side-up quail egg. If you can forgo kebabs, a collection of mezes makes a lusty substantial meal with wide-ranging flavors. Just to be sure every guest’s taste is satisfied, the salad may be ordered either with toasted or fried bread. Instead of commonly seen lettuce, Darakjian uses purslane, a leafy succulent. Pristinely fresh ingredients are tossed to order in a dressing of just-squeezed lemon juice and a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil. Order the pita bread salad, fattoush, and you will instantly understand this chef’s philosophy. Inside the al dente pasta, nuggets of lemony vegetarian spinach filling or of subtly seasoned house ground beef make ideal canvases for the creamy sharp yogurt-garlic sauce that blankets them. The tiny agnolotti-like dumplings of Turkish origin (sometimes spelled manti) are about as addictive as buttered popcorn. (His kafta kebab, made with lean, hand-ground Angus beef, may not be greasy enough for some traditionalists.)īut there’s nothing “lite” about the house namesake dish, mantee. At Mantee, his food is a somewhat lightened version of classic dishes. Since then, Darakjian, 30, has honed his kitchen skills. “We would come to breakfast and he had already laid out the table with the dishes he’d prepared himself.” But he’s been cooking from the age of 7 or 8, according to his mom, Sylvia Gabrielian. Before opening Mantee he trained in the kitchens of the Lebanese restaurant. This kitchen is headed by young chef Jonathan Darakjian, whose mother’s family owns Al Mayass. The family’s Beirut restaurant, Al Mayass (they are proud to tell you) made it onto Food & Wine magazine’s prestigious “Go List” of outstanding recommended restaurants worldwide. The proprietor’s family owns several internationally known eating places in the Near East. It turns out Mantee has a bit of a pedigree. Tables are spread edge to edge with mezes and other small plates: the best hummus you’ve ever tasted scattered with sautéed pine nuts stuffed grape leaves with garlicky yogurt sauce muhammara, the spicy dip of crushed walnuts, pomegranate and Aleppo pepper and plates of bubbling feta baked in tomato coulis. And the guests? They’re partying like there’s no tomorrow. So why is the small dining room so empty?īecause most diners at this diminutive Lebanese-Armenian restaurant are eating out back in the impossibly romantic leaf-shaded patio with its lush potted plants massed in every corner under the golden light of Parisian-style iron street lamps. We’re a family oriented site focusing on bringing trusted reviews and recommendations to moms and others.Like a classic storybook bistro, with smart burgundy awnings, lacy curtains and flower boxes at the windows, Mantee exudes a warm and welcoming aura. The new owners of Caf Aldente in Studio City, California, worry that the staff. Whether you’re looking for a specific business or just trying to discover great places we make it easy. Judy’s Book has millions of listings and reviews for the best and not so great. From family friendly trips with kid friendly activities to local plumbers lawyers, spas, and contractors.
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