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One of
the appeals of Brooklyn is the rich ethnic mix of cultures, cuisines,
and traditions, that is somewhat of a microcosm of America. Many of our
grandparents, including mine, arrived on Ellis Island and
assimilated to life in America in New York City. And it still remains a
lively, if sometimes uncomfortable, mix of upscale, downscale, rich,
poor, happy, angry, frustrated, and content. But everybody’s gotta
eat.
 During
the last few years, it’s no secret that the borough of Brooklyn has
exploded and become something so internationally recognizable that La Grande
Épicerie in Paris redecorated
their iconic Parisian food store in the style of Brook-leen, as they
say. But it’s not just a bunch of people walking around in knit caps
and plaid shirts, or spinning
wool in a waiting room. There’s all sorts of foods – from
artisan to Armenian, Sicilian to Soviet, and American to Yemeni –
all just a subway ride away.
If you go
deeper into the enormous borough – its size alone, if it was its own
city, would be the third
largest in America – you’ll find streets and
neighborhoods the reflect the diverse multiculturalism of the borough,
with neighborhoods of food shops, restaurants, bakeries, and pizzerias,
representing the rich blend of immigrants who’ve settled here over the
years.
One
culture that interests me is Syria since some of my family was
from there, who came to America during the wave of immigration which
turned part of New York into Little
Syria. We hear a lot about Syria in the news these days,
often (unfortunately) due to the turmoil in the country. And for many
of us, the things we see on television are the impressions we have
of these countries. I had not been to Syria, which was a shame, but
friends who have been said it was incredible.
 Mansoura was
established in Brooklyn in 1961 and food writer Gabriella
Gershenson suggested that I go to the Syrian bakery on my
last visit to New York, since she knew I loved Middle Eastern food. I
wasn’t able to make it then, but it was right at the top of my list for
this visit. So I was happy when she offered to meet me there.
Gabriella was an editor at Saveur, and is now at Rachael
Ray magazine (how do I get on her show?), and we met up in the
Gravesend neighborhood in Brooklyn. And let me tell you, this place was
worth the trip – and the wait.
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