Middle Eastern food is never a go-to for me. But Israeli food is less assertive and more Mediterranean, so I do like Tavi. It’s still hard for me to just go, but Jude was here and it’s a favorite of his. Mary Leigh and I are both big on the Lamb Ragu Hummus, but Jude likes the mushroom version. We got both. And both kids wanted a salad and some grilled chicken, so we got that. And we got the skewers of chicken and a Fattoush Salad and an Israeli Salad. Jude likes the chocolate tahini mousse, so we got one of those too.
The Lamb Ragu Hummus is just about the only lamb I eat, and certainly the only lamb Mary Leigh will eat. But it is the perfect meaty foil to the creamy hummus underneath. I like the perimeter of orange oil which moistens the meat just so when you scoop it inot the whole. The lamb is tender and mildly-flavored. With the celebrated pita here, there is a full meal. We love this.
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Jude’s favorite, at least before this meal, was the mushroom hummus. Mushrooms are so good for you that I think it’s a health thing more than anything else. But these are “weird” mushrooms, to me, meaning more exotic. I actually do love to grab a handful of different mushrooms at a farmer’s market, but they are not created equal, and this selection is not a favorite. This dish also has ground hazelnuts, which I love, and za'atar, which is always wonderful. And the mushroom medley sits in a sage brown butter sauce. What could possibly be wrong with that? But Jude wound up eating more of our meaty version of this ubiquitous Mediterranean paste.
The salads were wonderful. The Fattoush salad is colorful, interesting, and delicious. The little gem lettuces are integrated with sweet peppers, shallots and tomato, and a pomegranate vinaigrette adds the true Mediterranean touch. Delicious za’atar is part of this ensemble, perking it up as za’atar does with everything it touches. Pita chips are the final touch. This is crunchy, pretty, and it packs a mouthful of contrasting flavor.
ML was quite happy with her salad favorite, the Israeli. This is also a delicious crunchy and perky pile of veggies. Here is diced cucumber and cherry tomatoes, with purple onion and a generous dose of Bulgarian feta in a preserved lemon vinaigrette. We all went back and forth between these two fantastic and healthy starters.
The skewer of grilled chicken arrived, and it was definitely a next-level version of these. Tavi is part of the Besh group, and everything is done right, down to the grilled chicken. These were five large cubes of white meat chicken, brushed with a sauce highlighting the lemony freshness of the Mediterranean.
We had to have the chocolate mousse with tahini that Jude is so high on. The mousse is layered with a strand of tahini, and a little slice of sesame seed brittle topped it. I’m a traditionalist so chocolate mousse is sacrosanct without additions, but this was nice, I’ll admit.
Tavi is a handsome place that is so “authentic” in appearance it reminds you of a nice restaurant in Israeli. Or at least the movie version, since I’ve never been there. I’m glad they finished the back space into a lovely patio.
