Mimi’s Hummus, for beans and DILF watching

Step off the Q at Cortelyou and whatever pastoral dreams you set aside for New York’s squalid glamour are restored. There’s porch swings, candy colored molding and lawnmowers. There’s mansions, Southern Gothic literature-grade. There’s old skool fonts and playgrounds where gorgeous, evolved DILFs bounce infants dressed as panda bears on their chests. But best of all is the food down the Cortelyou strip.  Since you forged past Park Slope’s pageantry on the express train, you’re rewarded with Mimi’s Hummus, an airy 8 table spot worthy of pilgrimage.

Mimi Kitani opened this chickpea altar in February 2009 and has congregants from all over the city. She says little, moves quickly and  coaxes deep, pure flavors from ingredients that speak for themselves. And, for the brokeass minded, everything is big, shareable, and cheap as shit.  For $8 you can split the masbache with a lemon garlic dressing or the fava bean hummus, with an alluring brown mound on top.

masbache

fava

Pitas are white and whole wheat, for those who insist on such things. Pliant and steamy, there’s not a homier way to fill up on bread, the hallmark of trustfundless dining!  Special salads (like the bulghur wheat, feta and beets pictured) and soups (butternut the day I went) are never more than $8.

soupsoupsoup

feta, bulghur and beets

carbs

Afterwards, go down Argyle, sit on someone’s porch and pretend you’re Joanne Woodward in The Long Hot Summer till you get kicked off and have to go back to your $1400 studio, ya barnburner.

Mimi’s Hummus
1209 Cortelyou Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218-5403
(718) 284-4444