Very good Eastern Mediterranean/Middle East eats. Serious care and effort happens here, not just workers whipping out afterthought products just to get through a day. To that I simply have to give my respects and give them a shout out.
Very calm and relaxing space. Many regulars walking in picking up take-out food. There's a very kind and soft paced table service here that just reminds me of cute and quaint bistros/cafes from the days gone by. Actual dialogue between servers and patrons, questions answered, smiles passed along. A huge gap from QR code ordering and avoidance of interaction that is trying to be normalized from here on out.
We ordered a couple of bottled beers, nothing craft brewed-like, just ordinary Euro/Mexican selections. I'm not as rigid as I once was, so just a good clean lager with a meal and some water is very welcoming to me. They brought nice beer glassware and asked if we wanted it poured into a glass. Sure ain't gonna turn that down, especially since it was already there. It did fit with the nice silverware, cloth napkin and candlelit table. Yet nothing was stuffy and formal, just casual locals out for a good time.
Kofta Wrap ($19/4*) This wasn't mine but I did taste a piece of the kofta kebab. Theirs is a beef/lamb mix and is well mixed, almost like a firm meatloaf texture, versus a grilled burger texture. It was a good basic kofta, spiced moderately so not strong but also not bland. The inside also has a lot of lettuce, onions and cucs with a tangy yogurt sauce. I did taste a big hint of mint in my bite which I'm assuming are big hits of herbs with the salad and not the kofta itself. And it was wrapped nice and tight with even distribution so every bite got every element. I look for that in every wrap whether a burrito, med wrap and even stuffed pitas.
Beef Shawarma Plate ($20/4.5*) Pretty heavily spiced, where you can feel the texture of the warming spice paste in each bite. A little strong but at least it gave you ride to another culture. Properly shaved pieces where the meat texture was still there and nothing like processed gyro meat. Served with yellow rice and an awesome salad with a tangy dressing. I especially loved the tangy green chutney that was so vibrantly herbaceous, a mint and cilantro punch that brightened the spice ladened shawarma. And I also loved the grilled tomatoes and onion garnish on top of the shawarma, just gave it a nice chef's touch.
Mansaf ($25/5*) I have never tried this but as soon as I saw it, I had to try it. I was told it was probably Jordan's most famous dish. Super tender cubes of lamb, with a touch of fat on some pieces which I love. Totally swimming in this glorious creamy sauce made of dried yogurt and tumeric. The sauce was mild (spice wise), quite tangy with a noticeable milky flavor. Served again with rice but this time topped with toasted almond slivers, which added a nice texural contrast. I was also told that this was usually made with bone-in lamb, but think they did it this way to make it more restaurant friendly, maybe even American friendly. But I was just imagining if this would have been a bone-in lamb shank, I would have loved it even more. Great dish!
Still have to try their extensive kabob offerings and an assortment of their mezzes whether falafels, hummus and other dips. Lots of work yet still ahead of me, but I just know that this is gonna be a smooth and fun ride. Bet. read more