Just a quick post this week to share a wonderful restaurant that we visited in New York a few weeks ago on our way to our younger daughter’s college graduation.

Owned by the Massoud brothers and located in the Flatiron District of New York, Ilili “crafts a melting pot of Lebanese, Levantine and Mediterranean inspired cuisine mixed with New York attitude.”  I learned about it from reading this article in The Boston Globe and knew it came well recommended.  I tucked away the name, hoping for an opportunity to go.  Over the past 26 years of marriage, my husband has thankfully grown to love these cuisines as much, if not more than me so he was equally happy when I told him where we were heading…

Ilili is a large and colorful space.  It is warm and inviting, whether you are a party of two or a sizable group which is perfect for the type of sharing plates the restaurant offers.  The restaurant is open every day for lunch or brunch and dinner.

The dinner menu is divided among cold mezza, hot mezza and main plates.  While the main plates on offer were plentiful and enticing, we decided to craft our dinner based on the mezza menu.  We were advised by our attentive waiter to order 2-3 dishes per person so we ordered 5, but I think we could have eaten more because everything was so good and not very heavy!  A friend who knew we were there from an Instagram story shared that they have delicious cocktails too.  I was in celebration mode so ordered a sparkling rose, while my husband had a bourbon cocktail that he really enjoyed.  The cocktail menu’s offerings were quite clever and used all types of Middle Eastern ingredients so maybe next time we will be a bit more adventurous.

Among the cold mezza were various traditional dips, tartares (steak and tuna), salads, grapeleaves, cheeses and even a moussaka.  Here are the items we chose.

Hummus was available with all sorts of toppings, but we chose basterma, the dried spiced beef of my childhood that we still enjoy as a treat at the holidays.  Served with billowy rounds of house made pita bread, it was just fantastic.  I know, I know, ordering hummus in a restaurant?  The addition of the basterma was just magic.  We ate every bite of the perfectly creamy dip…

We also ordered the fattoush salad that was tart and refreshing from its sumac lemon vinaigrette.  A nice foil to the rich hummus and basterma combination…

The hot mezza offered were wide ranging as well and I’m sure we would have been happy with any of them. The chef includes traditional spices (sumac, aleppo pepper, zaatar, chili, tumeric) with fresh herbs, especially mint in many of the preparations.  Flavor abounds.  While there were several vegetable dishes, falafel, moujadara and shawarmas, here are the three items we decided on.  Maybe not the most colorful or inspired to look at, but we were very happy!  First up, Black Iron Shrimp with Jalapeno, Garlic and Cilantro that I believe were also dusted with some Aleppo Pepper. Spicy and light, it was probably my husband’s favorite…

Fried Beef Kibbeh.  Spiced beef mixed with onion and pine nuts are formed into round kibbeh and fried until golden brown and served with a yogurt sauce.  I particularly loved this one as the seasonings transport me home…

And finally, Phoenician Fries that were dusted with sumac and served with toum, a delicious whipped garlic sauce.  Does anyone remember the Lebanese restaurant, Bishop’s that used to be in Lawrence, Massachusetts?  If we went out to dinner as a family, particularly if we were joined by extended family, we went to Bishop’s.  The cuisine was close enough to Armenian food that it felt like home and very comfortable.  There are many things I remember about our meals at Bishop’s including a funny story with my father that I may share some day, but our meals were always accompanied by a family style platter of fries that were crispy and hot.  Armenians don’t really eat potato dishes, but rather rice so the fries were always a welcome addition to our dinners at Bishop’s.  Ilili’s fries reminded me of that far away place and time…

There are so many other dishes on the Ilili menu that we will have to try the next time we visit, hopefully in the Fall.  I am looking forward to returning and hope you give it a try if you happen to be in the area for lunch or dinner!  I think you will really enjoy it!

Bonus rec – if you are ever traveling along the Mass Pike and find yourself craving sushi as we did, we can recommend Baba Sushi in Sturbridge.  It is the second location of a Worcester restaurant recommended by our daughter’s friend and it was perfect for breaking up our last, very long drive home from Pennsylvania.  We really enjoyed our dinner of rolls, edamame, and a stir-fry for our daughter.

Update June, 2022.  My cousins and I went to Ilili just last week and had a wonderful visit.  We ordered the Lamb Shank which may have been one of the most memorable dishes of the evening…

Until next time…

One Year Ago:  Southwest Quinoa Salad

Two Years Ago:  A Few More Days in New York (more restaurant recs)

Three Years Ago:  The Best Blueberry Muffins

Four Years Ago:  Rhubarb Almond Crumb Cake

Five Years Ago:  Black Bean Burgers with Lemon Yogurt Sauce