Not a pizza parlor — a kunafa cafe!
To be sure, in contrast to the expansive menus at many pizzerias, the Jordanian-Palestinean owner prepares just two sheet-style versions of this cheese pastry, kheshneh and naa'eme. Colloquially, you might distinguish them as crispy or soft, depending on the presence or absence of finely spun threads of baked dough. There are no countertop condiments: no bowl of syrup, no shaker of crushed pistachio. Both are applied only by the owner himself, in appropriate measure. On the other hand, Nayef does serve slices (sampler, $5); the crispy kheshneh kunafa ultimately won our favor.
Nayef Sweets
127 Crooks Ave. (Main St.-Getty Ave.), Paterson, New Jersey
973-341-2640
www.NayefSweet.com
