One of my favorite dishes, Ful is not only difficult to find, it is also difficult to get accurate information about the beans and is difficult to spell, owing to transliteration from the Arabic. You will see Ful, Foul, Fool, and Fuul in combination with Mudammas, Medames, Medammas, Moudammas, and Medammis. Wikipedia is just as confused – it has two separate entries with no cross reference: Ful Medames and Foul Madammas (update 2/17/12: these two keywords now link to the same article). Commonly called fava bean salad or Egyptian bean salad, the dish is known as one of the national dishes of Egypt -“the rich man’s breakfast, the shopkeeper’s lunch, the poor man’s supper.” It is also made in many other parts of the Arab world with a myriad of variations. Keep in mind that although it is frequently called fava bean salad, there are three types of fava beans (ful hammam, ful rumi, and ful baladi). The broad beans commonly available in super markets (ful rumi) are NOT the ones used. The smallest (ful hammam) are the ones used for this dish. For the best synopsis of the history, ingredients, and regional variations, click here.

Even with its popularity in the Arab world and all the restaurants in NYC, there are only a handful of places in all of NYC that make this dish – most Middle Eastern restaurants do not even offer it on their menu. The photo was taken at First Oasis restaurant in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, where I travel to get ful. The owner, Said Albahari, previously owned Magic Carpet Restaurant on Carmine Street in Manhattan, where I first became acquainted with this delicious meal. This version is Lebanese style – prepared like a stew with olive oil, tahini, tomatoes, garlic, and other spices and served warm. Perhaps its lack of popularity is due to two popular spellings: Foul and Fool 🙂

This is B-Bar and Grill (originally the Bowery Bar and Grill) at 40 East 4th Street at the Bowery. The restaurant and bar is most well-known for their large outdoor garden open year-round (seen in the photo with its illuminated trees at nite). I can’t speak for the food here, but like many trendy places, there are fans and detractors. The entire business sits on the site of a former dilapidated Gulf gas station.

Developed by Eric Goode and Serge Becker in 1994, B-Bar was embroiled in controversy at the time. The NoHo Neighborhood Association, Community Board 2, and the SoHo Alliance were concerned that this conversion would change the character of the neighborhood and mounted a lawsuit, arguing on the basis that the neighborhood was dominated by light industry and artists (although in actuality, there was little light industry left at that time). The area had 47 one-story buildings, and there was a fear that precedent would be set for conversion of many these buildings into clubs. In 1995, the plaintiffs withdrew their challenge to the Bar/Restaurant, feeling that a ruling against them might set a negative precedent.

When looking at all the amazing architecture here in New York City, I frequently reflect on the fact that behind all the large and/or newer buildings, there was frequently opposition to its construction. There are always a myriad of reasons with many rational arguments for opposition to development, but the bottom line is that many people just don’t like a change to the status quo. But change is the nature of a dynamic city like New York. Things will change, new buildings built and resistance met…

This is Yaffa Cafe at 97 St. Marks Place in the East Village. The food reviews, along with elements of their decor, are all over the map. Some love this place, some hate it. The decor has been described as garish kitsch – there is plastic fruit glued to the walls, Christmas tree lights hanging from the ceiling, and leopard and zebra prints on tables and booths, all in a dark atmosphere with a warm, reddish glow. The clientele is eclectic – a mix of the late-night club crowd, goth kids, slumming yuppies, and artists.

The menu is eclectic as well – a mix of Mediterranean, vegetarian, and some American fare thrown in. The pricing is inexpensive. The 8-foot by 12-foot mural outside, which proclaims its all-night status, is a self-portrait of Israeli immigrant Lika Ramati, co-owner of Yaffa with her husband Amir (click here for photo). In warm weather, there is a large outdoor dining space. This place is worth a visit – I doubt you’ll find anything quite like it ..