"Past shuttered train-car diners, in a row of furniture repair and auto body shops, one spot stands out—and not just because of the statue of a tailless cow grazing on the sidewalk outside. On an otherwise quiet street in Paterson, NJ, a steady stream of cars pulls up to Al-Mazaq, a family-run Iraqi bakery and restaurant with wonderful, homestyle food. Regulars stop by all day long to pick up large takeout orders and stacks of flatbread, but our favorite meal in the sun-lit, cafe-like space is breakfast. A pot of black tea, served on a brass tray engraved with historic mosques and ziggurats, is the perfect accompaniment to flaky, syrup-drenched kahi, and a bowl of dense, milky gaymar—a sweet way to start the day. photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah photo credit: Sonal Shah These breakfast items, along with savory ones like the makhlama (eggs dry-scrambled with minced meat and vegetables), are always available, but you should dip into the other sections of the menu at lunch and dinner. You’ll find deep, tea-brown pickled vegetables, very solid kebabs, salads and dips, and refreshing jars of mint-green lemonade. On weekends, make a feast of their bacha, a goat head and trotters stew. Food Rundown photo credit: Sonal Shah Kahi & Gaymar Flaky layers of philo-like dough create just enough of a structure to support a pool of date syrup. Top triangles of the kahi with gaymar, the Iraqi cousin to clotted cream. The fatty milkiness of the gaymar plays perfectly with the sugary sweetness of the kahi, and the combination is impossible to stop eating. photo credit: Sonal Shah Bagila Platter A hearty breakfast or lunch dish with layers of bread, sopping with tomato-y broth, juicy broad beans, and a soft omelet crowning the bowl. It’s a large portion, and makes great leftovers. photo credit: Sonal Shah Eggplant Salad Crisp, blackened eggplant skin melds with tangy pomegranate molasses in this crunchy salad. Order it. photo credit: Sonal Shah Bacha There’s nothing quite like the drama of half a goat head, complete with eyeball and teeth, staring at you out of a dish that also includes more goat parts. This mild stew, only available on weekends, is all about the various textures—chewy from the cartilage, and silky from the collagen. Squeeze plenty of lemon in before enjoying." - Sonal Shah
