Dessert is not to be missed!
On the corner of Tilghman and Front streets is Elias Sweet Spoon. The
restaurant has won an award from the city of Allentown for renovating an old
Wawa convenience store. I'll agree, they did a great job.
The reasonably priced fare is all of Mediterranean origin. The dining area
was a little bright for my tastes, but the service was great. Dinner consisted
of Shish Kabob and Gyro platters, which included rice and a salad. The food was
good, but nothing to rave about; the meat I found to be a little too dry. Our
side order of hummus was quite good, however. It was fresh, tasty, and
generously portioned. Elias Sweet Spoon has some great fresh squeezed juices.
We had the Mango juice and Jellab, an interesting combination of rose water,
grenadine, and pine nuts. Both drinks were very refreshing.
The real treat at Elias is the dessert selection. I asked for the server's
suggestions and she came back with a plate of 5 different pastries that cost us
only $3.00. All the pastries, which included baklawa, pistachio mamoul, walnut
warbet, namura, and balawrii, were a heavenly collection of filo dough, nuts,
baked farina, honey, and associated confections. The desserts there are
not to be missed. The cappuccino was average, although their small, yet potent,
cup of Turkish coffee was amazingly strong and lacked bitterness. I strongly
recommend it.
If you're not a big fan of Mediterranean food, or even if you are, missing
dinner here won't ruin your life. Missing the desserts and Turkish coffee,
though, should be considered a crime.
Elias Sweet Spoon, 101 Tilghman Street, Allentown, PA. Phone (610) 820-5660.
Dinners $5-8, Pastries and coffee $1-3. ****
