I had very low expectations when I headed into the new DeKalb Market Hall. It tries to offer something everybody. Artisanal donuts? Check! Italian heroes? Check! Shanghai street food? Check! Gourmet grilled cheese? Check! Polish pierogi? Check! Pit barbecue? Check! Lower East Side-pedigreed pickles? Check!
Not a good sign.
And, since hipsters like shiny nostalgic things, the hall sports more than its fair share of faux-vintage neon signs.
Also not a good sign.
That said, it also lays claim to an outpost of a legendary New York deli...
Dare I hold out hope? I brought my pal Brooklyn Fit Chick along for the grazing to make sure that more than one palate - and plate - was put to the test.
Biting into a Grilled Beef Bahn Mi from Bunker, it seemed like DeKalb was going to be failing that test...
To put it kindly, the sandwich was insipid. I don't know how it's possible to create a lackluster Bahn Mi with the inclusion of Vietnamese pickled vegetables and jalapeno peppers, but somehow it was done.
We consoled ourselves with a pickle from Guss' and took several turns around the place to see if there was another stall worth a go. After much debate, we settled on two.
First up was BK Jani for authentic Pakistani fare. We ordered the spicy Seekh Kebab platter, complete with crisp Roti bread, a mild cucumber salad, and sweet roasted red peppers...
Then we tucked into Turkish food with a Berlin twist from Kotti Berliner Doner Kebab, greedily plunging our forks into their namesake Kotti Chicken Salad, drizzled with Harissa-style chili sauce and herb-garlic yogurt...
These delectable plates filled our tummies and restored our faith. I'll definitely be back for more.
Repeat after me: "Hall-elujah!"
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