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 For Two Years, The Park Avenue Café Has Hidden Its Light Under A Bushel Basket. By Rebecca Cook EATING AT THE Park Avenue Café, a small Mediterranean-American eatery just north of the University of Arizona main gate, can easily become a steady habit. Especially if your work or studies consistently place you within the milieu of academe.
"And you know, the funny thing is," he adds conspiratorially, "they almost always order the same thing." From our own initial forays, it isn't hard to imagine how a favorite repast at this cozy little café could become an addiction. For two and a half years, Moslem and his wife Mahnaz have worked out of the tiny storefront location, making untold volumes of gyros, falafel and hummus to appease the appetites of hungry scholars. In addition, the Moslems have won converts with their morning omelets, particularly the Greek house specialty. "I think 99 percent of the people who try this one come back the very next morning asking for another," Moslem says with a laugh. Scrambled eggs, feta cheese, gyro meat, chopped tomato, red onion, mushrooms and chopped green pepper are cooked omelet-style until delicately set, and then piled into a split half of fresh pita bread. It's no wonder this choice offering has replaced fast food breakfast sandwiches in the affections of many a morning meal fan. Open daily from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. ("My wife is punishing me," Moslem says with mischievous glee), the Moslems have accounted for every meal of the day. Furthermore, they keep a schedule of UA events handy in order to plan for extended hours on days when something special is happening. Whether going to see the Bolshoi Ballet or the Arizona Wildcats, Moslem wants people to have the option of dining properly beforehand at the Park Avenue Café. Their hospitable philosophy shows in a myriad of ways. Nowhere, for instance, will you find a more enthusiastic and congenial host. Perpetually jovial and upbeat, Moslem dishes up generous helpings of good will right alongside food generally fit for a king. A Tucson resident for the last 22 years, Moslem (who's originally from Iran) has worked extensively in some of this city's most prestigious restaurants, including a 14-year stint at Scordato's as well as briefer tenures at Le Rendez-vouz, Daniel's, Charles' and the Palomino. Now he brings his considerable experience and expertise to bear on a menu where nothing exceeds $5. If a big bang for your buck is what you're looking for, the Park Avenue Café is the place to go. Most popular at the restaurant are the gyro sandwiches, which can be ordered with either the traditional beef and lamb filling or sliced chicken. Either way, they're a glorious, gooey mess. The meat of either variation is tender, moist and well seasoned with garlic, herbs and spices. Lots of chopped tomato, lettuce and onion is piled inside a half slice of pita and drizzled amply with an enhancing yogurt-cucumber sauce. Similarly, the chicken pita sandwich--Moslem's own creation--pairs slices of lemon-marinated chicken with sautéed mushrooms, chopped tomatoes and red onion under a blanket of chunky cucumber-yogurt sauce. Undeterred by uncooperative tidbits falling out of their pita pillow, I persevered until every last delicious morsel had been devoured.
Order the falafel and you'll receive not one but two halves of pita stuffed to overflowing with several nuggets of crispy, ground chickpeas, chopped lettuce, tomato, onion and a sesame-based (tahini) sauce. Moslem's hummus is a small thing of wonder, once again capitalizing on ground chickpeas to great advantage. This soft and silky puree, spiked with tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin, is served with triangles of pita bread, chopped tomato and lettuce, all of which can be combined in various proportions or enjoyed singly. Park Avenue's hummus is perhaps mellower (less garlicky) than other versions served around town, but nevertheless wholly delicious. The tabbouli salad is distinguished by an intense shade of green, courtesy of lots and lots of chopped parsley and fresh mint. Softened bulgur wheat and chopped tomatoes, cucumbers and onions dressed lightly in an olive oil and lemon juice coating round out the symphony of flavors in this salad, with the mint refreshingly getting the upper hand in terms of taste. Many more culinary pleasures await at the Park Avenue Café, including daily specials that'll have you marking your calendar for return trips. Tuesday, in particular, intrigues with a featured entree of tender chicken breast sautéed with white wine, butter, sliced mushrooms, red onions and capers, served with fresh pita bread and rice. Lamb shanks and various burger varieties are typical specials for other days of the week. Go ahead, work your way through the entire menu. Nothing we've tasted so far has disappointed. Moslem also makes fresh baklava and, on occasion, a homemade pie. And even the muffins, cheesecakes and other baked goods confected elsewhere are quite satisfactory. Finally, Moslem has installed the trappings of a small espresso bar in the restaurant, allowing him to handily meet the needs of those who run on caffeine machinations. Who knows what inspirations might arise from a small wedge of baklava and a steaming cup of cappuccino. "Yes," Moslem says with obvious pride, "we have a lot of happy people down here."
It's easy to see why.
The Park Avenue Café. 831-E N. Park Ave. 622-2210. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. No alcohol. V, MC, DC, AMEX, checks. Menu items: $1.25-$4.99.
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"The students we see a lot, of course, but the staff here
at the university, they really do a good job of supporting us
all year long," says owner Mo Moslem. "In fact, we have
people who come here every single day. Even on Saturday and Sunday,
when they have to come from far away.
Vegetarians will be pleased to find many items sans meat on the
menu, including an impressive rendition of eggplant parmigiana.
Often the elegance of this dish is obscured by a vegetable cooked
to a sorry state of limp despair, but Moslem's version deftly
maintains a tender-crisp firmness. A lightly seasoned breading
and tangy marinara complete the pastiche of this fine dish.
