Lazar Wolfe, the butcher from Fiddler on the Roof, will need to settle for a rooftop restaurant in NYC to be named after him after being rejected by Tevye’s daughter Tzeitel. Not enough? Ok, throw in another restaurant in Philly, 12 goats, and a concept that not everyone understands.
Michael Solomonov is arguably the country’s most renowned Israeli chef (Alon Shaya fans might have a say). His empire in Philly includes Zahav, Dizengoff and Laser Wolf among other places. Dizengoff, the Humuseria still going strong in Philly after an unsuccessful run in NYC’s Chelsea Market. I remember sitting in Chelsea Market having a long conversation with Michael, thinking what can possibly go wrong. Turns out its location, location, location. Tourists simply dont care much for Hummus.
What followed was another concept, and what looks like a more successful NYC run. The concept might sound simple, but in the restaurant industry nothing is. Choose an item from the grill menu and they’ll take care of the rest. That includes 10 salatim, the world famous Hummus and pita, and ice cream. So say, the Chicken Shishlik (fancy for kebab) and its shocking sticker price of $50 includes all the other stuff, valued at $26 on their own.
Easy, schmeasy, no? I think even Lazar the butcher would appreciate a scheme like this where everyone wins including our precious brain cells. They really need to do a study on how much time men spend thinking about what to order. We think about tomorrow’s dinner after breakfast yesterday, and if its a restaurant we know the menu by heart hours, sometimes days prior to the meal.
Yet so many reviewers are confused and/or totally miss the mark. “You are paying for the views”, “5 meatballs for $55?”, and my favorite, “the chef should be very transparent that shishlik and koobideh are Iranian foods, not Israeli”. People are not only confused about Israeli food, but prices in NYC. Expect to pay the average for a NYC full service meal, $80-100 pp.
My only gripe is that the Salatim didnt have the same oomph as the original Philly location. The two eggplant dishes, roasted Bulgarian style, and Babaganoush were the standouts, though the only thing we ordered more (beside the Hummus) were the pickles. The fact that you can taste a bunch of small plates and order more (free of charge) of your favorites is a feature in itself.
The best part of that feature is the ability to ask for more pita and Hummus, some of the best in the business. Similar to Alon Shaya’s Safta and Saba (Denver, NOLA), it’s some serious chickpea magic. Dizengoff and its Hummus menu that includes an array of toppings would thrive in more local, health conscious environments like Tribeca, East and West Village.
As for the grill items, this time we tasted the newish multi-meat Keves Kebab, a respectable Mititei (Romanian style kebab) like meatballs. And a fine Steak Shishlik that didnt lack texture nor flavor. The Dorade, even though slightly overcooked was a table favorite, and a decent size. There’s even a punchy Date-Harissa Wings that comes with Tehina Ranch from the a la carte menu. Getting that instead of a grill item means adding an order of Hummus + Salatim, unless you are eating solo and/or skip the salads altogether.
If you have a choice go to the cheaper and arguably better Philly location. But Laser Wolf at the top of the Hoxton hotel in Williamsburg is a sound option for middle eastern fair in NYC. And the views of the Manhattan skyline are not too shabby either.
Laser Wolf
97 Wythe Ave (Brooklyn)
Recommended Dishes: Hummus + Slalatim, chicken liver Pate, wings, Steak Shishlik, Keves, Dorade
Eating With Ziggy 