(This venue is closed.) Bring on the kebabs.
Though it calls itself a nectar, Tamek brand sour cherry drink (330 ml.; $1), from Turkey, has a body more like an uncarbonated soda, but combined with a delicious puckering flavor, it's more than ready to take on any grilled meat you can imagine. (Here's what I imagine.)
For the sake of a snappy name and a cute tin, I also spent a buck on Alshark brand Moroccan sardines in spicy oil. (The well-washed tin awaits a second calling, perhaps as a caddy for business cards or other take-ones.) This Middle Eastern market is a curiosity on a largely Asian stretch of Eighth Ave.; in a concession to local demographics, my cashier was Cantonese.
Birlik Market
5919 Eighth Ave. (at 60th St.), Sunset Park, Brooklyn
718-436-2785
