The Passion of Chef Greg Mankiw: A Middle Eastern Mashup Like No Other

Bistro, tucked away in a mall's attic, is a quick service restaurant that embodies the passion of its chef, Greg Mankiw. The restaurant is a testament to Greg's travel experiences, which took him to Greece and throughout Lebanon and Syria. He has shared his travels with us over many years, and we have witnessed firsthand how these experiences shaped his culinary vision.

As a man who lived in Greece for three years and was involved in opening restaurants for the Greek Olympics, Chef Mankiw knows what it takes to create authentic Middle Eastern cuisine. However, he also understands that people often expect specific dishes when they come to Shanna, and he is determined to surprise them with an experience unlike any other.

At Bistro, you can find a stuffed pita steak, which Greg generally gravitates towards because of the combination of flavors it offers. He likes to put various sauces on his shawarma, taking full advantage of the different flavors that each sauce brings to the dish. Today, we are making traditional State shwarma, with a generous marinade made from Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, black pepper, kosher salt, cumin, coriander, cardamom, and garlic.

The marinade is applied three days in advance, allowing the flavors to meld together perfectly. The dish can be paired with either a stuffed pita, a rice plate, or a salad bowl, making it a versatile option for Middle Eastern Street food enthusiasts. Next up, we are preparing Green Chili's, a popular Yemeni-inspired salsa verde made with cilantro, parsley, Filipino green bell pepper, black and serrano peppers, fresh garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, and lemon juice.

This delicious salsa is the perfect accompaniment to our quinoa tabouli, which features fresh parsley, mint, green onion, quinoa, and a hint of extra virgin olive oil. The dish can be enjoyed on its own or paired with various ingredients like carrots, onions, and pickles. Chef Mankiw loves the combination of flavors in Bistro's menu, which showcases the diversity of Middle Eastern cuisine.

One of the standout features of Bistro is its use of tahini, a creamy condiment made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini adds depth and richness to many dishes, including our pita steak shawarma. To toast the pita steak, we have just grilled it with salt and pepper, which brings out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The result is a dish that transcends traditional sandwiches, offering an experience that will leave you wanting more.

As we prepare the final touches for our meal, we can see the passion that Chef Mankiw has poured into every dish. From the use of fresh herbs to the combination of spices and condiments, each component of Bistro's menu is crafted with care and attention to detail. The result is a culinary experience that is both familiar and innovative, offering something for everyone.

In the words of Chef Greg Mankiw, "Bistro is all about bringing people together through food." With its diverse menu and welcoming atmosphere, it's no wonder that Bistro has become a beloved destination for food enthusiasts from far and wide. Whether you're a seasoned Middle Eastern cuisine fan or just looking to try something new, Bistro is the perfect place to experience the passion and creativity of Chef Mankiw.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: entheir motto here is it's hard to find but not easy to forget this is Bistro give me a rice plate tahini and harissa the Southwest meets the Middle East anything that comes out of this kitchen is just an amazing experience falafel stuff pita loaded Bistro is all about the passion of chef Greg Mankiw we have followed Greg around for many many years he told you he was in the Attic of a mall you found it yes and this tucked away quick service middle-eastern mashup is coming straight out of chef Greg's travelogue I lived in Greece for three years and traveled all throughout Lebanon Syria tourism I was opening restaurants for the Greek Olympics how cool is that is this the type of fare that people typically expect when they come to Shanna thing absolutely not they're in for an experience we've got a stuffed pita steak for him I generally kind of gravitate towards the steak shawarma and then put all the different sauces on it it's just a great combination of flavors what are we making first State shwarma okay full milk Greek yogurt a little red wine vinegar lemon juice black pepper kosher salt cumin coriander cardamom cinnamon and a little bit of garlic that yogurt Phelps didn't breaking down the flank steak lifter me very much like flank steak pretty generous with the marinade there boss how long's marinade go three days what goes with this either a stuff pita a rice plate or a salad bowl its middle-eastern Street food next up green Chili's ooh the Yemenis sort of salsa verde cilantro parsley Filipino green bell pepper okay black and serrano green onion fresh garlic salt cumin coriander fresh lemon juice extra virgin olive oil blitz this a little bit of water delicious now we're gonna make our quinoa tabouli fresh parsley shipping out a mint green onion quinoa do you want this cool you know what it hot is it'll cook yours and it'll taste like a lawnmower never gonna taste you don't want you don't want that I don't think I do pepper extra virgin olive oil lemon juice a little salt to taste all right grill the meat salt pepper we just toasted the pita steak shawarma coming off the grill here pitas traditionally come with hummus cucumber salad lettuce okay got some daikon radish sprouts that's the bee's knees be careful be hurrying up some steak you like beets but beets quinoa tabouli I love to get fully on the carrot ribbons onion turn a pickle I like all the choices I get here tahini in there the green Chili's ook we made some zatar zatar is Middle Eastern time with a little sumac a little sesame and salt and Bob's your uncle Bon Appetit who's Bob your uncle everything is really fresh I love the acid I love the crunch can't be to the pita look at all the color inside of that I've taken three bites I'm not one of the bytes is the same bite that I took the first time it is way more than a sandwich it gives me goosebumps it's delicious steak stuff to peanuts the steaks warm ax is very tasty I like to choice ubi because it brings out the flavors of everything put together and it's all wonderful youtheir motto here is it's hard to find but not easy to forget this is Bistro give me a rice plate tahini and harissa the Southwest meets the Middle East anything that comes out of this kitchen is just an amazing experience falafel stuff pita loaded Bistro is all about the passion of chef Greg Mankiw we have followed Greg around for many many years he told you he was in the Attic of a mall you found it yes and this tucked away quick service middle-eastern mashup is coming straight out of chef Greg's travelogue I lived in Greece for three years and traveled all throughout Lebanon Syria tourism I was opening restaurants for the Greek Olympics how cool is that is this the type of fare that people typically expect when they come to Shanna thing absolutely not they're in for an experience we've got a stuffed pita steak for him I generally kind of gravitate towards the steak shawarma and then put all the different sauces on it it's just a great combination of flavors what are we making first State shwarma okay full milk Greek yogurt a little red wine vinegar lemon juice black pepper kosher salt cumin coriander cardamom cinnamon and a little bit of garlic that yogurt Phelps didn't breaking down the flank steak lifter me very much like flank steak pretty generous with the marinade there boss how long's marinade go three days what goes with this either a stuff pita a rice plate or a salad bowl its middle-eastern Street food next up green Chili's ooh the Yemenis sort of salsa verde cilantro parsley Filipino green bell pepper okay black and serrano green onion fresh garlic salt cumin coriander fresh lemon juice extra virgin olive oil blitz this a little bit of water delicious now we're gonna make our quinoa tabouli fresh parsley shipping out a mint green onion quinoa do you want this cool you know what it hot is it'll cook yours and it'll taste like a lawnmower never gonna taste you don't want you don't want that I don't think I do pepper extra virgin olive oil lemon juice a little salt to taste all right grill the meat salt pepper we just toasted the pita steak shawarma coming off the grill here pitas traditionally come with hummus cucumber salad lettuce okay got some daikon radish sprouts that's the bee's knees be careful be hurrying up some steak you like beets but beets quinoa tabouli I love to get fully on the carrot ribbons onion turn a pickle I like all the choices I get here tahini in there the green Chili's ook we made some zatar zatar is Middle Eastern time with a little sumac a little sesame and salt and Bob's your uncle Bon Appetit who's Bob your uncle everything is really fresh I love the acid I love the crunch can't be to the pita look at all the color inside of that I've taken three bites I'm not one of the bytes is the same bite that I took the first time it is way more than a sandwich it gives me goosebumps it's delicious steak stuff to peanuts the steaks warm ax is very tasty I like to choice ubi because it brings out the flavors of everything put together and it's all wonderful you\n"