N to the Nth degree - Naf Naf, new in nnnnnaperville

Must be a good week for interesting new spots in nnnaperville. Okay, done with that schtick.

Today I was the fourth customer at Naf Naf Grill (they say they have a web site here http://www.nafnafgrill.com/, but nothing is there at this moment). Just stopped as I was driving by and it turned out they had just opened for the first time.

It is an old Taco Bell, redecorated in reds and yellows and made quite pleasant. The cuisine is Middle Eastern, as befits a Yemeni raised in Israel. The entire endeavor cries for comparison with Cedar Grill, and so I must.

Cedar Grill was created by taking a cheesy independent hot dog stand in Downers Grove, spending as little as possible on it and serving excellent Lebanese food in such an unassuming manner that one can readily say the food far exceeds the ambiance (a generous word to use in the context). The owner is a quiet and surly person who when questioned by a customer about whether the change given was correct, rather than offer the $1 in question as a courtesy, harangued the customer at length about the questionable honesty of that type of person (a waitress from the local Omega, if you are curious as to who he was slandering). The staff, aside from the owner and the head cook are all Mexican, and continue the slightly seedy and belligerent theme.

A lovable place, in the way your cranky, sloppy old Uncle Alfred is lovable. Anyway, the food is good and if you like gruff, they got gruff.

Naf Naf has much loftier goals.While the menu contains many offerings in common with Cedar Grill, and the restaurant is located in an old fast food joint, they actually spent money on outfitting the place. New tables, I believe all new tile, the paint job, and a lot of new kitchen equipment. The kitchen staff has sharp chef uniforms (seems like overkill in a Middle Eastern fast food spot, but it certainly does send the message that this is not your sloppy uncle's place). And while this was the first day and they were making a special effort, I can't imagine the staff of Cedar Grill ever being so friendly, presentable, engaging, and even downright cute in some cases (there was also a lot of staff in the kitchen).

I ordered the Yemenite Chicken soup - a rich broth, dotted with fat, flavored with curry or something very like it, and full of carrots and celery bits, as well as some chunks of chicken breast. Not a great soup, but a good soup deserving to be on my lunchtime soup circuit. And it was served with what may be Naf Naf's crowning glory - two pieces of pita baked in store. A point of pride here (from the menu "We don't just bake it, we make it."), that Cedar Grill would mock ("you say you bake your own pita!??!! You paid for an oven and electricity to make some pita that ends up costing you more even without those costs??!! Why?" I imagine Uncle Alfred asking). The pita was like a warm pillow.

I also ordered a Chicken Shawarma sandwich. This was twice as big as Cedar Grill's for about 1 1/2 times the cost. And it is full of hummus, salad bits, tahini with a nice hot sauce on the side. I am not necessarily a tahini fan, but the tahini and fresh pita would be a great meal on their own. I like the shawerma a little more from Cedar Grill, though Naf Naf's chicken is very good, too. Both sandwiches are great. I would lean toward Cedar Grill because the gritty presentation is more comfortable than the luxuriousness of that Naf Naf sandwich, but that is a choice of style, not deliciousness.

Since it was the first day, they also asked me to sample the stuffed grape leaves (nice) and baklava (nothing special).

I overheard a discussion about homemade french fries, so I will need to go back and check those out. In addition to those menu items. Falafel, BabaGhanoush, Kababs (Kifta, Chicken thigh or breast and beef) and a chicken breast schnitzel round out the mains. Split pea soup, basmati rice and peas (peas pulao anyone?) Turkish Coffee and Nana Tea complete the menu.

I have tipped my hand on this one - yes, I do prefer crusty Uncle Alfred to a stylish cousin who, though very easy on the eye, makes me feel like an unmade bed. But I will happily violate this principle in pursuit of fresh baked pita and Middle Eastern fare that, at least on the first day, has some aspirations. Better ingredients and a little ambition can make a difference.

I will go back.

Naf Naf Grill
1095 East Ogden
Naperville
630-904-7200

Have you been to Pita Stop yet?... the Middle Eastern place at the Garden Fresh (formerly Bobak's)? Just curious to how this would compare.

Pita Stop
955 W 75th St
Naperville, IL 60567
630-392-2197

Well, i stopped by NAF NAF GRILL on Saturday, i believe that was the day they had the Grand Opening, i have to say i was very impressed. Food was excellent. Shwarma, baba ghanoush was great, falafel and HOME MADE PITA were something special...like i never had before, it kind of melts in your mouth. Staff were very friendly , always smilling, even thought it seemed like they were having some trouble....( it was their first day...understandable), anyway i will definetely come back and ofcourse i would recommend this restaurant to all my friends.

P.S. you can find this restaurant at
1095 East Ogden
Naperville
630-904-7200

I don't want to out anyone, but was that last post a plant?

Regardless, I've stopped by Naf Naf twice since their grand opening on Saturday, and I've been thoroughly impressed. To answer NaperMan above, I've been to Pita Stop a few times and my impression has always been *meh*. I'm not sure what it was, but much like my thoughts on Reza's in Oakbrook, the flavors didn't pop. In fact everything ends up tasting pretty much the same - vaguely lamb-y. Admittedly, I'm not expert on the variations of Middle Eastern cuisine, so I may be comparing apples to oranges (errr... dates to dried apricots?)

On the other hand, the food at Naf Naf -- which the folks overseeing the place identify as Israeli -- is quite delicious. Me and a buddy stopped by on opening night, and I had the chicken shawarma plate. The shawarma itself came from a handsome spit and was roasty and quite moist. It was served with fries (think fresh fried double-thick chips) and a basic Jerusalem salad. My buddy got the chicken schnitzel, which after brightening up with lemon juice was also great. While waiting we also sampled their falafel (lighter and with a finer texture than most falafel I've had) and their hummus (pretty standard).

All in all a great meal. In fact Naf Naf completes my trifecta of Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, the other two being Mediterranean Oasis off 75th and Cedar Grill. Combined with my trifecta of Chinese (LSC, FN, KTs), the Western Suburbs have quite a bit to keep me occupied.

What's this I hear about culinary wastelands?

mike

NaperMan wrote:Have you been to Pita Stop yet?... the Middle Eastern place at the Garden Fresh (formerly Bobak's)? Just curious to how this would compare.

Pita Stop
955 W 75th St
Naperville, IL 60567
630-392-2197

Good question. I just registered the other day while shopping there (best bread selection in N'ville, plus good sausages still) that the resto is no longer a Polish buffet. But while it is on my normal food shopping loop, it is a bit far for lunch and I have to drive right past Med Oasis to get there, so I can't say when I will get there. But I will try and then report back.

I took my lunch break today to swing by Naf Naf. I ordered a Kifta sandwich, hummus with falafel, and a turkish coffee. "Hold on," the man behind the counter said. He looked very serious. "I want you to try the shawarma, ok?" Lacking the ability to refuse that kind of offer, I just sort of nodded, sat down, and waited. What came to be first was nearly one-third of a chicken shawarma sandwich; incredibly moist chicken, the pita (as previously touted) was soft and fluffy, and the flavor was incredible. The hummus was creamy rather than thick, and almost silky smooth (and very Israeli). Falafel were very crunchy on the outside but light on the inside. The texture of everything was incredible.

I was so stuffed I could've stopped eating after the hummus, but the Kifta sandwich came (also huge). I admit that in terms of flavor the Kifta at Naf Naf was not somehow a clear win over Pita Stop; the NN Kifta themselves are larger, a bit less seasoned and slightly less well done than the Pita Stop equivalent. I ordered a turkish coffee and was given not a small coffee cup, but half a tall glass full. Not as rich as Pita Stop, but still great, and probably about twice the size. Finally, I took a Baklava to go, at a price 25 cents higher than Pita Stop. What I got was not a single sweet, but four of them. Everything about the place was substantial, and delicious.

If I were nearby to Pita Stop, there would be no reason not to go; the food is still delicious, refreshing little salad bar and satisfying sandwiches for cheap. But head-to-head, I'll admit I think Naf Naf is superior, even being slightly more expensive. Hopefully it sticks around, because this is the kind of place that I could definitely see in heavy lunch schedule rotation.

I went back to Naf Naf with the Bride to explore the menu further. She tried the Split Pea soup - a fairly standard vegetarian, yellow pea version, heavily seasoned with cumin. The Kibbeh is heavy on meat and light on wheat, good flavor, a couple of pine nuts peeking out.

I really like their tahini and chile sauces that come on the side with just about everything.

Lastly, I had to try the chicken thigh kebab, which is the best thing I have had there so far. Same fixings as the Shwerma, but with moist, well-flavored chunks of chicken.

Will go back next week to see if they really are hand cutting fries and report on that. They were pretty busy at lunch on Friday, so however they are marketing it, it seems to be working. Good addition on the Ogden strip.

I guess I can get used to the fancier versions of everything and being treated nicely by smiling people, too.

Third visit, and I should really take some pictures. Quite enjoyable.

Back to the Yeminite Chicken Soup. A rich broth spiked with Cumin is really the whole story. The little chunks of celery are a bit mushy and have clearly given their all to the broth. The larger chunks of chicken breast are a somewhat luxurious touch, though altogether unsuccessful, combining the mild, even minimal flavor of chicken breast without skin, with the chewiness of a chunk of chicken breast that has simmered for some time.

In case that seems to make my opinion less clear - here it is. This is a good soup, but I see no reason to eat the solids floating in it as what they add is in the broth.

The fries are fresh, hand cut and fried to order. There is a big container of sliced potatoes sitting next to the fryer waiting to be fried up. I do not claim to be a french fry aficionado, but they are the best I have had in N'ville. They are sliced like chips, not fries, and single fried to order. The result is excellent potato flavor (they needed a bit of salt to my taste), but they are not terribly crisp and tend to stick together in a pile.

Soup with their fresh baked pita and the fries made a great lunch. I finished with a glass of Turkish Coffee (they put a tiny bit of sugar in it by Turkish standards, so it is not terribly sweet unless you request more sugar) and a couple of mini-baklava pieces over a newspaper - quite civilized.

And they may be the nicest people running a restaurant I have met in a long time. Okay, not really, but they are very likable, welcoming and friendly.

Will try to take pictures on my next visit. Nothing to lose, since they already figured out I was making these posts.

I had the chicken shawerma at Pita Stop it wasn't that great and I have yet to try the Naf Naf restaurant it sounds good. I did however make a stop at the Mediterranean Oasis their beef shawerma and hummos is the best I've ever had. They let me into the kitchen while they prepare my food and gave me a cup of tea. The owner and his kids are really nice. I have to try their lamb oozie next time.... roasted lamb mmmm.

ellie2 wrote:I had the chicken shawerma at Pita Stop it wasn't that great and I have yet to try the Naf Naf restaurant it sounds good. I did however make a stop at the Mediterranean Oasis their beef shawerma and hummos is the best I've ever had. They let me into the kitchen while they prepare my food and gave me a cup of tea. The owner and his kids are really nice. I have to try their lamb oozie next time.... roasted lamb mmmm.

The Bride also likes their Hummos and I agree that their Beef Shawerma is great & the best I have ever had. Both crispy and juicy, nicely spiced and beefy - a paragon of Beef Shawerma which is a dish that often seems a mere afterthought to the superior Chicken Shawerma and Kabobs at other places.

But the Bride also says the Hummos at Cedar Grill is by far the best, and I must say that she is right, at least this once.

Hard to choose who is more pleasant - the folks at Oasis or Naf Naf. Oasis is more quietly, comfortably, friendly, sort of like you are a member of the family, while at Naf Naf I feel like a valued & appreciated customer. I suppose the former is preferable, but both are very pleasant.

I've gone to Naf Naf a number of times now. I've been really happy with their falafel and chicken shawarma sandwiches. Their humus is good, but personally I prefer humus with a bit more garlic.

I see their web site now seems to be working:

http://www.nafnafgrill.com/

While I was there on Friday I noticed a newspaper article about the place hanging near the cash register. With a little searching I found it:

http://triblocal.com/Naperville/Detail_View/view.html?type=stories&action=detail&sub_id=47867

I was on restaurant.com yesterday and saw Naf Naf for the first time.
At the time, there were 10 certificates left. They had $25 certificates for $2 (with password "Menu").
The manager said he was ok with BYOB for dinner, but he didn't know the Naperville law.
Anyone know how that works? Is it up to the restaurant or the city? I'm excited to try this little place after the enticing write-ups.

janeyb wrote:I was on restaurant.com yesterday and saw Naf Naf for the first time.
At the time, there were 10 certificates left. They had $25 certificates for $2 (with password "Menu").
The manager said he was ok with BYOB for dinner, but he didn't know the Naperville law.
Anyone know how that works? Is it up to the restaurant or the city? I'm excited to try this little place after the enticing write-ups.

Hi Janey,

Last month BYOB was illegal in Naperville unless the restaurant had a BYO license. Interestingly, only places that do not have liquor licenses may have a BYO license. Not sure of the logic of that.

I emailed the Mayor's office to ask about BYO at places with Liquor Licenses (not sure if Naf Naf has a license - if not this does not directly apply), as Mayor Pradel is the Naperville Liquor Commissioner, which I guess makes him the Liquor Commission, too. I received this reply on 2/5:

The Mayor’s Office received your email regarding “Corkage”. Currently, the Liquor Commission is discussing this issue. It should be resolved very soon.

I believe that by "resolved" they meant BYO would be possible at places with a liquor license.

I have not checked since then. I do not think it would hurt for you to let the Mayor's office know we really do care about being able to drink the beverage of our choice in the eating establishment of our choice. For places without a BYO License or a Liquor License, I think the deal is that they should not let you bring your own bottle, but since enforcement is by the Liquor Commission and they primarily supervise places with Liquor Licenses, a place without any license may be both ignorant and have little practical concern.

Hope that helps.

Let your voice be heard.

Thanks for all your leg work. I e-mailed and left a phone message for the good Mayor of Naperville. I will share any response I receive.


Wow, that is one efficient government office (at least as far as returning phone messages). Within one hour of my call and e-mail, I was informed that this issue will be discussed at next Tuesday's City Council meeting. However, my issue won't be resolved because Naf Naf doesn't have a liquor license. The city is more concerned with higher end places, such as Morton's. The woman I spoke with said the expensive restaurants are concerned that they are losing business to customers who are seeking higher-end BYOB places in other communities. I mentioned that I used to go out several times a week, but since my husband's job loss, our nights out are few and far between. It would be nice to be able to go out to eat at all, and even nicer if we could go to inexpensive places in Naperville and BYOB. But if the restaurant does not have a liquor license, it doesn't sound like that will be a legal option anytime soon.

Feeling nostalgic for Israeli food, I convinced my husband that we should take advantage of the fact that the girls were out for the evening and try Naf Naf. I'm so glad we did.

I called and heard that they were closing at 9:00. Since it was already after 7:00 when we left the house, I was nervous that they would not be able to accommodate us at a late hour. We arrived a little after 8:00 and there were a few empty tables. After looking at the menu, we ordered the hummus plate with falafel, a chicken schnitzel plate and the lamb kefta. For sides, we opted for the fries and the salad.

While others may prefer their hummus more garlicky, this was the exact taste I have been looking for of late. It instantly transported me back in time to the days when I would go out with my friends for hummos, falafel and beers in Afula. The schnitzel was delicious and the portions were so huge that I have an entire piece of chicken waiting for tomorrow's lunch. My husband's kefta was superb. He remarked that often when he orders it at middle eastern restaurants, it is deliciously flavored, but as dry as a piece of an old leather coat. This was juicy and flavorful. He also has a half of his dinner for lunch tomorrow (maybe not -- I just heard the refrigerator door opening ).

The pita here is maybe the best I have ever had, thick, fresh and warm. The owner even gave us several pieces on our way out the door. It was the perfect compliment to our meal. We did get some of the baklava and ate it on our way home. It was okay, not the best I've ever had, but frankly it is hard to fit dessert in with a meal of these proportions.

We will definitely be back for more, and soon. I'm thrilled to find an Israeli restaurant less than an hour from home. The service was unbelievably friendly and quick, and the prices are excellent, nothing more than $13 if I recall correctly.

Suzy

Had a chance to try Naf Naf Grill yesterday for lunch. Between husband, three grown kids and guest, we were able to sample and share many items. I had my Naf Naf notes from LTH and suggested site favorites. After our meal, we talked about what we loved and what could be better.

The table favorite was the pita. "We don't just bake it, we make it," says the menu. Dicksond's "warm pillow" description says it all. Other favorites: lentil soup (could have been a tad warmer), beef kifta kabab, hummus and falafel. Chicken Shawarma and Schnitzel were good too.

As mentioned in earlier posts, Naf Naf is in a former Taco Bell restaurant. Kids mentioned that the food was good enough to warrant fancier surroundings. Currently, it is an extremely casual set up like a fast-food place. If you want water, you ask for it at counter. If you want more, you go up and ask again. Even then, no ice in glasses.
We didn't see a bathroom, not a problem for us, but something we noticed.

I was glad to see the place was busy. We got the last two tables. We asked if we could put them together and the manager came out and did it for us, which was a nice gesture.
We'll be back.

janeyb wrote:As mentioned in earlier posts, Naf Naf is in a former Taco Bell restaurant. Kids mentioned that the food was good enough to warrant fancier surroundings. Currently, it is an extremely casual set up like a fast-food place.

From my limited experience eating at a handful of falafel places in Tel Aviv, this may be what the owners were going for. Simple places where folks stop in for a quick sandwich.

It would be nice if they could expand the seating a bit. Often when I go there at lunch, all seats are taken.

janeyb wrote:We didn't see a bathroom, not a problem for us, but something we noticed.

There's a bathroom, but the door is outside. Kind of like a gas station. (Hey, it's not fancy. )

Tim

Fantastic chicken shawarma and chicken thigh kababs. Pitas were as fluffy and fresh as mentioned above. My dining companion is not normally interested in middle eastern fare ("normally dry chicken and rice"), but she came away thoroughly impressed. Both the chicken shawarma and chicken thigh kababs were spiced right and were very moist.
I have yet to try Cedar Grill or the Pita Stop. However, I used to go to Falafel Inn in Des Plaines and if Naf Naf had opened there instead, there would still be a Middle Eastern restaurant in that area. No comparison.

The only ding I would give is the service was a little spotty. They were without a doubt friendly, but needed some nudging to give us our complete order (pitas only after asking, but tahini, pickles, and olives never came).

I had a very nice meal with my family here on Friday. First off, I appreciated the gratis plates of pickles and olives at the end of the counter. From appearances the pickles look like standard dill chips but have a more complex, less sweet flavor and the green olives had flecks of red pepper for a little kick.

Much has been written about the pitas and they are all that. Thicker and fluffier than most, they are actually decent to eat plain at room temperature. We got a bag to go for $2.95. Lentil soup was good, a little thin, but full of flavor and it made for a meal over a plate of rice for one of my kids. Tasting the rice alone, one thing jumped out at me towards the end of the meal on why I liked the place so much. Whoever is the head chef, lead cook, whatever the title is, has trained the staff well on technique. Surely every staff stumbles at some point, but from a well seasoned and perfectly cooked plate of rice to little golden balls of falafel that were light, crisp and seemingly grease free to judiciously salted and crunchy fries/chips that somehow managed to be both crispy and tender internally at the same time proved that there is solid quality control in place.

Granted, this was only one visit. I also appreciated the lack of liquid smoke in the baba ghanoush, a crutch that more than one Middle Eastern place falls victim to. My chicken shawarma sandwich was highly delicious, filled with juicy seasoned thigh meat and made even better by the addition of the extra red cabbage salad from my wife's vegetarian sampler plate along with a few of the gratis pickles and the occasional slather of the tahini sauce (with some sort of green herbal matter mixed in) and the hot sauce (harissa?). I look forward to going back and trying more. Thanks to dickson for the orginal post.

You are welcome, Tony. Maybe we can break bread together this year?

I have been going back to Naf Naf fairly regularly, and the place does a steadily good job on pretty much everything on the menu. The menu has been evolving as the Syrian Chicken soup went away, they added sandwich/fries/drink combos, and have made a few other tweaks. And the sandwiches are gargantuan.

I have worked my way through most of the menu, and the food is consistently very good. And the staff does a nice job, too. There still seems to be an amazing number of people working there, at least at lunch, but I believe they do make pretty much everything from scratch on site (just guessing, as I have not asked), so the staff is required, and they always are busy.

The best news is that they seem to be maintaining both portion size and quality as time goes on. No short cuts yet.

disksond wrote: "There still seems to be an amazing number of people working there, at least at lunch, but I believe they do make pretty much everything from scratch on site (just guessing, as I have not asked), so the staff is required, and they always are busy."

On the point of the number of people and "from scratch" ... I chatted with one of the owners about some items that had fallen off the menu. He pointed to two of the "staff", a team of women making fresh Moroccan cigars, ie a rolled-up flat dough filled with fresh-ground and spiced savory meat then crisp-fried. I suppose it's the Northern African equivalent of a taquito.

What was interesting to me was that he explained that he hadn't been satisfied with his earlier attempts at the dish. He had borrowed (?) these women who had been working at Taboun Grill, a Moroccan restaurant near Devon/California in the city, to teach him how to do it right.

He later offered me the first examples out of the fryer to sample, and they were delicious: soft-fried wrapper and moist soft meaty interior with a touch of spicy heat (actually less than I am used to in a cigar).

We talked a bit more and I asked about the missing kibbeh. It was a similar story, he hadn't thought them good enough and had been adjusting the recipe. He later brought out another sample of the new improved version (v2.0?) of that item. It was also much improved over the v1.0 more moist than dry, and with more pine nuts, delicious crumbly meat that even had a postage stamp sized flake of soft sweet onion in the mix.

He's fiddled with the soup recipes since they opened, getting it "right". The soup in the first few weeks was uninspiring (to me) and now his lentil soup is among the best I've had in middle-eastern restaurants.

So it's real cooking going on back-there behind the counter, and I've seen the food evolving for the better.

Beth was out in Lisle for work this week, so we stopped by Naf Naf on Tuesday evening and left pretty impressed:

Kefta and rice @ Naf Naf, Naperville


Well spiced and moist, and especially great with the fresh pita and hot sauce.

chicken shawarma/jerusalem salad @ Naf Naf, Naperville


Not dried out like a lot of chicken shawarma can be. Succulent stuff.

Electric mullet, those pickles could very well have been from the factory where I worked when I lived in Israel. Our kibbutz had an olive factory and for years I couldn't eat those olives or those pickles without shuddering. I worked several jobs, from sitting on an assembly line, picking sticks and debris out of the olives before they were canned, to pasting labels on industrial sized cans of pickles and shoving them on a pallet. I also hand picked olives in the grove.

I also had the exciting job of hand-stamping jars of olives "kosher for Passover" for a few weeks.

Suzy

Suzy

I had a late lunch at Naf Naf yesterday and I've got to say, I'm impressed. Like Gleam, I was alone so I couldn't delve too deeply into the menu, but what I had I liked...a lot. As has been mentioned, Naf Naf is an Israeli restaurant in a former Taco Bell, but other than the unmistakable silhouette of the building, the similarity ends there.

Naf Naf




Naf Naf has often been compared to Taboun Grill. It’s true that they are both Israeli restaurants, but I don’t think the comparison is appropriate. Naf Naf is cooking on a whole different level, based on the food I’ve had at both places. Naf Naf does serve Israeli versions of Middle Eastern classics, but it is not Kosher; so that means that they are open 7 days/week and the prices aren’t as high as a place like Taboun that has to pay a premium for Kosher ingredients (a premium that is passed on to the customers in spades). The real difference, though, is the house made pita, which is very fluffy compared to most other pitas and baked fresh in the restaurant throughout the day. I also liked the cooking at Naf Naf much more than that of Taboun.

I started out with an order of hummus. This version, which is not as garlicky the stellar version served at Salaam, was served mounded to the edge of the plate and dressed with olive oil with a decidedly red paprika(?) induced tinge to it. This hummus has a very balanced flavor and paired well with the pita and complimentary plate of pickles and olives.

Naf Naf Hummus


Naf Naf Pickles


One thing that sets Israeli restaurants apart from their Arabic cousins is “schnitzel”, a popular meal in Israel where beef can be expensive and tough to come by. A lot of the schnitzel you get in Israel is made from turkey (which I prefer), but Naf Naf’s version is made using chicken. It’s nicely breaded and, in the sandwich version which I ordered, served inside a pita and dressed with hummus, Israeli salad, tahini and hot sauce. I also put a couple of pickles inside the sandwich to give it a hit of sour.

Naf Naf Schnitzel Sandwich


I really liked Naf Naf. Despite being located in far off Naperville, I’ll gladly make the trip there again. If Naf Naf was located in the city, I think people would be lined up for their well prepared, high quality food. I’m hoping to get back soon with a group of people so I can explore more of the menu.

Sorry we missed you, Steve -- Randy and I drove there last night for dinner as we were contemplating setting up a LTH meal there next week and wanted their input on when the best time would be for the restaurant. It's small, and we wanted to make sure they could accommodate a decent sized group. Besides, I desperately wanted to try the Moroccan cigars they recently put on the menu.

We got there at 8:40 and the restaurant closes at 9:00. A party was leaving, and we were the only ones there. Despite the fact that the staff obviously wanted to get out of there on time, they were extremely cordial and didn't try to rush us at all. We got the cigars and while I was tempted to order a couple of other appetizers, I knew from past experience that a sandwich would fill me up with no problem. We both ordered the beef tenderloin sandwich. The meat was cooked to order perfectly. The sandwich had the perfect amount of salad mixed with a generous amount of beef and the pita bread was fluffy without falling apart. We were also offered a bag of pita bread on our way out the door and we picked up some little date-filled pastries that we wolfed down in the car.

It took us 35 minutes from home to get there. I'd gladly drive that distance on a regular basis for Naf-Naf's wonderful Israeli cooking.

Suzy

It must have been a weekend for Naf Naf love here, we were there Saturday right when they opened! Actually we got there about 5 minutes early and were being tortured by the wonderful smell coming out of the place. My vegetarian partner was very happy with the menu and decided on hummus topped with falafel which was a very filling portion served with 2 fresh pitas. I had beef kifta kabab which was 2 kifta patties in a pita that also had a light addition of tomatoes, cucumber and tahini sauce. The beef/lamb had a nice spice to it and was very moist. I added fries to the order which were fresh cut into thin slices, more like a potato chip. As mentioned here before, some was extra crisp, some not but they were fresh, hot, slightly salty and addictive. A small dish of olives and pickle slices are available at the counter where you pick up your silverware and napkins. The staff was very friendly and quick moving, by the time we left all the tables were full and several carryout orders went out the door. We're looking forward to going back and trying more!

"Need a Nap Nap after Naf Naf" were my 20-year-old son's words after consuming:
Beef Kifta Kabab, Falafel (both served in pitas), Hummus topped with Falafel. Wait there's more. We also tried three items we didn't try on our last visit. Israeli Salad (delivered to our table "on the house") which included cucumbers, tomatoes, cinlantro and onion. Also the Mediterranean veggie feast (combination of hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouleh salad, Israeli salad, and yes 6 falafels and more pitas).

We ended not with baklava, but with Kubeh (described as "cracked wheat dumplings filled with ground beef and pine nuts.) These were served with Tahini sauce and I loved them. I couldn't distinguish all the spices I tasted, but I thought cumin and cinnamon for sure. We did have a couple of leftovers, but not as many as I expected.

As stated above, everything tastes so fresh. You can see and hear all the prep work (chopping cilantro, turning the puffy pitas in the oven etc.)
After my son recovers, we will be back.

Steve Dolinsky's Hungry Hound should show Naf Naf tonight.

I was there a couple times the first week for the onslaught of volume that made it chaotic. The personable owners were all over the problems though. One evening that week shortly before closing Naf Naf had the most interesting clientele maybe ever put together in Naperville. Our table was the only "flatlanders." There were two tables of Israelis, two tables of Arabs, an American Jewish Orthodox family, and a table of young men that I took to be recently arrived Russian Jews. I was so impressed-who knew Naperville could be so cosmopolitan? Since then they have settled into a very comfortable routine with excellent food. I have commented before that I think their falafal (sp?) is my favorite in Chicagoland, but I also think the lentil soup is as good as anyone's too. I recently become enamored with the hot sauce-does it have special name? what's in it?

Constantly making fresh pitas out in the open assures fresh bread, but also make the place smell great all the time. The older woman making falafals continuously is a nice touch as well.

The staff has turned over quite a bit and the service can be quirky (who does get the olives and pickles?). There were two young males "working" there of a total of 5 or 6 staffers who seemed to ignore the hostess/order taker's requests. Although there were only a handful of customers (6 maybe), they ignored the hostess' request to serve our soup-she ended up serving it herself. Likewise at the end of the meal they ignored her request to make Turkish coffee-the older woman had to make it. I don't know if it was ethnic, cultural, or hormonal, but it did make for an odd dynamic.

Fortunately the food is consistently good-my current favorite is the chicken shwarma and the schnitzel.

A well deserved GNR!

A few weeks ago, we ordered a Mediterranean Platter and a Schnitzel Sandwich. We loved the falafel, which were straight out of the fryer, and the homemade pita. So far both are probably my favorite examples of each. Also, the hummus and baba ghanoush were excellent. Staff seemed genuinely happy to have us. I found it interesting that you have to walk around the back of the building to use the washroom, probably a holdover from the Taco Bell. I'm definitely not looking forward to doing that in the wintertime, though.

From The Dish today:

"Naf Naf Grill (1095 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville; 630-904-7200), a popular 30-seat Middle Eastern restaurant that opened earlier this year, is already planning to move to a larger, “professionally designed” location. . . . "