Sahara Cafe (New Brunswick, NJ) VF

Ah, the lovely smell of aromatic Mediterranean spices, even from outside this BYOB restaurant, invites me inside for more.  I should note, there are tables outside on a stone patio for warm weather dining.  Once inside, the warm decor was welcoming -- beautiful painted landscapes, some floor-to-ceiling, and relaxing music easily transported me to another land.   As I surveyed the interior, I noticed all the decor details that have been carefully considered - the chandeliers were crafted from a brassy metal to look like hot air balloons.   Huge windows, with a view of bustling Easton Ave. (one of the main streets around the Rutgers University New Brunswick campus) and skylights add lots of natural light and there is additional seating upstairs.  It was nicely crowded when I dined with Emilio, a former co-worker of mine.   

I must admit, choosing what to order for dinner was a challenge in this Mediterranean mecca because there were so many options that tempted me.  Ultimately, in order to accommodate my indecisiveness, I ended up with several appetizers, some of which we shared, and a salad.     The appetizers included: hummus with spiced ezme for $5.75, sigara boregi -- a pan-fried phyllo roll stuffed with feta and dill for $4.95, feta and tomato toast (approximately $5.00) and tahini shepherd's salad for $6.95.   Among the other vegetarian choices were a roasted eggplant entree for $11.95 and a zucchini (carrot and feta) patty for $10.95. You can understand why I had a hard time deciding.   I did love the food; the feta and tomato toast was all melty goodness, the salad was swimming in tahini, maybe a tad too much though I appreciated the extra for leftovers the next day and the (slightly) spicy hummus, which came with pita, was a hit with both myself and Emilio.   

You can't beat the array of options, the reasonable prices and the lovely, inviting atmosphere.  I will be back for dinner.  Soon.

Sahara Cafe

165 Easton Avenue

New Brunswick, NJ

(732) 246-3020

www.saharacafenj.com

Kairo Kafe (New Brunswick, NJ) - VF

This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is a gem - it's a cute little space that is made more intimate after the candles are lit, which add ambience as more people filter in. Later in the night college kids come in to smoke hookah pipes, kind of a bizarre offering if you ask me but it smelled good -- like incense.   Anyway, it's a great find for vegetarians due to the huge array of tempting options. 

The menu was so extensive that we relied on the very patient waiter to answer a bevy of questions as we decided what to order.   I decided on the mango iced tea, which reminded me of a lighter mango lassi, lentil soup, salad with red wine vinagrette dressing (salad was included with the entree), two tapas to share -- fava bean and hummus, which were served with delicious pita triangles, vegetable koshary (chick peas, lentils and macaroni - yes, macaroni - with a nice chile sauce),  and baklava for dessert.  I absolutely loved everything, especially the fava bean dip, which was served warm.  The baklava was probably my least favorite course, not that it was bad, it was good but it was  a little drier than I prefer in the honey department.   They made up for that in the presentation though, with chocolate sauce script messages on the plate (saying "Merry Xmas" and "Kairo Kafe").   [I have some pictures, however, I am having technical issues in uploading them to the proper insertion point.]

Now to the drawbacks, of which there were only two.  It sounded like someone was moving furniture upstairs throughout the night so that was a little distracting.  Later on, we were told there was an "event" upstairs.   Does that explain moving furniture?  I am not sure.  The other distraction was the overly loud, shrill restaurant telephone ringing constantly.  They need a more relaxing ringtone or at a minimum, a softer one.

The pace of the dinner was relaxed and not rushed at all, which I liked.   In fact, I think the waiter completely disappeared for a while.   The prices were amazingly reasonable - all that food for $30/person.  An outstanding bargain.   

Kairo Kafe

49 Bayard St.

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

www.kairokafe.com

732-545-2476

Hours:  

Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Friday 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Saturday 6.p.m. - 2 a.m.