Last year, I was invited to a Eid Party by my friend Wisam. He had extended the invitation by writing:
it's a late invitation, but it took me a while to find u on facebook. So, we are having this AWESOME party, please come to a finish a whole sheep with us.
A whole sheep? Um, yes! The party planners promised that Chef Raiwa from the legendary Middle Eastern restaurant Tanoreen would be catering. I had heard good things but had not made the trip to Bay Ridge to eat at her restaurant yet. She would be making a special dish, roasted whole lamb stuffed with seasoned rice (kharoof mashi).
The lamb was everything that it had promised to be- one of my favorite meals ever. People were trying to engage me in conversation, but I was just nodding, blitzed by kharoof. John was like "Hello, are you even listening?" Israelis and Palestinians and brown and yellow people alike were smoking shisha and eating succulent, tender lamb in peace and solidarity, as long as no one brought up politics. And Wisam made me realize that I had some qualities to develop as a host. He was inspiring, kind of like a drill sergeant dad , able to dish up 30 portions of food within minutes.
The fatoush salad of parsley, mint, scallions and bulgur wheat was bright and refreshing. For dessert there was a lovely knafeh, shredded filo dough stuffed with two kinds of sweet cheese and topped with syrup and pistachio nuts.
A couple weeks ago I finally got a chance to visit Tanoreen when my cousin Luan and his wife Margaret came in to town, a full year after that party. We left their babies with the grandparents and took a walk to the restaurant. It was distressing trying to settle on which appetizers to order. There is a mind boggling selection, many of which can be seen tauntingly in the display case right behind us.
We ordered a special lamb sausage, brussel sprouts and a chopped eggplant salad appetizer. All were great and swiftly mopped clean with the pita bread. Between the three of us, we split two main courses - a fried striped bass and a lamb shank- which were both excellent.
After dinner, we walked by the apartment building that Margaret grew up in and past the huge old Victorian houses. Bypassing the scary cupcake shop (bright green frosting), we went into her parents house for some of Margaret's famous pumpkin roll before I headed home
Tanoreen
7704 Third Ave.,
Brooklyn, NY 11209
at 77th St.
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Subway Directions 
718-748-5600
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