Miriam: What’s Vegetarian Editorial Review

You can eat well without meat at Miriam on the Upper West Side. The kitchen cooks Middle Eastern lamb, chicken, steak, and fish, yet the menu still leans on eggs, dips, salads, and vegetable plates, so you won’t face a lonely side salad. This profile lists the restaurant at 300 Amsterdam Avenue as the example address for the Miriam brand.

Brunch works best for vegetarians. Weekday service runs from 10am to 4pm, and weekend service runs from 9am to 3:30pm. Order the Traditional Shakshuka for poached eggs with hummus, tahini, shug, and pita, or pick the Tomatillo Shakshuka, which swaps in feta and roasted eggplant. Turkish Eggs pairs poached eggs with creamy yogurt, harissa oil, and tahini. Jerusalem Breakfast brings herbed scrambled eggs, zaatar-labneh, avocado, a tomato salad, olives, and a sesame simit bagel. Malawach, Spanikopita, and Challah French Toast round out the list. Skip the Latkes Benedict, which carries smoked salmon. Bacon comes as a side in turkey or regular.

Hummus plates arrive with tahini, harissa, and pita, and the Hummus and Falafel plate has no meat. Salads add range. Halloumi Salad brings arugula, grilled artichoke, walnuts, string beans, and mushrooms. Fattoush uses grilled eggplant, crispy chickpeas, and feta. Watermelon and Cucumber adds mint and an oregano honey dressing. Avocado Toast with halloumi and Pistachio Pesto Pasta with peas, cherry tomatoes, and ricotta each work as a full meal.

Dinner starts at 4pm on weekdays and 4:15pm on weekends. Under Shareables, you pick three dishes for $18, five for $28, or everything for $45. Choices include Burnt Grilled Peppers, Turnips in Harissa, Eggplant in Tomato Sauce, Roasted Red Beet with pomegranate, and Moroccan Carrot. Add Labneh-Lime Tzatziki, Babaganoush, or Hummus from the dips list. Baby Eggplant arrives with tomato and harissa confit, melted feta and mozzarella, and green tahini. Small plates include Spanakopita, Falafel with Green Tahini, and Brussels Sprouts. Over the open fire, the cooks char a King Oyster Mushroom Skewer.

Every description lists ingredients, and no dish carries a vegetarian or vegan mark. Read them all. The pasta takes chicken or shrimp as an add-on, so the base dish holds neither. Staff posts no word on shared surfaces, and the same grill cooks steak, kofta, and chicken skewers, so ask your server about the mushroom skewer if that matters to you.

Dessert deserves room. Burnt Cheesecake comes with white wine-braised grapes. Chocolate Lava Cake, a Mini Knafeh Cream Cup, and ice cream in vanilla, chocolate, banana, or pistachio fill out the list.

Kitchen hours are Monday through Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday 10am to 11pm, Saturday 9am to 11pm, and Sunday 9am to 10pm. Call (646) 590-2659, order through Toast, or book on the site. A banner on the homepage advertises holiday parties. Miriam’s site also lists a Park Slope branch and others, but this profile covers only the Upper West Side restaurant.

Go on a weekend morning. Share the Traditional Shakshuka and the Halloumi Salad with your table, and add a simit bagel to mop up the sauce.