Ema's Delicious Restaurant

Not many places keep kidneys on hand in such plentiful supply.

This halal Albanian restaurant offers them grilled or, as shown here, sauteed with onions ($9). In a dining room as sunny and welcoming as Ema's, even veal kidneys can seem cheery. Also shown: an Albanian salad ($6) laden with olives and brined cheese, whose cabbage, offered one dining buddy, had been marinated in red wine vinegar; slices of spinach and meat bureks ($5 each), the latter divvied into thirds for our party; pasul ($10), a thin white-bean stew, in this instance bolstered by smoked meat; skender beg veal ($18), a breaded roulade surrounding mozzerella and more smoked meat, and accompanied by sour cream.

That name is very similar to "iskender," the famous spit-roasted doner kebab of Turkey, another dining buddy noted. Our roulade proved challenging to cut crosswise; you might prefer veal that arrives pre-sliced at the table. Say, as kidneys, or maybe veal liver.

Ema's Delicious Restaurant
2301 65th St. (65th-66th Sts.), Mapleton, Brooklyn
718-676-5054

Comments

[Dave Cook]

By email, Annia Ciezadlo, author of Day of Honey, observes:

The skender beg veal is probably not a reference to iskender kebab (that being, as you most likely know, the Turkish and Arabic version of Alexander, usually the Great, and the cities of Alexandria and Alexandretta). Rather, it's named after Skander Beg, the national hero of Albania!

Thanks, Annia!