t least a dozen different varieties of rice are sold alongside at least 50 varieties of nuts including oriental pumpkin seeds, Damascus roasted peanuts and California pistachios. Plump black and green olives float in brine-filled containers, next to brown dates in wooden crates, sticky and moist. Arabic coffee beans are sold by the pound while specialty teas such as dried Damascus Rose are sold loose per ounce. Canned goods crammed on shelves extend all the way up to the ceiling. On the top shelves sit a colorful display of intricately decorated hookahs.

The Oriental Pastry and Grocery Company, a combination grocery, bakery and catering business, is run by three Syrian brothers: Ghiath, Sam and Anis Moustapha. Their father, Charlie Moustapha, a former merchant marine who emigrated from Syria in the 1950s, bought the shop from his Greek partner back in the 1960s, turning the shop into a neighborhood fixture with a homey feel and strong aromas unlike any sterile modern supermarket chains could offer.

The storeowners know long-time customers on a first-name basis and dish out personal greetings or advice on how to prepare a dish with just the right spice. Ghiath Moustapha, an affable man with gray-streaked hair and a bushy moustache, says, “The shop is open eight days a week, unlike the average supermarket, which has set hours. That doesn’t exist here.”
The pungent scents of cardamom, nutmeg and cloves mingle with a whiff of fresh-baked cakes and cookies dripping with honey and filled with walnuts, pecans, pistachios and candied fruits. Meanwhile, the savory odor of roasted lamb drifts from the kitchen nestled at the back of the store.

At a butcher-block table that has seen years of service at the center of the kitchen, Anis Moustapha concentrates on the salad he is preparing for a last-minute catering order. The menu for the evening’s order for 100 people features roast lamb stuffed with rice, baked chicken, a green salad and pastries. The catering side of the business is not advertised, Anis says; orders come through word-of mouth. The menu is traditional middle-eastern fare, though orders are typically customized.

Last updated on Tuesday, July 15, 2003
In giant metal bowls, Anis washes parsley several times, to rid it of any traces of sand. Tomatoes and Kirby cucumbers in a nearby bowl wait to be added to the salad. “Leave some skin on the cucumber,” Anis says. “It gives the salad a slightly bitter taste.” In a cuisinart, Nour, who works with the brothers, prepares to blend the ingredients for the dressing: garlic, lemon, olive oil and a little vinegar. “We just got the call for this affair this morning,” Anis says. On the floor, the resident tabby cat and her litter of fuzzy kittens wait patiently for leftover scraps. “All food gets recycled,” Anis says. Leftover bread is collected and distributed to the ducks at a local park.

The brothers have catered all types of affairs, for up to 500 people. “I did a wedding for 350 people, in New York City,” says Anis. Frequently only a day’s notice is given. “One time we prepared for 200 people, after notice was given the day before.” The brothers have prepared five stuffed lambs in a day.

“Our biggest seller is lamb stuffed with rice.” Anis says, but he adds, “We don’t put an apple in its mouth.”

The Moustapha brothers continue to experiment with new recipes while carrying on their father’s legacy. Part of that legacy includes family recipes that are used in the catering and bakery side of the business. The baked goods are homemade, and only real butter is used to make the sweets. As for the nuts, Anis says, “only the Rolls-Royce brand, which we chop by hand: Cal Best walnut halves, Turkish pistachios and pine nuts from Spain.” The cakes and cookies are baked using generous amounts of honey and sugar cane: four types of baklava, shredded-wheat pastries, and cookies using a date or nut filling. A specialty of the house is the honey cake with almonds or candied pineapple, papaya and mango. Anis is partial to the shop’s cookies, in particular the ‘mamoul,’ which is made from dates or walnuts.

Plans are underway for a major expansion and renovation. After buying storefront space next door, the kitchen will be moved and the shop expanded back to where the kitchen is now. Anis says that they’ll set up a few tables and chairs to serve complimentary coffee and pastries. An avid collector, Anis recently purchased an antique cast-steel and aluminum roaster in Albany, after an exhaustive search. Originally used to make peanut brittle, Anis plans to restore it to roast coffee and nuts. It will be on display when the renovation is complete.

A well-dressed man wearing a wool cap enters the shop to browse. “Selling goods open-market style is the middle-eastern way,” he says. “Everything is in front of you. You can taste it, try it. I have been coming here a long time,” says the man. “You know the owners, and rely on their advice, that such and such a spice or product is good. Taking care of the body with healthy food achieves a balance.”