"I remember seeing something on Instagram about El Cedro when it opened—a Lebanese-Mexican spot, right in the strip of Brooklyn’s Atlantic Avenue where I go for Middle Eastern groceries (over at Damascus and Sahadi’s), great Yemenite stews at Yemen Cafe, and Palestinian food at al Badawi (their new uptown location recently appeared on this list). I had faith from the geography: it’s in good company. I was also intrigued because, as you may or may not know, there’s a huge Lebanese community in Mexico (that’s where the al pastor spit came from, after all), so it seemed like a pairing we should have been waiting for. The kismet was that, when I visited, I went with both a Mexican friend and an Armenian friend, and I got to watch the two of them delight at seeing their favorite childhood ingredients living beside one another on the same menu. There are gorditas made with labne crema and chicken cooked with sumac. There’s a quesadilla with gooey cheese and za’atar (a simple standout). The $17 Armenian torta, which has both a sujuk patty and cured basturma in it, is zingy with pickled cucumber as well. The space is casual, and you can tell they’re just getting into the swing of things—but the blend of food is beautifully satisfying, and (to me) totally creative. —Megan Spurrell, associate director, articles" - CNT Editors
