Although you don’t have to eat kosher food to enjoy the new Glatt Kosher Colbeh, I was delighted to bring my rabbi friend and his lovely wife there, who are strictly kosher.
Colbeh is the new restaurant in a charming cottage that has been home to several restaurants for at least 50 years. The last one was Lisandra, where I had my daughter Elizabeth’s shower last year.
We loved its victorian furniture, candlelit rooms with warm upholstered walls, and old world charming paintings that add to the decor. It all feels like you step back in time when you walk through the doors.
The good news is that Colbeh, a chain of four restaurants, kept the interior the same, but put in a new roof and new kitchen at the Willis Avenue, Roslyn location.
the nicely spaced tables and good acoustics made it easy to have a conversation, even though every table was taken on the Thursday night we were there.
We began the meal with a selection of appetizers that we shared. The Salad Shirazi at $6.50 is a plate of diced tomatoes, onions and cucumbers in a lemon vinaigrette, a traditional tossed salad of lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers ($6.50). We had a combination plate of Babaganoush — roasted eggplant with garlic and Mediterranean spices. Chumus — crushed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and fresh garlic; tahina — puree of sesame seeds, parsley and garlic; and Greek eggplant which is roasted with red peppers and Mediterranean spices. My friend, Shirley Kwalbrun, appreciated that all the dishes are made of natural products with no preservatives.
All the main courses are accompanied by a platter of three differently spiced rices — basmati, dill and lemon bean — all perfectly cooked. In addition, were plump grilled plum tomatoes and vegetables.
All portions can be had in large or small portions with a $6 difference. We enjoyed our Colbeh combo for two of charbroiled strips of ground beef, grilled chicken and steak. All delicious. Our friends, Rabbi Kwalbrun and his wife Shirley, ordered the sea bass and salmon — both fishes perfectly cooked and mouthwatering delicious.
Being a bread person, I enjoyed their warm and crispy pita bread and the basket that was repeatedly refilled.
Desserts are offered on a tray filled with six different layer cakes. My favorite was a hot chocolate fudge coming out of a warmed cookie crust.
The combination of excellent service, a beautiful ambiance and wonderful Mediterranean food says this is a must go! Their other locations are on Main Street in Flushing, Great Neck and Manhattan. The Roslyn number is 516-621-2200. The Queens location 718-268-8181.
A Birthday Treat Of Treats
This past weekend was my Stu’s birthday so I invited his four children and their children, nieces and nephews, and mine, to a day of celebrating and togetherness at The Bay Club. The building in Bayside has an indoor swim club and restaurant. It’s a treat to see the children, from three years to 20, bond and enjoy each other. Since some live in Florida and Texas, it’s great to see that barriers of geography and time does little to defer their closeness.
Jon, who is a vascular surgeon there in Sarasota, adores Chinese food, so we took him to Flushing to the Ocean Jewels Seafood Restaurant on 39th Avenue. It was mobbed for Saturday lunch. Dim Sum is my favorite of favorite foods. We had to fight our way into the parking lot at 1 p.m. and wait 20 minutes for a table. But, I must say, it was worth the wait. The carts kept coming with small plates of over 50 choices of Dim Sum. You pay by the plate. It’s fun and delicious. I love the instant gratification of seeing the food and getting to eat it instantly! Try it, you’ll like it!
