Restaurant Review: Kashkaval

My friend suggested we go somewhere off the beaten path for one of our semi-weeklyish dinner dates. She had heard great things about Kashkaval Garden in Hell's Kitchen, so we decided to give it a try. It's a tiny place (that does not take reservations and will not seat you until your entire party is there) with cute, rustic-ish decor. Nothing too memorable, but it was pleasant enough. The staff was all very friendly and I was pleased with the service overall.

This place is known for tapas and cheese, so for food, we went in that direction. We ordered a bunch of small plates and shared everything, which was definitely the way to go.

We started with a plate of 4 tapas - stuffed grape leaves, brussel sprouts, beet hummus, and babaganoush - served with a basket of pita. The stuffed grape leaves are normally a favorite of mine, but I was not impressed with these. The filling was good, but the leaves were tough and almost too fibrous. Roasted brussels are normally something I devour, but I these were undercooked and also too tough. I didn't finish my portion of either. However, the beet hummus was delicious! I normally love anything with beets, and this was no exception. It was creamy and had great beet flavor. The babaganoush was also good. Pretty standard, but creamy and yummy and flavorful. I would definitely get those two again.

Tapas - babaganoush, beet hummus,
brussel sprouts, stuffed grape leaves

Next came a plate of two skewers - one kofte (ground lamb and beef with herbs and spices) and one chicken adana (ground chicken, red pepper, herbs and spices). One the side we chose mushroom bulghur and it also came with a chopska salad (basically an Israeli-style chopped salad with feta).

I liked the kofte skewer. It was very flavorful, but perhaps a bit overcooked. I was not overwhelmed with the chicken adana though. It had no flavor and was very dry. We decided the skewers were an unfortunate choice, however the mushroom bulghur was awesome and the salad was fresh with really nice feta. So, yay for the sides but nay for the mains.

Kofte and chicken adana skewers
with mushroom bulghar and chopska salad

Last was the cheese plate. We went for 3 cheeses - kashkaval (semi-hard sheep's milk) (assuming if a restaurant was named after it, it must be good), Coupole goat, and Saint Angel (a french triple creme cheese) by recommendation of the waiter. The cheese was served with some honey, dried apricots, grapes and an assortment of crackers and bread to spread on. The kashkaval was actually our least favorite. Not bad, but the others were better. The goat was mild and distinct and good, and the Saint Angel was definitely the favorite. It was really decadent and creamy.

Cheese plate - Saint Angel (top left), kashkaval (top right), goat (bottom)

Overall, I really liked 3 things - the beet hummus, the mushroom bulghar, and the Saint Angel cheese. Because the place was cute and the service was great, I would be open to coming back and trying an array of new things. I think the rest of the menu has potential. However, being in Hell's Kitchen, I am not sure when that will be... but you never know!