Balaboosta. Location: Nolita. Spring & Mulberry St. Scene: Intimate. Cozy. Date Night. Mediterranean: Falafel Wrapped Meatballs. Hummus “Mortar and Pestle” with Tahini, Lemon, Roasted Garlic. Fried Olives. Red Snapper.
- Crispy Cauliflower with Currants, Pine Nuts & Lemon (1st pic)
- Golden Quinoa Salad: Dried Cranberries, Chickpeas, Fresh Herbs and Preserved Lemon (2nd pic)
- Pastas
Balaboosta which means “Perfect Housewife” in Yiddish is an Israeli restaurant in Nolita brought to you by Israeli-born chef Einat Admony, so this is the real thing, folks. The restaurant space is small with a few seats at the bar to grab a glass of wine and a cute little window seat that overlooks Mulberry Street. Booths outline the edges of the restaurant and two-top tables make this place a great, romantic date spot. The small plates and appetizers are most appealing with generous servings and every table orders the “Mortar and Pestle” Hummus because well, that’s what you do at a Middle Eastern restaurant and the fact that you get to play with your food makes it even a more mandatory order.
Balaboosta feels more like an Americanized, upscale Israeli restaurant than an authentic little spot, but the pita bread definitely tastes like it’s straight up from Tel Aviv. I absolutely love the crsipy cauliflower and that it’s paired with sweet currants. If you have to narrow down a few dishes, don’t miss this one or you’ll regret it. It’s warm and a mix of crispy and soft textures. The golden quinoa salad is a lighter dish ideal for summer, but unfortunately, I was not a fan of the eggplant (3rd pic above). It was a bit too charred and smokey. They used to serve an orecchiette pasta with kale and ricotta that rocked, but now they have a housemade beet pasta with spinach, garlic and ricotta that sounds even better. Overall, I’d stick to the appetizers and small plates. Try a little falafel here and there or the grilled pizza with goat cheese and carrot puree and you should be satisfied, plump and happy. Like they say in Israel, Sababa!
***Tip: Balaboosta has breakfast pizza with fried eggs at brunch and a lamb burger at lunch so don’t rule out their daytime offerings. Also, Taim is their famous falafel spot down the street, so mark that down on your list now, too.
how amazing was that cauliflower? yum