Gazala’s
Gazala’s is a Middle Eastern restaurant on the Upper West Side where you can get a casual meal that involves a big mezze platter.
This red sauce Italian trattoria has been a UWS neighborhood staple for years. The little brick-walled room is busy during lunch and dinner with people eating dependable fried artichokes, pizzas, and pastas. There’s no wine list, but you can always count on affordable wines by the bottle, and a charmingly cramped candle-lit table on which to drink them. You should also know that Celeste only takes cash, so come prepared.
Food Rundown
Involtini Di Melanzane
These are really good. Eggplant rolls stuffed with prosciutto and pecorino, and then baked with tomato sauce. An excellent appetizer to share.
Carciofi Fritti
One of their trademarks, the fried artichoke. People love ’em.
Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina
Homemade potato dumplings with a basic tomato sauce and basil. The portion size is huge and you really can’t go wrong with a big bowl of gnocchi for the table.
Spaghetti Alle Vongole
A massive bowl of spaghetti with big tasty clams in white wine and parsley sauce. It’s not special, but it gets the job done right.
Margherita Pizza
Tomato, mozzarella and basil pie. Simple, delicious and pretty damn cheap at $11.
Ippoglosso Al Limone
Halibut sautéed with lemon and capers. If you’re looking for a fish entree, this is a good bet.
Vitello Al Limone
We really enjoyed the veal medallion, which, like most of the dishes here, is sautéed with lemon and capers. I guess that’s just how Carmine likes it.
