.                                                           TELL ME . . . 

So we have all been there.  You find yourself wandering around New York,

 for one reason or another. Maybe you finally sprung for tickets to the hot show that 

everyone else saw 5 years ago or decided on a  whim  to witness firsthand the sartorial genius 

of  some dead fashion Icon. Anyway, it's getting close to dinner time and  there you are,  in the 

culinary center of the universe, with  25000 restaurants to choose from and and your friends

have left  it up to you to find somewhere to eat dinner but where ?  Some trendy overpriced 

touristy spot with a “prohibition style theme?” No my friends  because you know from reading 

this column that translated it means 3 ounce drinks in very tiny glasses at $19 a pop.Trattoria 

this, Trattoria that, This Grill , That Grill , It is all so confusing. Why didn’t you remember to bring 

that outdated Zagat's guide stuck to the bottom of the wire magazine rack in the guests 

bathroom ?  Of course, you could  always check the  outdated reviews on the internet written by

 the owner's brother in law. Ya know with all those choices you would think that it would not be 

that hard  to find something interesting and delicious but it starting to get dark and the pressure 

is on .  Well my friends, there is no need to be intimidated because you read this column and 

you know you can rely on Food and Wine Corner to steer you to the right place even in New

 York ( It’s like having your own personal food GPS). Grab a cab, a subway if you are brave or 

hoof it over if you are feeling energetic to  Illili  ( pronounced Ill lily) located at 236 Fifth Ave 

between 27th and 28th  featuring some seriously  delicious gourmet Lebanese .  What is that 

you ask ? Good Question . Think Middle Eastern but better, much better. You can just  just 

forget the Sabra you bought at Stop and Shop, because the Mezza (which means half as in half 

portion) here comes from a different planet .The  Hummus offered at Illili (including crab falafel)

comes in five different varieties is by far the best I have ever tasted as is the excellent Baba 

Ghannouj with pomegranate , the  Warm Eggplant with tamarind molasses and outstanding 

Falafel with fava beans. Try their  Duck Shawarma with fig jam and garlic whip or go full tilt ( like 

I did) with the fantastic  mixed grill with lamb chops and grilled vegetables. It will have you 

speaking in Lebanese. Which speaking of ,  the word “Illili “means “tell me” and that is just what   

 I am doing  here. Illili is the brainchild of  Executive chef  Phillipe Moussoud who brought his 

authentic recipes from Lebanon and has been  wowing foodies in Flatiron for more than 10 

years . When  Moussad, was first sent to the US by his restaurateur family to escape political 

turmoil  in 1985 , he  found the Mediterranean food here to be an abomination which did not 

represent his native cuisine  in any way. He then made it his mission to correct that atrocity ,stat. 

He returned home to apprentice at some of the best restaurants  in Lebanon and Spain to hone 

his craft and his vision that became Illili.  Ah, “Illili “ even the name sounds chill , with its  casual 

and welcoming vibe, it is a perfect place to meet up with friends, chat and share some delicious  

small plates.  You can opt to enjoy a drink , relaxing in the comfortable couch area or venture 

upstairs for a more intimate booth resplendent with gossamer curtains. So let’s take a look at 

the scoreboard ;  Interesting, check,  lovely  digs, , check,  nice wait staff , check , warm 

and comfy,  check . It seems like a home run to me or at least a triple. FYI , don’t freak when 

you see the prices of the entrees as they are meant to be shared ,  so only order one or two and 

a few sides for four people and you should be fine. At least by NY standards. Now if you happen 

to be allergic to NY and break out in hives driving over bridges or through tunnels, pay it 

no neve rmind because Illili my friend, ships nationwide. An  entire feast can be shipped directly 

to your door, holy Amazon , Batman. BTW you can now email me to tell me how much you 

you enjoyed my recommendations , if you didn’t , don’t bother . Just kidding or not.

                                                                         YUM