It finally happened. I knew it was coming, but I didn't think it would happen just past the six-month mark.
And I thought it would be Thai or Vietnamese.
Instead, the imminent ethnic food meltdown we all knew was coming had me ready to set the city on fire if I didn't get a samosa, naan bread, and chana masala. Seriously, I didn't think it would be Indian food that would lead to the first meltdown.
I needed Indian food right away, so I bought frozen Amy's Kitchen Mattar Paneer and some frozen samosas. It was enough to prevent the situation from going into Level 5 meltdown territory. I also picked up the ingredients to make chana masala. Tomorrow. I'm going to make enough chana to never, ever go without again.
I'll post pictures of the deliciousness tomorrow.
I still needed some ethnic food, so I met up with my coworker/friend, Ruby, and her friend, Lucy. We went to Zana's Diner for dinner.
The signage.
The decor. I felt like I was back in the Middle East!
Well, except for the fiddles. But still a great touch.
I wanted to try the fatayers because I had heard so many good things about them. Much to my sadness, there were no fatayers left. To be fair, we did get there at 6:30, and it was closed on Sunday and Monday, so I'm sure there were many fatayer lovers who had gotten there earlier.
Our server, Heather, was lovely. She was genuinely sad we wouldn't be able to try the fatayers. I told her it didn't matter; I would come in tomorrow to try them.
Ruby and Lucy split the sampler plate which looked fantastic. It had pita, hummus, baba ghannouj, grape leaves, kibbeh, kofta, cabbage rolls and rice. It came with a side salad.
The baba ghannouj was smoky, which was a bit surprising at first, but it didn't stop me from devouring it.
I had the baked kibbeh plate with fresh-cut fries. I would have gotten the rice, but I was still full of Indian food.
Oh, and Heather managed to find some fatayers for us. Hooray!
Growing up in the HRM, I thought Greek and Lebanese food was Canadian food. We always had pita bread in the house; my father would go to the Lebanese bakery and pick it up. We joke that it's harder to find a bad Greek or Lebanese restaurant in Halifax than it is to find a good one. I am really picky when it comes to Lebanese food.
So. What did I think of Zana's? It was FANTASTIC. Some of the best Middle Eastern food I've had in years. Ruby and Lucy both loved the sampler plate; it was the first time for Lucy to try some of the dishes. I'm almost jealous; I wish I could taste Middle Easstern food for the first time again. And the fatayers (which are really popular here) were delicious. Zana came out to meet us while we were eating, and both she and Heather managed to scare up even more fatayers. Ruby, Lucy, and I each took a paper brown bag filled with two fatayers home.
As I was paying, Heather let me know that she loves to bake. Pies. She loves to bake pie. She asked me if I liked pie and told me I'd have to come back to try some. I almost burst out laughing. I didn't know how to tell her about my pie, er, problem. So, I'll be going back for some strawberry cream pie. Soon.
Zana's Diner on George St..You really, really need to check it out. The food, the decor, the service, all of it made me incredibly happy. And, Ruby and Lucy are on board for joining in future eating adventures. Ruby and I will be seeking out some Korean food... and soon! I also plan hitting up Whitney Pier Deli, and the Dancing Goat in Margaree. I've heard nothing but good things.
dinner ditty ~ Here and Now - Del Amitri
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