"At this Egyptian restaurant in Astoria, it takes awhile for the couscous, roasted meats and other daily specials to come out. That’s because it’s all prepared by the chef-owner, who is also responsible for the dining room decor—a life-long mosaic project feathered things like busts and Eyes of Horus. The slow pace makes it a good option for lingering with a few friends at a curtained-off table and a couple of bottles." - molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah