EPICUREAN’S PARADISE

An Adventure in Middle Eastern Dining

Riding High Atop The Carousel

BY TONY SPANO, JR.

Be prepared for a feast when you dine at Carousel Restaurant in Glendale, where the hungrier you are upon arrival, the more adventures in taste you’ll get to experience. Bring a group of friends and indulge in a banquet served family style at your table.

While authentic Middle Eastern cuisine is the menu, Carousel’s décor whisks you away from the mundane and off to a faraway land, complete with fountains, ceremonial swords and other artifacts lining the walls.

Ultimately, however, one comes for the food, and there is much to sample, starting with a variety of cold and hot mezza, or appetizers. The expected hummus is fresh, while unexpected dishes give one a reason to rejoice, like the flavorful kebbeh nayyeh (Lebanese steak tartar). The delicious muhammara—a spicy Syrian dip made of crushed walnuts, red pepper paste and pomegranate juice—begs to be tasted.

Some of the hot mezza are almost worthy of entrée status. Manté are mini meat pies, topped with tomato and yogurt sauces. Another hit is the fatayer, pan-fried turnovers stuffed with feta and Lebanese white cheeses. Along with traditional Lebanese dishes, Armenian flavors are also dominant. Soujuk flambé, made of Armenian beef sausage, is flame-broiled with arak, (a Lebanese anise-flavored drink) tableside.

Hopefully you have saved room for the main entrées. With multiple kebabs and shwarma to choose from, there are endless possibilities to satisfy your cravings. Of note is the yogurt kebab, with tender barbecued cubes of beef served on a bed of cracked pita, topped with warm yogurt and touches of garlic and roasted pine nuts. The lamb kastaleta is another must-have, with center cut lamb chops seasoned and charbroiled to perfection.

Vegetarians and seafood lovers will find plentiful choices, including falafel plates, mousakka (a delicious eggplant dish), shrimp kebabs and varieties of fish. Try the imported fresh fish from Lebanon, traditionally prepared and served with taratur (tahini-parsley sauce) and fried pita bread.

Desserts are also part of the adventure, and the varieties at Carousel include fresh fruits, tiramisu and Lebanese specialties of ice creams and pastries. Ashta B’Aasal is a deceptively simple, sweet dish consisting of authentically prepared ashta (condensed milk), layered over fresh banana with honey. Complete your experience with an Armenian coffee and enjoy the relaxing end to a flavorful feast.

Belly dancers perform to live music on Friday ($38 per person) and Saturday nights ($43 per person).

Vital Info

Carousel Restaurant

304 N. Brand Ave., Glendale
818/246-7775; carouselrestaurant.com
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
The Scene: Fine Middle Eastern dining with weekend entertainment
Must Try: Muhammara, fatayer, lamb kastaleta
Cost: $$

Where To Eat

GRUB

If you're looking for a perfect weekend brunch spot with tasty comfort food in a homey environment, Grub is the place to be. This little gem of a restaurant shines in the form of a classically cozy little house neatly tucked away in the backstreets of Hollywood. The number one must-try side dish is the Sweet and Sassy Thick Cut Bacon—the unofficial nickname owners Betty Fraser and Denise DeCarlo attributed to this down-home delicacy speaks to the addictive nature of its marinade. Ask about it. Their French toast is also a favorite. Gurb’s recently acquired wine and beer license will make your experience even more fun. In addition to featuring two delicious sangrias and a wonderful lemon-basil Champagne cocktail, the beer and wine list is extensive yet surprisingly affordable. Grub is open weekdays 9 a.m.-3 p.m., and weekends 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 911 SEWARD ST., L.A. 323/461-FOOD AMERICAN/BRUNCH. $ —PEARL BARRACLOUGH

Hot Plates

Fulfilled: For a snack, dessert or even light lunch, stop by Fulfilled, a creative bakery near Rodeo Drive. The specialty at Fulfilled is ima, traditionally known in Japan as imagawa-yaki. Bursting with flavor, this treat is a pancake-like pastry filled with a variety of sweet and savory items. In its original version, the pastry is filled with sweet azuki bean (called “sweet geisha” on the menu). In modernizing this early 1800s Tokyo delicacy, owner Susumu Tsuchihashi has created a fusion of Japanese and American cuisine. Savory menu choices include “sumo Italiano” (with prosciutto, smoked ham, parmesan and basil), or “green ninja” (with spinach, feta cheese and sundried tomato). For your sweet tooth, menu choices include “nutty Buddha” (Ghirardelli chocolate, toffee and crunchy peanut butter) and my favorite, “Harajuku monkey” (banana and nutella). 9405 S. Santa Monica Blvd. 310/860-0776 Japanese-American Pastries $

THE HALL: Whatever you call The Hall at the Palihouse Hotel, new chef Brendan Collins’ innovative food is unequivocally delicious. There are starters like a weightless and creamy wild mushroom soup, a moist salmon tartare over red beets and ricotta salata that is bathed in Meyer lemon, and sweet and juicy Alaskan king crab over tangy avocado puree. Notable main courses include a crisp arctic char with grilled eggplant and sweet steamed rice, gamey venison over even gamier venison pâté with wild quinoa and fresh huckleberries and a beef bourguignon that makes excellent use of Kobe hangar steak, fingerling potatoes and spinach. Try the crème brulée for dessert, or the chocolate molten cake with caramelized bananas; both will make you melt… 8465 Holloway Dr. 323/656-4020 French Fusion $$$$

Little Dom’s: Los Feliz’s satisfying and affordable Little Dom’s will be damned if he lives in the shadow of Dominick’s, his older WeHo-based sibling. For a lazy weekend brunch, try the surprisingly light ricotta cheese and fresh blueberry pancakes or the savory wood oven roasted eggs with fresh herbs, while sampling a Proper Highball from their fin de siècle-era, Little Italy-esque bar. Monday nights at Little Dom’s are a bona fide gourmet experience packing the ultimate bang for your buck—$15 gets you a three-course meal, and the menu changes weekly. Recent choices included fregole with roasted tomatoes and leakes to start, an entree of milk-braised pork and a lovely tartuffo stracciatella for dessert. House bottles of white and red wines are only $10, and Peroni beer is only $2. Whether it’s brunch or dinner, Little Dom’s has something to offer your palette at an amazing price. 2128 Hillhurst Ave. 323/661-0055 Italian-American $

Take Sushi: Is that a Viper in your bottle or are you just happy to see me? For outstanding, unpretentious Japanese dining on Sunset Strip, duck through the bamboo bead curtains and sit among hanging boxlights, dried blowfish, daruma dolls, and a hodge podge of Angelenos, and experience the cozy authenticity of Take Sushi. Traditionalists will love the sashimi or tonkatsu while club goers may opt for the shrimp in corn flakes or spicy tuna in jalapeno tempura (beef negimaki and sweet shrimp are personal favorites). Larger parties can reserve the room upstairs where lights are dim and the karaoke machine is all yours. Parking in back plus a newly launched happy hour (Mon-Fri 5:30-7 p.m.) make this a must. And yes, that’s a real snake in the habu sake! 8866 W. Sunset Blvd. 310/659-6580 Japanese/Sushi $$

BLVD 16: BLVD 16 at Westwood’s Hotel Palomar is taking their environmentally conscious menu to the next level. Utilizing herbs from their on-site organic garden, the bar menu reaches higher flavorful echelons while leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Among the delectables: the Scarlet Night (peach, lime and orange rum cocktail), and the Ruby Sparkle (a lovely concoction of vodka, pomegranate juice and sparkling wine). The organic New American menu items are delectable, too. (The pan-seared black cod with a chickpea and clam stew is of particular note.) With BLVD 16’s daily “tea time” happy hour from 4-7 p.m., taking inspiration from tea-infused cocktails that pair excellently with the appetizer menu, showing support has never been more fun! 10740 Wilshire Blvd. 310/474-7765 New American $$$

Frida Mexican Cuisine: Frida Mexican Cuisine isn’t your average taco joint. Trendy south-of-the-border designs fill the large, airy restaurant located in the bustling new Americana at Brand mall in Glendale. Cultural classics like tortilla soup, tostadas with shredded chicken, prawns in garlic white wine sauce and mole poblano sate palate expectations. But more inventive plates—ceviche made with shrimp, tuna and avocado, tomatillo and pumpkin seed mole verde and grilled tilapia marinated in a three-chili sauce, served with Mexican rice, fried plantains and a chayote squash stuffed with cheese—personalize without deviating from tradition. Plus, the spicy-sweet carnitas tacos are the best around. There is also a selection of over 30 tequilas to sample—olé! 750 AMERICANA WY. 818/551-1666 MEXICAN $$