Sunday, November 30, 2008

New Layla's in Stamford: Falafal and Liquor!

Well, not exactly liquor, but wine and beer. If you don't know Layla's Falafel, it's well-priced, well-made Middle Eastern cuisine. There is one in Fairfield, one on High Ridge, and a new branch opening in downtown Stamford in Dec or Jan. My husband and I got lunch at Layla's on High Ridge today, and the owner gave me the excellent news that he is applying for a liquor license for the new Layla's. My God, a glass of white wine will go so nicely with the chicken Shawarma wrap. A NY Times review praised that wrap last year as "a textural delight that is worth the wait." Note: see Chris Preovolos' informative post about Layla's, which I must have missed because it was from the day I first started feeling under the weather... almost five damn weeks ago.

I got a sneak peek at the downtown Layla's menu, and it has many more items than the current menu. I'm looking forward to trying some new dishes. I think the new Layla's will be double the size of the one on High Ridge, and I wonder if it will be a little more upscale, or casual like the other two. (Casual is fine with me!) There will be outdoor seating, so when the weather warms, you can enjoy a quick but high-quality meal with your people-watching. Layla's downtown will be a nice alternative to Black Bear (not great food) and Market (expensive food).

Today I got the falafel pita, but, as the owner showed me one day last summer, you should really get the falafel on the lavash wrap, because then they grill the wrap for a few minutes and it turns out so much tastier. Here's a photo of that wrap; I apologize that I took a bite out of it before I remembered to take a photo. It was fantastic and very filling. It's always a challenge to save room for the baklava at Layla's, but you should. It's the perfect end to a flavorful meal.

7 comments:

Chris Preovolos said...

I'm all about the lamb at Layla's. But every time I go they tell me the chicken is better. Still haven't tried it. Next time.

Also. Still waiting for Layla's downtown.

–CP

Jeff said...

I heard at the beginning of the summer that the downtown one was in the works, but I thought it was going to be where Garden Catering moved in.

Maybe they could somehow convince Hula's to move out, scrub out (and exorcise) that space, and make it local awesome snack food heaven.

Julie said...

Yum falafel! Can't wait for downtown so I can walk there for lunch.....

Chris Preovolos said...

Jeff,

Well, they actually have a space down there next to Market. It is the one that has a big aluminum sheet where the sign will go. Some of the work is done inside (most of the major stuff).

And yeah, I wouldn't miss Hula Hank's. That place is gross.

What do you guys think about the lack of trees on Main St.? I guess the wide sidewalk will be good for outdoor dining in the summer...and I seem to recall the sidewalk being uneven and broken up (a liability for the city) but I still think it looks weird without the trees.

–CP

Anonymous said...

They said they are replanting trees, I don't know if they can do that now at this time of year.

Streets of Stamford said...

I freakin' love Layla's, so I'm thrilled that the downtown location will have a broader menu! Mmmm...shawarma...

Anonymous said...

I went to the HighRidge location when it first opened 1.5-2yrs ago? The falafel was terrrrible. Then I ate at the Fairfield location and it was pretty good. Better than what I ate at Myrnas. So hhopefully, the downtown location will be at par with the Fairfield one.