FOUR BITES SUNDAY NEWS: Cheezaatar lands in Kenmore with manakish, shawarma, and Levantine savor
By Andrew Galarneau
Manakish are essential Levantine street food, pizzalike discs of dough patted out, and dimpled to bear adornments of olive oil, herb, cheese, or meat.
Since Manakeesh and More went dark on Hertel Avenue, Buffalo’s shoppers could find manakish available as a sideline from Iraqi bakeries, but not a specialist.
Then Cheezaatar opened earlier this month in Kenmore, of all places. Two doors down is Jay’s Artisan Pizzeria, whose world-class Neapolitan pies already lure crowds. The Hamilton-based mini-chain’s menu also offers a tight menu of Levantine dishes, like beef shawarma and baked halloumi.
There’s plenty of seating, and table settings include bottles of splendid olive oil, the ketchup of the Levant.
Cheezaatar has a beehive oven baking topped-to-order dough, but the classic manakish has neither tomato nor cheese. Instead, it’s moistened with grassy extra-virgin olive oil and dusted with za’atar, a thyme-sesame-hyssop spice blend that bakes to perfumed crispness in the intense heat.
Cheese manakish and beef manakish, with a tomato-beef-pepper spread, are the other basics. The signature Cheezaatar manakish, half-and-half za’atar and cheese, will set you back $5.99, in upper taco territory. More options include muhammara, sujuk sausage, and a variety of cheeses.
You don’t have to order manakish to get fresh bread. Cheezaatar’s beef shawarma plate ($15.99) comes with pickles and fresh pita, as does the hummus with beef ($15.99). Halloumi cheese baked with tomatoes ($13.99) does too.
None of which eases my jealousy for Village of Kenmore residents whatsoever.
Cheezaatar
2876 Delaware Ave., Kenmore, 716-331-3777
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Subscribe to Four Bites! Help support great good journalism in Western New York.
REVIEW: If you have found yourself wondering lately whether restaurants have lost the capacity for graciousness and charm, may I suggest making reservations at The Dove. The Orchard Park restaurant might not be a designated landmark on official maps, but its combination of open-hearted cooking, expert service, and open-handed generosity has made it one of the rare places where you still need reservations on Tuesday night. (On Thursday, for patrons.)
CRITICS WANTED: Flip the script Jan. 15 and join me for “The Critic’s Reckoning.”
I’ll cook your dinner. Then you can tell the world how I did.
This Little Pig invited me to design a menu I wanted to cook. During dinner, chefs Jeff and Phil will hold down the kitchen end. “The idea is for you to be out in the dining room telling stories and talking to people,” Cooke said.
And listening to criticism. Besides face-to-face feedback, guests will get the chance to go on the record and tell the world what they think. “The Critic’s Reckoning” won’t be complete until I publish guests’ critical response on Four Bites the following week. Everyone will be invited to submit bylined comments.
Tickets, $135, available here. (I have four left.) 6 p.m.-9 p.m., This Little Pig, 10651 Main St., Clarence.
What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, they say.
ASK THE CRITIC:
Q: Howdy, I’m going to try asking this again since it’s been a couple years and I still haven’t found it. Does anyone know a place in WNY I can buy kaymak?
- @716transplant Via Twitter/X
A: I’d go to Buffalo Fresh at 284 Ontario St (Riverside) or 1018 Broadway for the widest assortment of Turkish and Middle Eastern dairy products in Buffalo. (Riverside has a bonus bakery making samoon) These photos are from Broadway location.
More reading from Michael Chelus of Nittany Epicurean:
- Kae Baramee of Tiny Thai is offering dumpling classes and seminars focusing on how to make a proper Pad Thai [Four Bites]
- BÙKE Baking brings rare Asian desserts and mochi drinks to Getzville [Buffal News]
- While admitting that they’re not the top ten restaurants in Buffalo, Francesca gave us a list of ten of the best restuaurants in Buffalo including Beacon Grille, Elm Street Bakery, The Grange Community Kitchen, Pizzeria Florian and more [Buffalo News]
- Chef Rich Harvey has created a new soup concept that’s floating around Buffalo – Buffaladle 716 Soup Co. [Buffalo Rising]
- Chritsa told us the story behind a Catalan-style vermouth – Cueva Nueva [Buffalo Spree]
- The Bricks Collaborative offers a variety of pop up concepts including Create the Dish serving breakfast and lunch and late night eats served by Late Night Eats [Buffalo Spree]
- Christa also told us about a WNY-based flavor cocktail cube business – Meliora Forever [Buffalo Spree]
- Jessica told us why Buffalo is finally becoming a wine city [Buffalo Spree]
- Schondra Aytch gave us the full story behind The Bricks Collaborative [Buffalo Spree]
- Francesca also gave us her top ten food and drink stories of the year [Buffalo News]
- A new restaurant concept is coming to the lower level of The Westbrook apartments located at 675 Delaware Avenue – Ocean’s 12 [Buffalo Rising]
#30#
Subscribe to Four Bites! Help support great good journalism in Western New York.
Related Posts
