Olive Valley at 43 Bogart Street. — Photos by Devon Brown

Five months ago, Middle Eastern eatery Olive Valley arrived on Bogart Street with big windows and bright lights. In the land of pizza and tacos, a new kid had come to town.

	Ashraf Abed, owner of Olive Valley. Click for more.

Inside don’t expect to find many frills. The beige tiled kitchen, light pink walls, and off-the-rack brown tables and metal chairs remind diners that in decorating, utility was the priority. As a great afterthought, three fluourescently colored abstract paintings by local artist Layton Hower were added to the walls. The only other color can be found in the large refrigerated cabinets sporting orange carrot salad, purple shredded cabbage, and red/green tabouleh. The good news is that the minimalist theme is also carried over into the menu.

When it comes to ordering, a smaller menu is often best, and Olive Valley sticks to the basics. Of course they have the star of Levantine cuisine, falafel, but they also serve up babaghanouj, a lemony eggplant-based dip; skewered chicken and lamb; moussaka, built like a shephard’s pie and from similar regional ingredients; and savory pies like cheese, zaater (an herb blend), and lamb. Not to mention the turkey shawarma spinning seductively behind the counter — the spiced and roasted meat is sliced and put into a pita.

I decided to stick with the standard and get a falafel sandwich with hummus and a spinach fello (like spanakopita) with feta. The friendly guys behind the counter ask you to select the toppings for the falafel — a plus for picky eaters. The pita was fresh and the falafel had a light crispy exterior, but the smooth lemony hummus was my favorite. After being microwaved, the spinach fello was a little limp, but the blend of salty and sour that the feta brought to the spinach made up for the texture. The food is good, and the relatively high volume of lunch-time customers seemed to affirm my assessment.

After eating, I spoke with owner Ashraf Abed to get his story. He says customers at his now-defunct Williamsburg organic grocery begged him to open another location in Bushwick — they even went as far as escorting him to the neighborhood on the L train. But upon arrival Ashraf realized he couldn’t compete with Brooklyn’s Natural, and set off on a new course.

The new restaurant, serving homemade recipes from his native Palestine, was born of this entrepreneurial drive. Ashraf is proud to say that the majority of the pastries are made in house — the beautiful desserts behind the glass case are impressive. Olive Valley’s delicious Middle Eastern staples give Bushwick a push toward the greater food diversity we all crave.

Olive Valley
43 Bogart | 718-894-1800
Price: $3-$15