(Devine Cauliflower dish is a vegan’s wish come true. Photo by Betsy DiJulio)
By Betsy DiJulio
Are you like me: always looking for something interesting to order in a restaurant without having to omit everything that makes it order-worthy?
We vegans have bounteous options in the many ethnic restaurants in our region but, otherwise, it is often the beet salad without the goat cheese, the focaccia bread without the garlic-parm topping, or the Impossible burger without the eggy brioche bun. Sometimes, the dish is still delicious; sometimes it’s lacking, e.g. can we all agree that beautiful fuchsia beet juice comingling with creamy goat cheese to make a luscious bright-pink drizzle cascading down a mound of peppery arugula makes us a wee bit jealous?
That being the case for me, when I saw the fried Cauliflower ($10.95) marked “VG” for vegan on the menu at Charlie’s Middle Eastern on Granby Street, I made a beeline for it on foot with fellow foodie Carol Butler who lives in the neighborhood. The current lunch-and-dinner Middle Eastern Charlie’s was formerly the perennially popular breakfast-and-lunch greasy spoon Charlie’s.
But see, it’s the bees that are the issue. When I called the restaurant for a few more details, I understood them to say that the outrageously delicious “Charlie’s Sauce” is made with honey. And I repeated what I heard, which was confirmed. Darn it. Carol and I devoured it, and I only asked questions later. But she’s a vegetarian, so no problem. If you are a “beegan”—a vegan who eats honey—it’s also no problem.
But for the rest of us, alas, you’re going to have to ask your waiter to have the kitchen hold the garlic-and-honey “Charlie’s Sauce.” I still highly recommend this eye-popping dish, as a mound of sesame seed-topped, pan-fried cauliflower florets—not battered and deep fried—comes atop TWO sauces surrounded by garden fresh greens, one of which is tahini. Swiping those perfectly crisped puffs through the beautifully balanced pairing of tahini sauce and Charlie’s Sauce is out of this world, so I have an idea for a substitution.
On my next visit, I plan to ask if another sauce can be substituted, maybe the tangy-spicy-sour amba sauce, a popular Israeli condiment typically made from pickled green mangoes, vinegar, and a blend of spices like turmeric, fenugreek, and chili. I might also ask for verification of the original sauce ingredients, as restaurants do change their preparations from time to time. Regardless, this dish is one for which I am willing to travel from my home in Virginia Beach to Norfolk to ask for a substitution.
Ditto the hummus. How special can this ubiquitous dish be, you ask? Pretty special. The man I spoke with laughed when I asked why it was bursting with flavor, politely insisting in the face of my disbelief that it is made simply and in-house with only chickpeas, cumin, lemon juice, tahini (sesame seed paste), and water. From several hummus plates, Carol and I ordered Hummus Sabich ($15.95) also to share and also with a hold: the chicken. But, again, all the other bright and earthy compatible flavors more than compensated.
The ample, swirl of hummus was generously slicked with olive oil; mounded with pan-fried eggplant and diced raw cukes, tomatoes, red onions, and pickle slices; sprinkled with Za’atar; and served with six pita triangles of which you should ask for extra. For the uninitiated, Za’atar is a spice blend of toasted sesame seeds, lemony sumac, and dried spices like marjoram, oregano, and thyme. As with the hummus, the tasty eggplant is a result of the simplest preparation: sprinkled with sea salt and rested for two to three hours to extract extra moisture and any bitterness before pan-frying in olive oil.
There are plenty of other vegan dishes on the menu like the falafel and za’atar fries—and I have it on good authority that the grilled sweet potatoes are next level—but that cauliflower cannot be had anywhere else around. And the hummus is unlike any other hummus among us.
Give it a try: 1800 Granby Street, Norfolk, https://charliesmiddleeastern.com/, 757.904.0532