140 Charles Street (between Washington and Greenwich Sts.) 212-505-0005 www.casalafemmeny.com
Egyptian. I’m torn. Do I start with the tents? The DJ? The multi-candle balancing belly dancer? There’s a lot to like at Casa La Femme and I haven’t even mentioned the food. The seating is semi-stadium, tented booths surround the room with unveiled tables below. Both are roomy and promise a prime view of the dancer. Her moves are matched with Middle Eastern music, but pre and post performance, it’s the DJ who’s on fire. The rock ‘n roll playlist is woven with a hometown beat — and that home is on the Nile. The mixes are so seamless and unexpected it’s like each classic were conceived this way from day one. I began with the hummus (pureed chickpeas, spicy harissa) which appeared with three puffy, fluffy sesame pitas for filling. I then took a dip in the sea (could be Red, maybe Mediterranean), but who cares when the catch is ekhatboot mashway (grilled octopus topped with baby arugula) and crabmeat kofta (jumbo lump, shrimp, leeks, and scallions). For an extended fish fixation, dive into the tagine Alexandria (shrimp, octopus, squid, plus salmon in a mild spice tomato sauce with sayadeya rice). If your mood is more mashway, the riash (grilled natural grass fed Ottomanelli lamb chops) must not be missed. When it’s time for dessert, there are a few from which to choose. Or not, because the platter includes all three. Refusing to play favorites, I adopted each. One bite of the baklava (Egyptian style pastry rolled tightly, stuffed with coconut, pistachio, almonds and walnuts), basbussa (coconut semolina cupcakes topped with vanilla gelato) and kunefa (a small nest of shredded phyllo dough stuffed with Egyptian custard topped with vanilla gelato) and I became a delirious, lifelong fan. The kind they’ll make of you when you wiggle your way to Casa La Femme.