We Tried It: Allenby, Eastern Mediterranean Flavors in Recoleta
We visited Allenby, a new restaurant at Village Recoleta that sets out to explore Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, drawing inspiration from the culinary traditions of Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Greece.
We kicked off the evening with one of the house essentials: hummus. Creamy, generous, and perfect for sharing, it comes with complimentary sesame-seed bagel bread. Guests can also order it with laffa, a traditional Iraqi flatbread that is baked here in a wood-fired Neapolitan-style digital oven and cut at the table with scissors. Those avoiding gluten can opt for a lentil cracker instead.
AllenbyShakshuka con queso feta.
Before diving into the hummus, it’s worth dipping the bread into olive oil seasoned with za’atar, a fragrant spice blend with herbal, toasted, and slightly tangy notes made from thyme, marjoram, and sumac—a dried berry that adds a citrusy flavor.
Next came the shakshuka with feta cheese, a dish that encapsulates centuries of culinary exchange across the Eastern Mediterranean, where tomatoes, eggs, olive oil, and sheep’s milk cheeses have long shared the same gastronomic tradition.
AllenbyPatio
Among the main courses, the stars are the sandwiches and spice-rubbed meats. The pastrami is the crowd favorite: when ordered “al Josper”—named after the oven-grill hybrid in which it is cooked—it is served with crispy potatoes, roasted apples, onions, and mustard sauce.
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For many diners, the spiced