Peachy Picks Gazala's Place Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
The convincing Whole Fish platter at Gazala's Place
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:
For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at
One of the beautiful aspects of Manhattan is that you can find nearly whatever you want, whenever you want (except for a beach) and that extends to culinary endeavors especially. As you can tell, Peachy Deegan would be quite happy to skip from Italian venue to Italian venue night after night even though she's not Italian, but sometimes it can be fun to switch up your dining routine and try something totally new. As you may remember, we first ventured into Druze cuisine in our takeout column with Gazala in late 2013:
We were intrigued, so we returned. Gazala is from Israel and came to New York in 2001; she used to cater in her home. As you see, her success has culminated into her restaurant business which you ought to know about! We visited her upper west side location which opened in 2010; we believe her midtown location opened in 2007. What on earth is Druze you may ask. We asked the same: it's culture and religion combined and this is the only Druze restaurant in the United States that we are aware of. Gazala said it is most similar to Jewish and is also similar to Middle Eastern but lighter and with different spices. Peachy's Catholic and she felt welcome; this is not about religion it's about eating which brings people together!
Grape leaves usually remind us of Greek salads, however now they will also remind us of Gazala. They are stuffed with rice and served with amazing cucumber yogurt. We'd order this again.
Please meet a Borak: this is a fluffy pie stuffed with goat cheese, and if you are a fan of goat cheese you'll love this. We rarely meet a pastry or carbohydrate we don't adore and we adored the Borak.
Truth be told, Peachy did get her Italian in liquid form at Gazala's Place and the Cabernet Veneto was an ideal companion to what we tried! Its depth combined with smooth rich dark fruits was brilliant.
For our main course, we tried the whole fish platter:
The fish was baked to a golden brown perfectly, and the rice and salad balanced it out nicely. Overall, Gazala's Place seemed to be a very healthy spot for dinner.
For dessert, we tried the Osh-Al Sarice which is creamy yogurt pudding prepared with orange and rosewater. A delight that is different from any other dessert we've tried!
Our esteemed panelist adds:
If you're looking for a tasty and satisfying meal in a cozy and comfortable atmosphere, Gazala's Place is a must-try! Conveniently located on the corner of Columbus Ave. and West 78th St., this is a true gem of a restaurant. Owned and operated by chef Gazala Halabi, the restaurant is the only one in the United States to feature strictly Druze cuisine. Druze is a Middle Eastern culture and religion which shares many similarities with other major religions, but is its own entity with its own set of beliefs and way of life, and likewise, Druze cuisine, although similar to Middle Eastern cuisine, has its own distinct flavor and is generally much lighter than typical Middle Eastern fare. Eager to sample Druze cooking for the first time, I ordered the feta salad to start, which was delightful.
Made with chopped tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and, of course, feta, the salad was fresh, flavorful, and immensely satisfying. Gazala also wanted us to try the boraka, which was a fluffy pastry pie stuffed with spinach and cheese, and we were more than happy to. The crust was incredibly light and airy, and the warm spinach and cheese filling was absolutely delicious!
For my main course, I opted for the chicken kebab, which was flame broiled with spices, and served with rice and a small salad. This was truly one of the best chicken dishes I've had in recent memory - the chicken was incredibly tender, and the spices infused it with incredible flavor. The side salad and the rice were both enjoyable as well, but the chicken was definitely the star of this dish!
To accompany my meal, I selected the Te Kairanga 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, and its bright, mineral/fruity flavor provided the perfect complement.
For dessert, I couldn't resist trying the baklava, and, like everything else I'd tried that evening, it was simply top-notch. Sweet, but not cloyingly so, and made with absolutely perfect phyllo dough, these tasty little morsels simply melted in my mouth! Overall, a lovely experience and a truly terrific meal!
Peachy Picks Gazala's Place
