Impressive Middle Eastern Meals at Taqwa’s

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It’s not difficult to discern that the building where Taqwa’s Bakery & Restaurant (4651 S. 27th St., Greenfield; 414-539-6878) now stands was once a chain fast food outlet. Neither is it tough to conclude that Taqwa’s is an upgrade for repurposing a space now dedicated to serving some of the area's finer Middle Eastern fare. 

At a recent lunch, my companion and I started with a couple of folded pastry fatayers for appetizers. My spinach/onion/sumac variety delighted my tongue with its earthy tang and whisper of sweetness. My friend’s Mediterranean cheese fatayer may have been less complex in the composition of its contents, but its softness of texture and mellowness of taste were no less pleasing. Shared between us, a plate of tzatziki was a fine a way to complement our meals.      

Those empanada-like morsels were just enough to whet our appetites for visually impressive entrees. The sawani kufta looked something like a shallow bowl of cream soup with spears of seasoned ground beef and potato slices placed like islands of varying terrain. A fluid tahini base gave the dish its milky appearance, but it’s also available in a tomato variation. The meat possessed a spice not dissimilar to Greek seasoning and a long, thin shape like it could have been freshly removed from a kebab spear. 

My mosakhan made for an arguably even more spectacular sight. Over wedges of buttery touban bread—think of a puffy pita—were spread caramelized onion bits flavored with lemon juice, olive oil and more sumac. Atop that already vivid delicacy sat a chicken quarter basted in a spice combination giving it a deep, alluring orange hue. Making miniature, folded sandwiches with the meat and airy flatbread may be only one approach to downing this comfort food, but it's easy as the dish is colorful. 

A meal filling as that still benefitted from a bit of dessert. And that bit came from a warbat. The filo pastry filled with sweet cheese and topped with a simple sugar syrup and pistachio bits wasn’t overly indulgent, capping a hearty repast with just the right amount of sweetness placed in a texturally varied morsel. 

Taqwa's also serves breakfast all day, as well. I was wholly pleased with the fattih, a bowl full of fried pita pieces topped with yogurt, hummus, chickpeas and toasty pine nuts; the citrusy spiciness it left in mouth was a pleasant reminder of a worthwhile morning meal. I’d get it again, but not before having at the kibdeh, consisting of sauteed chicken livers and seasonal vegetables drizzled with pomegranate molasses.

The restaurant also hosts an evening buffet starting 7 p.m. at least through Ramadan. Try the mint tea, prepared with loose leaves steeped over boiling water. And should anyone miss the building’s former fast-food iteration, Taqwa's still serves French fries as a side!