Ammatoli -- Long Beach, CA (Levantine cuisine)

The Chef of this restaurant hails from Jordan, and the restaurant's decor, ambiance and halal ingredients embody aspects of this area. The limestone-covered walls, patterned furniture and photos from her travels set the stage for the dining experience. She describes her food as not something singular, but rather something that encompasses the entire region of the Levant as well as her influences from living in California. I'm happy to just call it, "dinner".

This restaurant, located at 285 E. 3rd Street, is now one of my favorites. The elegant flavors and incredibly down-to-earth service has drilled a permanent memory in my mind.   


https://www.ammatoli.com/

Here are some of the things I've enjoyed.



Roasted Beets Salad. Cooked until tender, these pieces of red beet were sweet morsels. A little tangy from lemon, a little rich from olive oil, fragrant from the fresh parsley, and a bit of texture from the pickled onion. 

Falafel. Freshly fried and excellent. Crispy on the outside, fluffy and hot on the inside. The pickled turnips were crunchy and tangy and the tahini sauce added a nice creamy nutty flavor to each bite. 

Fried Kibbeh. This was my first time trying this dish and I will forever compare future kibbeh to these. The fried bulgur wheat footballs were stuffed with perfectly seasoned and moist ground beef, onions, and walnuts. The ratio of inside to outside was just right and the fry was expertly done with a crisp outside but still tender throughout. 

Ammatoli Mixed Mashawi. I selected one skewer of lamb kafta, and one skewer of shrimp. The lamb was moist, juicy and flavored with an array of spices. The shrimp were perfectly grilled and had that nice snap. The house made flat bread was chewy and fragrant. I also enjoyed the grilled tomato and tahini sauce. 

Ka'ak Date Cookies. Made with Palestinian olive oil, anise, fennel, cardamom, cinnamon, and dates, these cookies were a bit more savory than sweet, had a nice crisp and were silver-dollar sized. Nothing close to a typical American-style cookie, which I can appreciate. These were nice little nibbles to go with an after-meal tea or coffee. 

Knafeh. This was my favorite version of this delightful treat. Made with shredded kataifi, which is similar to a phyllo pastry, white cheese, and crushed pistachios. This was baked to order and came to me warm with shatteringly crispy kataifi and oozy cheese. I also appreciated the orange blossom syrup on the side, so I was able to add or omit sweetness to my liking. 

If in the Long Beach area, as long as this restaurant exits, I will forevermore visit and enjoy every morsel that comes out of this kitchen.