Fresh Choice

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I gotta say, ever since it was announced that I'd be the Orange County guy for KCRW-FM 89.9, the station has gone GANGSTA on OC, not just by allowing me to blabber every Monday with my "Orange County Line" commentary, but with an energized focus on the food front via Good Food with Evan Kleiman. Don't get me wrong: I've been doing a monthly commentary for years, and we have our semi-annual happy hours (next one is Feb. 7--see you there!), but there's now an added focus on food stories that happen to take place in OC, or guests with ties to the area.

Take this week. Not only do you have me talking about Al Tannour, the awesome Iraqi restaurant in Little Arabia, but you also have Garden Grove gal Lauryn Chun sharing recipes involving kimchi, per her great The Kimchi Cookbook. And you also have San Clemente native Andrea Nguyen giving a tour of Mitsuwa Marketplace. Orange County: the new black!
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Nice bowls not included

One of the best students I ever had was a SanTana wab named Julio. He aced two of my classes at Cal State Fullerton--and if you know anything about my teaching style, you'll know that I give out as many As as I give praise to Rick Bayless. Anyhoo, Julio and I have stayed in touch, as he's a big fan of the Weekly and all the desmadre we stage.

A couple of weeks back, I checked in on what he's doing--getting a master's degree from Long Beach State, but also hustling for a company called Greek Mama. Had I ever heard of it? You know it!
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Courtesy of the Hawari family

Mike at the KNBC-TV studios

I have met hundreds of chefs in my decade reviewing Orange County restaurants, and few were more unassuming, more humble, more talented than Mike Hawari. With his wife Nancy, they opened up Kareem's Restaurant in Anaheim in the 1990s, back in the days when it was one of just a few Middle Eastern-themed businesses on Brookhurst Street. Today, of course, that area is the bustling Little Arabia enclave and features dozens of restaurants, yet Kareem's is still acknowledged as the makers of the best falafels on earth, perfectly fried orbs with a fluffy emerald center--why, we just named their falafel sandwich the best sandwich, period, in OC this year.

Today, Little Arabia is in mourning and shock with the news that Mike has passed away due to lung cancer.
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Olive Tree Facebook page

The fixins' from last year's Ramadan

Today marks the start of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month where the sons and daughters of Ishmael fast throughout the day, then stuff themselves silly on the iftar, the traditional meal that starts with the eating of a date and gets better from there. Most Little Arabia restaurants offer specials, but none more epic and delicious than the all-you-can-eat buffet at perennial Best Middle Eastern restaurant winner, Olive Tree in Anaheim.
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Waleed Alzuhair/Flickr Creative Commons

Not my koshari--someone else's

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There's that old saying about doing as the Romans do when in Rome. But when you're in Cairo, don't mimic the Egyptians like you would the Romans--at least when it comes to eating street food. The number of food carts in the country's capital is as many as the warnings you'll receive from fellow Egyptians to dish your heart out elsewhere. The last time I visited Egypt, no matter how many words of vigilant caution I received from my aunts, uncles, cousins and cousins' wives, there was a type of street food my taste buds couldn't resist--koshari. Koshari is to Egyptians what mac 'n' cheese is to Americans, a household staple, minus the cheese, plus a whole bunch of other carbs.
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​I've long shopped at Super King Market in that part of Anaheim that bleeds into Stanton, not just for their super-cheap produce but also to see my Orange County: the waves of Latinos, Muslims, Eastern Europeans, Asians, and plain ol' 'mericans shopping in peace, and even learning from each other--my mami is now a babaghanoush fanatic.

But I'm afraid I can never shop at Super King again, after the store just settled a case for $527,000 brought upon it by the Orange County District Attorney's office for falsely selling halal meat.

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Chris Kovach

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In the eastern Mediterranean, meat wrapped in bread--regardless of whether it's called souvlakia or shawarma--gets sold from street vendors. In New York, too, such things are the demesne of corner khlav kalash carts (forever known as such by the moniker bestowed by the Simpsons), though there are little shops here and there that will do them.
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Dave Lieberman

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I'd gone to Community in Little Arabia to get a massage at Yoga Stone one night last week, and when I stumbled floppily out of the complex, I was hungry. Across the street, Forn al-Hara, formerly known as Tripoli Pastry, beckoned.More »

Kareem's

​Over the weekend, I attended an art reception where the featured snacks were hummus and falafels. I still remember the days where the two (with tabbouli, natch) were staples of any left-of-center gathering, placed by conscious hosts who were attuned to the needs of vegetarians and wanted to seem cool by being ethnic.

Thank god Arabs, Persians, Turks, Armenians, and all the disparate groups of the Middle East came to save us fro that blight. We're haven't even reached a Middle Eastern cuisine renaissance, yet: consider this the time when Florence was just realizing that art and literature was beautiful--in other words, we're just at the point where restaurateurs are realizing they can sell regional food, and earn acclaim. Following, then, are 10 great Middle Eastern restaurants--falafel- and hummus-heavy, sure, but also so much more. Enjoy!

And just one note: if there's a preponderance of Anaheim restaurants on this list, it's because Anaheim has Little Arabia--DUH!

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