Levant On Court Street Celebrates New Wine License With Special Pairing Menu Event

Sera of Lebant

Levant, the Middle Eastern Mazzeh restaurant at 316 Court Street, just got its beer and wine license. To celebrate, they are hosting a special wine pairing event on October 12th.   The price is $55 per person or $100 per couple.  To make a reservation, call 718 797 1110.

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A Look Inside Levant, Court Street's Newest Middle Eastern Eatery

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Sera Aghabi, the super-friendly owner of Levant at 316 Court Street. The new eatery, which opened last week-end, specializes in Middle Eastern Mazzeh, Grills and Manakeesh (a cross between pita and pizza.)
Sera and her husband, who come from Petra, Jordan, have decorated their new restaurant with objects from their native country. The feel is cozy and welcoming.
I didn't have the time to sample the food yet, but the chef offered me stuffed grape leaves which he had just made in the kitchen. They were amazing. If they are an indication on the rest of the dishes, I will certainly be back for a full meal.

Have you tried it yet?

LEVANT

316 Court Street Brooklyn, NY 11231 

1 (718) 797-1110

Open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm

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Levant: Introducing Court Street's Newest (Soon-To-Open) Middle Eastern Eatery

(food photographs courtesy of Levant)

For those of you who have been missing Palmyra, the Middle-Eastern eatery that closed just a few weeks ago at 316 Court Street, you won't have long to wait for more delicious foods like Kafta and Kebabs.
Levant, a new restaurant which will specializing in Middle Eastern Mazzeh, Grills and Manakeesh (a cross between pita and pizza) will hopefully be opening in its place by the end of the month.
A few days ago, I received the email below from its new owner Sara.
She writes:

"My name is Sara. My husband and I are the new owners of the 316 court st space (previously known as Palmyra).We are working hard on bringing a new flavor to the neighbourhood. This is our first restaurant to be open and we chose Carroll Gardens because we love it's charm.I just wanted to give you some insight about what we will be serving and the idea behind the restaurant.We are excited to have some Middle Eastern home cooking done right in Brooklyn. Our traditional food that we eat at home needs 3-4 hours to prepare it is called Tabeekh. At Levant, we will be offering a daily dish of Tabeekh (something different each day). We are will also be serving Manakeesh, which are a cross between pita and pizza, there are no places in NYC that make Mankeesh. We will have about 15 different kinds (some authentic and some americanized to suit everyones taste).
Our chef for brunch will be Bill Feldman from the popular show Chopped on the foodnetwork. We will be serving Pancakes, waffles, eggs all with a Middle Eastern twist.I am hoping that we will be open by the 20th of April.
Also on the menu are Arabic Burgers (ground beef with feta cheese), Lahmeh Sho-a (marinated meat cube skewers), Shish Tawook, marinated chicken skewers, various Batata, (potato) dishes, Sabanekh wa Gibneh, sauteed spinach with white Arabic cheese, and Lahmeh bi Ajin."

Can't wait.

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Mediterranean Eatery 'Palmyra' On Court Street Seems To Be Closed

One of my readers mentioned that Palmyra, the Mediterranean eatery at 316 Court Street, seems to be closed. I made a point of walking by today, and sure enough, the windows have been covered with paper.

There is no note indicating a reason, but two permits from New York City"s Department of Buildings have been taped up. One is for an "interior renovation of the existing commercial space for eating and drinking establishment" and one to "install kitchen fire suppression system."
No indication whether Palmyra will re-open or will be replaced by a new eatery.

Previously, 316 Court Street was home to Olive Vine Café, another Middle Eastern restaurant. The owner got himself into a spot of trouble with the State Department Of Labor in 2009 for underpaying his employees at a sister restaurant in Park Slope by as much as 200,000.
Shortly afterwards, the Court Street Olive Vine location was closed and replaced by Palmyra.
Gong back even further, the retail space was home to a tailor.

Does anyone have any info about the closing?


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After Investigation By State Labor Department, Is Owner Of "Olive Vine Café" Taking Time To Reflect?

photo credit: eatingbrooklyn on flickr

Then
and now

After being fined more than $200,000 for underpaying and over-working employees at two of his Olive Vine Café restaurants, business owner Zaid Demis has closed the doors of his 316 Court Street location. Though a note in the window would suggest that the Middle Eastern eatery will re-open on February 1st, the sign has been removed from the building's façade, newspapers have been taped over the windows and workers were seen carrying construction debris out of the storefront.It is unclear if Demis is just remodeling the space or if he is going to re-open under a new name. Perhaps he has given up the location completely. Back in November 2009, when the Daily News reported that Demis violated the minimum wage laws by paying his cooks as little as $6 an hour, he lamented to the newspaper:
"I don't have $200,000. Where the hell am I going to get that? Now I'm probably going to have to close my doors if they really insist on me paying."

Perhaps, Mr. Demis is merely taking a break to reflect on his poor treatment of his employees.

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