October 6, 2006
The Hungry Cabbie Eats The Outer Boroughs: Kabab Cafe
Passionate men cook great food. And Ali is one of the most passionate men you’ll ever meet. That’s all you need to know before you go to Ali’s Kabab Café in Astoria.
I discovered Kabab Café just before I started driving a yellow cab and well before I ever dreamt of conducting eating tours. I had a couple of friends who’d moved to Astoria back when people still contended that it was going to be the next Williamsburg.
Since I’m not a great fan of Greek food, when I went to visit we’d usually opt for Steinway Street’s North African restaurant row. Kabab Café is no secret, and we all felt it was far and away the tastiest joint on the strip. Everything on the Egyptian/ Moroccan menu is very flavorful, and the daily specials are always jaw-droppingly, eyes-wideningly, table-poundingly delicious. As I ate my first falafel there, Ali argued vehemently (though I was not arguing back) that, “A man’s HEART is in food. His SOUL. His whole LIFE is right there in that dish.” He punched his hairy, exposed chest and smacked the veins in his wrist as he spoke to accentuate his point. I told him that I agreed.
Even though he cooks everything, Ali always takes the time to chat. Knowing that Ali is from Egypt, I tried to make conversation once by saying that I think the Sinai is one of the most beautiful places on earth. "I'm not a religious person, but I felt a spirtuality in that desert," I told him. "That's all bullshit. Religion is BULLSHIT," he practically shouted. "I want to live NOW, I want to fuck NOW, I want to eat well NOW."
I liked his style. But I pressed him, "Don't you think the Sinai is beautiful?" He responded, “You want to know what’s the most beautiful place on earth? I'll tell you what's the most beautiful place on earth. NEW YORK CITY is the most beautiful place on earth.” Again, I agreed. Ali is a great New Yorker. He even eats at DiFara and Totonno.
Yet, I never take people to Kabab Cafe on my five borough eating tours. It’s a sit down joint, and Ali takes his time cooking his dishes to order. My customers want to hit as many spots in as short a time as possible.
Recently, I sat down for a meal at Kabab Café, and the eating tour topic arose as Ali and I discussed the 15th century spice trade. “If you don’t take people to Queens on your eating tours, you don’t know SHIT about eating in New York,” he blurted out. I was hurt. “Ali, I call it Famous Fat Dave’s FIVE BOROUGH Eating Tour on the Wheels of Steel. Why don’t you think I come to Queens?” I said. “Because if you don’t take people to Kabab Cafe, you don’t know SHIT about food in Queens,” he retorted. Good point, I conceded.
But I told him the problem is merely with the timing. “If you don’t sit down to enjoy your food, you don’t know SHIT about . . . weeeellll. . . if you call me twenty minutes before you come, I can have something ready for you. . . Because I like you and I want you to have the best FUCKING eating tour in New York.”
Ali apologized for saying that I don’t know SHIT about eating. “I was worked up,” he said. But that’s exactly what I love about Ali: He's truly impassioned about life and everything that goes with it. On my next tour, we'll be stopping at Kabab Café.
Kabab Cafe, 25-12 Steinway Street at 25th Avenue, Astoria, Queens 718-728-9858
|
I am sooo bummed you just wrote about this restaurant. I live in Astoria and its one of my FAVORITE places to eat. Now its going to be busier now that its out! And not to mention that Ali is one of the funniest chefs in the neighborhood.
good for him. i'm sure he'll be happy about getting more business from locals.
2 to 1 says he's not happy about getting more business.
Does the place still only have something like 5 tables? It truly is one of the restaurants I miss most since moving out of the city.
Does some of his chest hair get into the food? I've never seen a chef have his bare chest out in the open while preparing food before.
please stop putting up these god awful photos of the food. it's really making me sick.
hmmm, so you were finally able to find it Dave?
next time get the pumpkin dumplings... delicious.
i happen to know ali would love the business and NEEDS the business. the blackout screwed over so many people in astoria, including ali. he lost a lot of money during it. please go. you won't regret it. it's amazing food at the very least. at the most, it's an amazing night of meeting other fans, talking with ali, and sitting in a cozy, cozy spot.
try during the week (not on a monday - he's closed) if you are worried about getting a seat. otherwise, if it's crowded, take a walk down steinway st, stop in the middle eastern bakery nearby, smoke a hookah, explore. ali's was the first middle eastern restaurant 17 years ago on steinway - now it rivals atlantic ave.
i can't make it back to astoria as much as i'd like, so when i go, i really go all out. bring your own wine, just make sure to offer ali some. tip big. he's your busboy, waiter, chef and friend. i treat the kebab cafe like a nonprofit - ali's food is his art, and we're the lucky patrons.
Yeah, one of the best meals you're gonna have in the city here. As for the above commenter complaining about "pictures of food" - what are you, some kind of fucking e-anorexic? JPEGs don't got no calories, whiner.
Dorothy is right!! Ali and his restaurant are one of the gems of this entire city, not just Astoria, He got royally ConnEd back in July, and would be thrilled to have more business. In fact, I should head over there myself sooner rather than later.
so we've all established that ali is one cool dude... how about some menu description/suggestions?
This place is great. Great choice. Great article. You really captured Ali's character
Nick, some menu suggstions. The specials are good but if you're on a budget, you can't go wrong with what's on the regular menu. Or even if you're not on a budget, start with the basics and just order a lot - this is a good way to start the first few times you go to the cafe. Ali will be happy to give you containers to take food home if you cant finish.
Either way, start with a mezze plate for the table - a mixture of hummus, falafal, baba, crispy, crispy amazing swiss chard, apple slices, mysterious spices, ali's homemade hot sauce - everything good. sometimes this is the highlight of the meal for me. with this, ali will also bring warm pita to the table that he's heated on his indoor grill.
again, don't feel the need to eat everything here - you'll fill up too fast. everything but the falafel is good to eat the next day. also ali will enlarge the mezze plate according to the size of your party. before you even order, just tell him - please, we'll take a mixed appetizer plate whenever you can bring it over!
after you order the mixed plate, well, now the menu is yours. everything really is that good, i don't think you can go wrong. i happen to love the chicken with apricot. anything with lamb is worth ordering. if you are vegetarian, try a warm salad with a side of hummus. if you aren't vegetarian, split a warm salad with your meal! it's delicous.
service isn't fast but it's not slow either. that said, you're going to want to just go ahead and order as you can. ali won't mind you getting his attention to ask for something or to bring you the bill. in fact, he'll appreciate you effort because he's torn between conversing with everyone, being the master of the food AND trying to deal with logistics. he's really doing it all - and while it can be difficult for a *chef* to do, i have to say he really pulls it off. the service is more european style and by that i don't mean bad. just as the hungry cabbie points out - ali doesn't want you to rush over your meal; he will never rush you out!
also, you will be charged for water because it's bottled (not sure why people complain about this on chowhound - it's not overpriced and who wants tap water from the old pipes in that building?). also, it's truly BYO - he has some wine but don't feel guilty about bringing something yourself. a really dry, robust red will compliment the spicy stuff you're eating. if you forget to bring some, there's a pretty good liquor store on the corner of astoria blvd and steinway; make a left at the end of steinway before the grand central.
after you are done, sip some mint tea. tip big. exit to the right and walk a few blocks down steinway. on your right is a middle eastern bakery (not a cafe; a true bakery with cookies and a display case in the front of the shop). it stays open late. get an espresso and 5 dollars worth of mixed middle eastern pastries. the decor is nothing special but the people who work there are warm and again, the food so delicious.
i hope you go!
I don't know how much you all need to worry about big crowds - this isn't the first I've seen this place praised in the press at large, or, for that matter, on a blog.
What I can't believe is that I haven't hit this place yet. Dave, what are the dishes pictured? Dorothy, thanks for the tips.
THIS PLACE LOOKS LIKE AN ARAB SCHMORGASBOARD - YUM!!!