Byblos Fall 2016 by Sonia and Sabeh Kachouh Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Star of the Show Sonia Kachouh with her favorite, Stuffed Grape Leaves above and her equally fabulous husband, Sabeh Kachouh with the superlative Grilled Striped Bass
"Byblos remains on the cutting edge of Lebanese cuisine in Manhattan and we're proud to have led the way since 1990 when we opened. We source quality American lamb from Colorado and fresh local vegetables, and we keep a pristine, welcoming environment for our guests. We look forward to seeing you!"
-Sonia and Sabeh Kachouh
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The moment you meet Kibbee Naye (Tartare) you will fall in love immeasurably.
This is coming from Ms. Pretty Picky who doesn't eat tartare anywhere else or like it anywhere else but DREAMS ABOUT IT FROM BYBLOS!!!
It's not who you know, it's Whom You Know and we know the amazing Sonia and Sabeh!!!!
There is no great restaurant without quality people behind it, and Byblos keeps knocking them out of the park. We are starting to wish we were Lebanese, because that's the kind of cuisine this is and it is the best at Byblos. Sonia and Sabeh of course hail from Lebanon and are the true real deal. Did you know that Lebanon has the same amount of people as Ireland about? And we think that is also commensurate with the population of the great State of Connecticut. In doing these reviews, we stopped doing formal reviews so often because if you spend three hours at dinner that means you don't get very much work done and we are interested in working and winning. However, Byblos because of the welcoming, friendly, beloved Sonia and Sabeh, is a place where we mean to spend half an hour and three hours later, we are still there. The food is that excellent and they are that much fun.
We first learned of Byblos in 2014:
and it quickly advanced to Peachy's Picks in early 2015:
Byblos was most recently featured later in 2015:
The raw kibbee is what you absolutely need to start with.
We missed it.
The raw kibbee is ideally mixed with wheat and their special seasoning. Whatever this seasoning is, it is a secret and we guess we don't need to know if they don't want to tell us (we ask a lot!) but what you need to know is that this should be your dinner. The flavor and texture is sublime and you should mash it with your fork and add evoo and salt and pepper.
An appetizer we believe we have not tried before at Byblos were the striking Quails, which hail from Canada. Of course Peachy wanted to know if they liked hockey and they did. But we like them on our plate the most and again, these are expertly marinated and grilled just right.
The Chopped Salad is a gorgeous number and is exactly what you'd want it to be. Tomato, cucumber, onion, mint, lemon and evoo culminate in a nutritious endeavor that absolutely should be part of your meal. They will even put the dressing on the side if you are as picky as Peachy. We'd like to additionally point out that only the very best venues are doing a great job with salads starting now until next spring; we hate when we see unfresh salads anywhere. This salad is totally fresh.
The Garlic Hummus is off-the-charts extraordinary and it is so high quality you will not be able to face the grocery-store version ever again, even if you are at an upscale market. Sonia and Sabeh are masters of the Garlic Dip and we would have been happy drinking cabernet all night and dipping their hot piping fresh pita bread in it.
We do not like too many flatbreads unless we are at Auden of The Ritz Carlton Central Park and you are putting microgreens by Fresh Origins and other nice ideas on it.
This Pita Bread of Byblos is what every Pita Bread should aspire to; you will revel in its hot fluffy carbohydrate ecstasy.
Now you are going to wish this website were scratch and sniff because the smell of the hot pita bread is amazing.
Here, meet the Loubie bil Zeit! We love green beans and feel they are underrepresented on menus; here the fresh string beans team up with tomato, garlic, onion and olive oil to compose a vegetable delight with delightful, fragrant, nutrition.
If you are a meat enthusiast, you ought to meet the Grilled Beef Kabob and we'd tell you to opt for spicy! (it also comes regular) Again, these smart people absolutely know how to season and this seasoned ground American beef is expertly mixed with parsley and served with rice and vegetables.
Here it is smiling at you!
You'll be truly wowed by the splendors of the freshness of the Byblos Grilled Striped Bass. They source it from Seabreeze. Dressed with their own seasoning and served whole, the majestic fish is a compelling choice and they will even filet it for you. Finally, say Kasik (Cheers in Lebanese) and conclude your wonderful evening with the Kanafe, below. Sweet cheese, shredded wheat and pistachios revel in a lovely sugar syrup with rosewater.
Byblos continues to be Highly Recommended!
