This is one of those reviews that we could have sworn we already wrote, since we were so impressed with the meal. Better late than never! The food at Galit (2429 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614) was so amazing, it was definitely one of the best meals we have had in 2019! Galit is owned and operated by Andrés Clavero and James Beard Award-winning chef Zachary Engel, previously Zach was the Chef de Cuisine at Shaya Restaurant in New Orleans. We enjoyed Shaya so much on a previous trip to New Orleans that we were delighted to learn that Engel was opening a restaurant in Chicago.
The theme at Galit is Israeli cuisine, with some modern touches and showing the influences from the diverse groups in Israel and around the Middle East. Galit’s sign is not visible from the street, and the only sign that lets you know that you are in the right place is a small blue and white address sign with “Lincoln Ave.” written in Hebrew, English and Arabic. The inside of Galit is clean and bright, and centered around an aqua-tiled bar and open kitchen (note the pita oven). We went with two other friends so were fortunately able to sample more of the dishes.
We ordered the Salatim ($22 for all – pictured above) which are a variety of dips and nibbles:
- Labneh: creamy yogurt dip with sumac and sesame
- Yemenite, Bulgarian and Israeli Pickles
- Ezme: a paste of tomatoes, peppers, walnuts and chives
- Pumpkin Tershi: Pumpkin spread with Urfa biber pepper, cumin and garlic
- Cipollini onions with feta
Don’t sleep on the pita either, like at Shaya, the pita at Galit it is freshly-baked, and comes right out of the oven hot, puffy and fresh. To be honest, we could have made a meal out of only the pita and the salatim dips. The Labhen and Ezme we our favorites from among the Salatim, the labneh was like the best version of queso you could imagine, and the ezme was bold and smoky. And don’t forget the hummus, another signature plate at Galit. There were 4 varieties of hummus ($9-16) including the classic version alongside more interesting varieties like “Bubbe’s Brisket” with smoky cinnamon, tomatoes, and carrots. We went with the Masabacha, which was made from chickpeas, herby tehina and aleppo pepper ($12). The hummus was superlative, silky smooth and delicious, and the herbs added a bright punch not usually found in hummus.
Another section of the menu was called “mostly over coal” and included a wide variety of small-to-large plates ranging from glazed carrots ($13) to shakshukah ($16) to Foie Gras ($18). We sampled the falafel ($12) served with “funky mango” and labneh. Iraqi Kubbeh Halab ($14), a crispy ground lamb fritter served with golden raisins and almonds. For mains we ordered chicken thighs with pine nuts, mushrooms and Bulgarian feta ($18), along with two orders of the fried fish Tunisian style ($22). Everything was delicious, but our favorite small plates had to be the falafel and the kubbeh, which were both absolutely bursting with flavor. The falafel was our favorite kind, bright green and herby, and was perfectly combined with the acidic mango pickle.
For dessert, we shared a chocolate cake ($11) with cardamon and hazelnut and a phyllo pie with apples and sahlab ($11) which were both tasty, but just not as amazing as the savory dishes. Other dessert options included date Ma’amoul cookies and apricot and hazelnut rice pudding. We also appreciated the original drinks on the menu, spanning spirits and spirit-free, including mint and yuzu fizzy lemonade and parsley, cucumber and cumin. For after-dinner aperatif pairings they have a variety of Araks, a anise-flavored spirit. There is also Yemeni coffee with hawaij and a variety of blends from the Rare Tea Cellar. Everything we sampled at Galit was fresh, delicious, and served with great attention to detail. This was definitely one of our best meals of 2019, and we encourage you to visit ASAP.
Eating The World 