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Zizi Limona Decamps To Chelsea, Becomes Zizi, Still Serves Excellent Food
By
Scott Lynch
Published Feb 11, 2020
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By
Scott Lynch
Published Feb 11, 2020
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Our latest installment of Quick Bites brings us to Chelsea for labneh, roasted veggies and falafel.
THE VIBE
Remember Zizi Limona, on Havemeyer Street in Williamsburg? Very chill spot, great Middle Eastern food, just an all-around solid neighborhood restaurant... which abruptly closed last September, to much local consternation. But Williamsburg's loss is Chelsea's gain, as owner Sharon Hoota and chef Liran Leibman have reemerged on lower Eighth Avenue, with a shorter name, a bigger space, and an almost entirely new menu.
Zizi seats about 65 in three separate areas. There are tables up front that bring you into the bar area, a middle section anchored by a tan banquette, and a final dining room in the back, set slightly apart from the rest. The furniture is scuffed, some of it likely salvaged from Havemeyer. Sconces cast interesting shadows, Mediterranean knickknacks and blocks of colorful tile add personality to the place, and, rather romantically, fat candles flicker within little nooks knocked out from the brick wall.
Like its Williamsburg predecessor, Zizi is warm and welcoming, with a fun touch. In fact, staffers have been known to stop by tables with a bottle of something boozy for a couple of quick shots. Overall the service is a little green, but it's a comfortable place to be, no need to rush.
THE BITES
The best news about all this is that the food at Zizi is terrific, exactly as good as I remember from my last few times at the Williamsburg original. Some of the greatest hits have made their way to Manhattan, none the worse for wear. The Falafel, for example, is still one of the best versions in the city, with six extra-crispy balls sitting atop a dreamy pool of curry yogurt, a boat of salsa poised somewhat precariously on top.
The best new dish I had at Zizi was the Lamb Burger—a fat, juicy patty (even when cooked medium!) surrounded by things like blackened baba ganoush, a fiery roasted pepper, pickled onions, and a slather of preserved lemon aioli. Dump some of that no-joke harissa sauce on top and you have a truly memorable sandwich. My two dishes from the middle part of the menu were also big winners: an ingenious Garbanzo Bean Tempura, with vegetables (and a lemon slice) fried inside a light, slightly chewy batter; and a tangy circle of Labneh, which is something of a Limona holdover but prepared here to include beets.
I didn't care for the Pasta Siciliana, which had bottarga, artichoke, and harissa competing too hard against each other, but the hearty Shawarma plate was perfect, with the charred chicken, lamb, tahini, and hummus all working together to make me happy. For dessert I ordered the Halvah Parfait and received a comically large disc of the dense, sweet sesame paste. It was delicious, especially with the hazelnuts crumbled on top, the puddle of creme anglaise below, and a few maraschino cherries bringing some brightness to the dish, but even two of us couldn't come close to finishing it.
THE VERDICT
What a win for this part of Chelsea! Zizi is your new go-to spot in this part of town.
Zizi is located at 182 Eighth Avenue, between 19th and 20th Streets, and is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Closed Mondays (646-454-9710; zizinyc.com)
Tagged
Zizi Limona
Chelsea
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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