I could argue that Sudley Road in Manassas is one of the best destinations for international food in Northern Virginia. From Peruvian pastries to Oaxacan tlayudas to African markets to handmade pasta, there is much to recommend a food crawl along the busy street. Add all-day Turkish brunch to that list.
My Cravingz may be located in a high-ceilinged warehouse setting made cozy with comfy chairs and tables, but on a recent Sunday, the restaurant’s large scale was tested by hordes of hungry mouths ready for the former wholesale bakery’s serpme, an impressive layout of homemade spreads. A jovial server told my party we would have a half-hour wait for a table, but it proved to be less.
Once seated, we used a QR code to view the menu. I ordered the serpme like everyone else. The meal includes one egg dish on the side. I chose the sucuklu yumurta, a skillet of fluffy scrambled eggs girding heartily spiced beef sausage. In an effort to load up on baked specialties, I also added on a cheese-filled pide. The boat-shaped flatbread is similar to a soft, thin-crusted pizza.
The centerpiece of the meal, however, is the platter of dips and spreads. A housemade simit, similar to a thin, firm-jacketed sesame bagel, and a pair of rolls are warm and ready to be bestowed with the collection of eight spreads, both sweet and savory. Among the savory spreads, my favorite combined walnut and tomato pastes for a creamy, nutty concoction with a just-right dose of acid. The fruit jams at My Cravingz are made without added sugar, but the habit-forming fig one requires no aid in that regard. Another, which combines blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries is likably tart.
And that’s still not everything included in the $25 meal for two. A pot of tea keeps diners hydrated for Olympian gustatory feats that also extend to mucver, a crunchy, oily zucchini fritter, and sigara boregi, feta-filled pastry cigars. I took only token bites of many of the inclusions, such as olives, additional cheeses, and cherry tomatoes. After all, dining at My Cravingz is more of a marathon than a sprint. And even on a busy day, it’s worth the wait.
7381 Sudley Rd., Manassas
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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