Features
Restaurant Review: The Phoenician's tasty Lebanese
By Hailey Hayman '14
September 27, 2012
If you venture past the plethora of New Hartford malls you may happen upon a small alcove marked French Street. It is here that you will find the small slice of Lebanon known as The Phonecian Restaurant. The ramp leading to the entrance is lined by an array of petite colorful flowers reminiscent of hand planted flower boxes outside of someone’s house. You are immediately flooded with joy at the prospect of a “home” cooked meal—an uncommon(s) delight for us students. With a single large table by the entryway and main dining room maximum occupancy of only 36 people, The Phonecian is like a reverse mullet—keeping it wild in the front and intimate in the back.
After ordering you can expect a complementary basket of warm pita bread to tide you over, though our meals arrived promptly. Not coincidentally having dinner with all vegetarians I cannot speak to the meat products served at The Phonecian, but the carnivorous options certainly dominated the menu. In the spirit of vegetarianism there were many vegetarian plates ordered and devoured with satisfaction. Each platter came with a personal supply of hummus and The Phonecian’s highly regarded baba ghanoush, which lived up to the hype. My personal meal, a fattoush salad, with a side of baba ghanoush, was a delicious and hearty supply of food, enough for leftovers, all under $10.
Don’t miss the basket of mints on your way out, always a perfect cleanser to a flavorful feast. To satiate my frequent desire for Middle Eastern food that is not created from the contents of the dining hall, I would without question return to the French Street home they call The Phonecian Restaurant.
The Phoenecian is located at 623 French Road in New Hartford. Call them at 315-733-2709. Hours of the restaurant are as follows: Monday to Thursday 11:30 am-9 pm, Friday to Saturday 11:30 am-10 pm.