Thursday, April 24, 2008

April 24

As I’ve mentioned before, I live in an Armenian neighborhood. An Armenian family was raised in the house I’m now renting.

If you know anything about Armenians, you’ll know the importance of this date. April 24 is Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

Most of the small businesses in my area are closed. Which means I must wait until tomorrow to hit that Zankou’s chicken.

Let me tip my hat to the proud Armenian people by embedding this YouTube video from Armenianrnbgirl (“Armenian R&B girl”). It’s kinda gangstalicious!

13 comments:

  1. Ah, yes, I was first introduced to Zankou's Chicken when I was in Pasadena a couple years ago, and it fully deserves the accolades.

    Although they do make the worst felafel I've ever eaten.

    ReplyDelete
  2. My h.s. French and Spanish teacher was Armenian. The sweetest, gentlest man in the world until you got him talking about the Armenian genocide.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Don't mention coke, freebase, or Zankou Chicken around the man--unless you got some."

    --Jorge Reyes

    ReplyDelete
  4. what kind of chicken is it? baked? roasted? I can't tell from the picture.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ohhhhhhhhh The Zankou! Hell YEAH! :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wanda: The bird is rotisserie roasted. But the magic is what they do to the skin... so crispy and flavorful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Zankou mmmmmmmmmmmm. The chicken is so good and when you add that garlic paste stuff it's drive across town to get some amazing. I'm addicted to their mutabal as well, but John B is so right about the ishta falafel.

    The one in Glendalian is the original and, I think, the best.

    I work with several Armenians and if you are ever invited to one of their barbecues do not miss it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. ^ Quirkychick: I don't mess with the paste. Was it you who described it as, like, one part garlic to two parts Crisco?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Holy crap, we were heading to Zankou's for lunch yesterday until we realized what day it was (which we should have, given our Armenian co-workers all took the day off).

    I've never been, so it was going to be my first time. What do you guys suggest I try (besides the chicken and the paste)?

    From what I understand, the past is garlic + lard. Being half-Mexican, I have no problem eating food packed with lard :-)

    ReplyDelete
  10. What do you guys suggest I try (besides the chicken and the paste)?

    While quirkychick upthread vouched for the moutabal (pureed eggplant... also garlicky), I can't speak to that, because I am enduringly loyal to Sevan Chicken's moutabal. Never tried it anyplace else.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dez! Get the chicken tarna wrap. It's got juicy slices of chicken (with the skin attached) and tahini and tomatoes all wrapped up together for the most delicious smokey juicy bites. They're making tabouli there now as well but I haven't tried it.

    Dave - It was Patrick that said that the garlic paste looked like it was 2 parts Crisco and since it's lard I guess he wasn't wrong.

    Apparently I love me some lard.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I tried the tarna wrap today. Mmmm, delicious! Especially the garlic lard :-)

    ReplyDelete