In April of 2017, I went abroad to Israel for two months at the Alexander Muss High School campus. After experiencing the most authentic, delicious, and crave-worthy eats of my life, I’ve been searching for a restaurant with the genuine taste and funky vibe of the mediterranean. Dez delivers all of this.
What is Dez?
Dez, short for desert, is a fast-casual middle eastern restaurant located on the lower west side of Manhattan. With all day dining, a colorful aesthetic, and the ideal menu for shared plates with good pals, you really can’t go wrong.
It could be a fresh veg and seeds salad, an indulgent shawarma burger, or even a cardamom waffle with mint, pistachios, and lemon butter. Dez has it all!
Dez was co-founded by two powerhouse women in the food industry, Eden Grinshpan, TV personality and Canadian-Israeli chef and Samantha Wasser, founder of By Chloe. These two women opened the restaurant this past May with dishes inspired by both Grinshpan’s Israeli background and her travels throughout the middle east.
Grinshpan studied at Le Cordon Bleu in London and then traveled through India, Southeast Asia, and Israel. She says that Tel Aviv is her favorite place because of the fresh ingredients, lively vendors, and locally sourced seasonal produce. Apparently, she can’t get enough of Israel. I know the feeling.
Standout Dishes
Aside from its beautiful aesthetic, Dez is known for its bold, colorful shared plates that represent Israeli cuisine so well. Some of the most popular menu items include beet hummus, harissa curry shakshuka, stuffed pitas, and halva toast.
Past monthly soft serve flavors included cardamom and coconut, sage/olive oil/ honey, and walnut honey kadaifi. Personally, my favorite flavor Dez has experimented with so far has been the strawberry and peanut butter bamba. It reminds me of my childhood—I lived for PB and J’s—and Israel at the same. It’s sweet, salty, and most importantly delicious!
More Info
Dez provides online ordering and catering for events as well. Aside from the food, you can buy Dez swag such as water bottles, hats, and pens with the same colorful, funky vibe as the restaurant as well.
The specials for this month: Chicken pita with garlic tahini and spicy cucumber salad, quinoa tabouli bowl, crispy rice salad with chimichurri cauliflower, date vinaigrette, and spiced lentils.
*You can also enjoy hump day happy hour every Wednesday from 3pm – 7pm.
Don’t miss out, visit Dez today!