5 minute read
Out and About
The Shores of the Mediterranean in Queen Village Featuring Alyan’s Restaurant (Israel) and O Sole Mio (Italy)
Article by Cait and Michael Allen
— Herodotus, The History, I.1., 4th Century B.C.
As the ships of the Phoenicians crisscrossed the waters of the Mediterranean, centers of commerce, such as Neápolis (Naples) in Italy and Jerusalem in Israel, became melting pots of language, art, and cuisine. Now, with spring's arrival in Queen Village, visit the shores of the Mediterranean and meet the proprietors of Alyan’s Restaurant (603 S. 4th Street) and O Sole Mio (250 Catharine Street) as each shares the experiences and tastes of his childhood home.
Dine in the Hills between Jerusalem and Bethlehem at Alyan’s Chef-owner Mohammed Alyan grew up in the village of Beit Safafa just south of Jerusalem. In his youth, he learned the rigors of cooking when he worked at a bakery and a hotel kitchen. He reminisces about the wonderful landscape of traditional ingredients and flavors in the region, such as the artichoke-like blossoms of Akoub that his family gathered in the mountains. He has operated at his 4th Street location since 1986 and lives in Queen Village. “When you cook food the way it should be cooked, it takes all of your time,” he told us. He described soaking chickpeas for falafel a day in advance and the additional four hours of post soaking boiling time in order to make hummus. “The meat is trimmed lean by hand,” he said, “and once it is marinated overnight, you must use it the next day.” While our kabobs sizzled on the grill nearby, our table was filled with Baba Ghannouj and the Middle Eastern Combo, which included marinated carrots, mushrooms, eggplant and turnips. At first taste, we were transported! The Baba Gannouj was creamy and so delicate with small bursts of garlic and olive oil. We imagined ourselves having lunch in the foothills under the quiet branches of an olive tree. And every carrot on earth should taste like Mohammed’s creation, incredibly juicy with hints of exotic spice and lemon. We won’t even mention the turnip soaked in beet juice with its salt-of-the-Earth flavor.
Alyan's Baba Ghannouj and the Middle Eastern Combo.
Photo by Michael Allen
Alyan’s Mixed Grill and the Falafel platter joined the feast. Just cutting into the lamb filled the air with the delicious aroma of meat smoke. Every piece of chicken, every cut of beef, seemed to have been plucked from the fire at the precise right moment. And confession: we are not the biggest fans of zucchini. (It is so often used as a filler.) But at one bite of Mohammed’s grilled zucchini, we wanted to spin in the middle of a zucchini field like Maria in The Sound of Music. Drenched for a moment in oil to keep it from sticking to the grill, the flesh was seared, tender, seasoned, and bursting with juice. We were converted.
Alyan’s Mixed Grill and the Falafel platter.
Photo by Michael Allen
Lastly, we cleared our minds to enjoy the falafel that takes so much experience and time to create. “We don’t use flour,” Mohammed said. “Most people don’t know that. It is gluten-free. When you know how to make it, the chickpeas alone hold it together.” We noticed sesame seeds mixed into the crisp crust, and within, the soft interior was Cilantro-green and delicate. It paired scrumptiously with the tahini sauce and dips of elegantly smooth hummus. Sipping our yogurt drink and hot mint tea, we enjoyed learning about Mohammed’s family and children and promised that we would most certainly be back to visit him soon.
Naples-style Pizza and Recollections of a Fishing Heritage at O Sole Mio
When Sal Virgi was 11 years old, he worked at a restaurant in his hometown of Naples, Italy. One short-handed day, the owner pulled him from his dishwashing duties and put him to work adding pizza toppings. He dropped the first pizza he ever retrieved from the wood-fired, brick oven. The future chef-owner learned that day to never drop a pizza again! Naples was not a wealthy town, and pizza was affordable. In a household brimming with seven brothers, this hometown treat became a weekend comfort food.
During springtime, before the growing season, seafood dominated. Sal remembers his father, a fisherman, carrying in just-caught mussels and clams. He still smiles when he talks about the dishes his mother prepared with all the wonders his father brought home.
The seafood salad is one of the creations where Sal pays homage to his roots. The dish—full of shrimp, calamari, octopus, scallops, and luscious greens— is topped with a lemon vinaigrette light enough not to quiet the sounds of the crashing sea. The scallops were especially miraculous, still warm and tender from Sal’s sizzling skillet.
O Sole Mio's seafood salad.
Photo by Michael Allen
Next, we (not so) patiently watched the traditional Naples margarita pizza slide into the brick oven assembled from materials brought over from Italy. The fire glowed hot, allowing the baking perfection to happen in merely 60 seconds. The crust steamed with home-baked goodness slightly blackened where it touched the hot stone. And oh, the sauce—so fresh, as if Sal’s hands were stained vinegreen from picking the tomatoes. For our entrée, we got to live one of Sal’s fondest memories—yes, those mussels and clams piled around the Linguine Pescatore. We could almost hear those seven brothers running for the kitchen. Lastly, with barely any room left, we took Sal’s advice and spooned rich chocolate, pistachio, and cherry layers through his imported Spumoni Gelato. Magnifico!
Traditional Naples margarita pizza fresh from the brick oven from O Sole Mio
Photo by Michael Allen
Visit Sal on May 26 th when he celebrates the second anniversary of O Sole Mio. “There is so much potential here,” he says about his choice of Queen Village. “There are so many young families here, and that’s what I love. The family atmosphere.” He is dedicated to the old fashioned ways. “It’s important to create things and do it right,” he says. “It’s a lot more work, but it makes me happy.” It makes all of us happy too! ■
