Ilili

Ilili first caught my eye at Madison Square Eats, a food festival adjacent to Madison Square Park.  I look forward to Madison Square Eats every spring because it brings together food from restaurants all over NYC and Brooklyn.  Ilili has become a staple at Madison Square Eats, offerings delicious shwarma, which sells out early every day.  After devouring my initial taste of Ilili, I added the restaurant to my list.  Ilili patiently waited its turn on my list until my Mediterranean food craving came back.

We sampled several dishes, most of which were sensational.  The wine menu featured an impressive international selection at a wide range of price points while the cocktail menu offered interesting twists on tried and true standards.  If you like spicy, go for the Strawberry Margarita, which features a pepper tequila.  If you don't like spicy, the drink is still excellent with good old Patron Silver.

The service was attentive and while we didn't agree with our server's statement that the grape leaves were excellent, I appreciated his honesty when we asked which was better, the duck shawarma or the lamb chops.  The lamb chops cost twice as much and many servers would say the lamb chops to rack up the bill.  But our server held steadfast to the duck shawarma and he was dead on. 

Something to keep in mind when ordering your apps is that the server brings out a complimentary yogurt dip with pita chips.

What to Eat:

The hummus at Ilili comes with a few potential mix ins like lamb, pine nuts and shrimp.  Go with the lamb mix in if you can handle a heavy lamb taste.  The small, soft pita pillows are addictive, readers, you've been warned.

The Duck Shawarma is a must.  Two doughy pita cones are filled with strips of marinated duck, fig puree, garlic whip (which is a type of light, garlicky, mayonnaise), and pomegranate seeds.  There are so many incredible and different flavors and they all compliment each other.  I could come back here weekly for a cocktail and their duck shawarma.






I "mistakenly" ordered the Loup de Mar without realizing it was insanely (over) priced.  While the fish was large enough to qualify for almost two entrees, $80 for a whole white fish is outrageous.  Was it flaky, light and delicious? Yes.  Worth $80? No.  If I wasn't so distracted by my cocktail, I probably would have noticed the price tag and picked a different fish option (there were several).

Looking for great small plates and drinks in the Flat Iron? Ilili is a the perfect place for a group get together,

Your foodie friend

Insider tip: The Madison Square Eats food festival is going on now for the next few weeks so check it out!