Result of the collaboration between the team behind La Pecora Bianca (that is few steps from there) and Chef Einat Admony, from Balaboosta and Taim, Mama Mezze serves Mediterranean cuisine. The space is quite large and bright, with a fake orange tree in the middle of the dining room that makes you forget you are in New York. The menu is also exciting with so many mouth watering dishes you just want to order everything and showcases the Chef’s culinary skills, inspired by her Israeli, Persian and Yemeni roots. The hummus ($14) for instance, that is, like at Balaboosta, creamy, is served with za’atar laffa, an Iraqi-jewish bread thicker and chewer than pita that was delicious. The Jerusalem bagel, served with labneh ($8) is another bread that is good to try, recognizable with its ring shape and sesame layer that give it a nutty taste. These two can be shared, as is the crispy latke ($12). This dish is a good twist on potato latke. The latke itself was deliciously crispy, slightly greasy as expected, sitting on a sauce made with apple and sour cream. I’ll pass on the Greek salad ($19) that, although probably good, has nothing to stand out, preferring the mediterranean chopped salad ($18), made with tomato, cucumber, red pepper, red onion and toasted freaked, , a cereal food made from durum wheat, that was topped with mint and tahini: quite good. But let’s focus now on the sandwiches: the falafel sandwich ($19) is really good, that is not surprising considering Chef Admony also owns Taim that is known for having some of the best falafel in the city. But the chicken shawarma sandwich ($23) is not to be missed. From the pillowy pita to the delicious chicken that was marinated in amba, a pickled unripened mango sauce, it was superb. Both sandwiches were accompanied by za'atar fries that were quite good, being slightly crunchy. They also have large plates like the Savta's chicken schnitzel ($28) or "grandmother" schnitzel that was phenomenal. Served with mashed potatoes and a red cabbage slaw, it was crispy on the outside, while the pounded chicken remained moist. A must have. Another thing to try is their skewers. Cooked in their wood fire grill, they are accompanied by roasted vegetables, tahini, zhug (Yemenite cilantro and parsley sauce) and mama's rice that is rice mixed with lentils, crispy shallots and caramelized onions. You get two skewers and can choose between lemon-oregano chicken ($28), Persian-lime glazed salmon ($32), adobo-rubbed skirt steak ($36) and honey-harissa jumbo shrimp ($34). I went for the latter and did not regret it: the shrimp, perfectly cooked were a bit spicy, so I used the tahini to counterbalance a bit the heat. But it was so good, you could not stop eating. And that rice! This was a delicious rice, packed with flavors, that you can also get as a side.

With our meal, we got some drinks: a must have is their espresso martini ($19) made with tahini, simply called Espresso Tahini, and I also loved the Rocking Kasbah ($18), made with rum, ginger, za'atar and a ginger foam, two cocktails among others that definitely embrace the theme of the restaurant. I also liked the levantine Spritz ($18), that is made with Tequila, Aperol, orange, grapefruit and champagne rosé. For non-alcoholic beverages, they do have a lemonade ($5) that is quite good, not too tart and not too sweet.

Dessert is not to be missed. For dinner, their sesame chocolate tart ($14) is rich and nutty, topped with some shredded halva that I love (totally different from store bought). Then, for brunch, they have a Nutella babka ($8) that is quite big, with lots of Nutella in it, especially in the center, that is the best part to get to.

Overall, Mama Mezze is a great addition to the New York food scene, showcasing the culinary mastery of Chef Admony and bridging many cuisines in an incredible menu. I simply love it!

Enjoy (I did)!

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Mama Mezze - 1123 Broadway, New York, NY 10010

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