boudreaulicious wrote:I’ll take AB’s baba, muthuwama, tabouli, hummus with beef shawarma, falafel, pickles, eggplant with tomato, and chicken shawarma sandwich over pretty much any other place in town.

And that's where our paths diverge. While I certainly enjoyed my meal, nothing improves on Libanais. Their Beirut-style hummus and baba are excellent as is their muhammara. The kebabs and shawarmas are excellent. Their mana'esh is a perfect snack food. And it says a lot when, as an avowed carnivore, the dish that I crave the most is their cauliflower stew with moudardara, really great combination of flavors and textures.

Vital Information wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:And since I have to go to Skokie in the afternoon (from NWI where there is NO middle eastern food—good, bad or otherwise!), thank you for the reminder about this location—I think I’ll stop and get some takeout for my Chicago-restaurant-fridge/freezer !

Jen, isn't Bridgeview (area) not that hard to get via 294? Fattoush is a only a few blocks from the 95th exit. If you don't want that, there's Oozi and if you don't want that there's the original AB, which seems to me, at least based on this thread, a lot better --for me, AB's still 3rd after the 2 cited above, but a medalist all the same. On top of those 3 restaurants, there are a plethora of places both explored and not, bakeries, stores, etc.

I am just not out and about that much these days, and while I love AB Bridgview, that’s still a 100 miles round trip for me from Valpo.

I didn’t end up getting there when I was in Skokie Last weekend, but the oldest is supposedly playing for a college ball summer baseball team out of Midlothian this summer, so hoping they play AND that I’ll be able to pop over to ABB before or after a game!!

spinynorman99 wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:I’ll take AB’s baba, muthuwama, tabouli, hummus with beef shawarma, falafel, pickles, eggplant with tomato, and chicken shawarma sandwich over pretty much any other place in town.

And that's where our paths diverge. While I certainly enjoyed my meal, nothing improves on Libanais. Their Beirut-style hummus and baba are excellent as is their muhammara. The kebabs and shawarmas are excellent. Their mana'esh is a perfect snack food. And it says a lot when, as an avowed carnivore, the dish that I crave the most is their cauliflower stew with moudardara, really great combination of flavors and textures.

Libanais has been on my list to try and, damn, if I wasn’t less than a mile away at NYB&B after my plant pick up last Saturday. Next time!!

Another great meal, great service.
They have a tent out front, we were the only ones using it for 2/3 of our dinner, so got two heaters.

Lots of attention, especially for being the only ones out there, several people tried to take our orders, etc. Meanwhile through the windows we could see the inside was full to capacity.

Kibbeh are smaller, smoother than Pita Inn's, tasty and very crisp.

Complimentary pickles, eggplant dip and zaatar bread were very nice.

Mint tea worked well on this chilly evening.

Lamb chops were very thin and charred perfectly, with a huge pile of rice that may have had chile powder, there was a little side to it.

Kufta casserole with tahini and tomato was extremely rich: probably more than 8oz of ground beef and lamb in a bit burger shape smothered with pinkish sauce with stuffed potatoes, and a big pile of yellow rice.

Kinafa comes out as a big disk, hot out of the oven. It's almost like a sweet saganaki: stretchy cheese, crispy shredded phyllo and chopped nuts, sugar syrup. It's $14 but serves 4 easily.

We've got a couple meals worth of leftovers (mostly rice) and just under half the kinafa.

Definitely will be back.

I'm nowhere near eating or drinking inside yet (including fully enclosed tents). But I get tired of my own cooking and do takeout.

Ordered a completely delicious chicken shawarma sandwich from Al Bawadi yesterday. Seriously, one of the best things I've eaten lately. My order wasn't ready yet, so I mostly waited outside, with occasional checks inside for my sandwich. While waiting I observed:

2 unmasked customers waiting for takeout outside who never masked up, even when they went into the building for food

One member of the kitchen prep line wearing a chin mask.

3 members of the male costumed hospitality staff with no masks in sight.

I enjoyed the taste of my sandwich, but the environment was uncomfortable. The virus spread is on the uptick again.

I'm going to have to improve my home cooking game. Thank goodness we're entering soup season.

Giovanna.

Giovanna wrote:I enjoyed the taste of my sandwich, but the environment was uncomfortable. The virus spread is on the uptick again.

I'm going to have to improve my home cooking game.

My problem with eating at home is that the asshole who cooks the stuff doesn’t wear a mask either.

cilantro wrote:My problem with eating at home is that the asshole who cooks the stuff doesn’t wear a mask either.

Same here. Plus no gloves. He does wash his hands and clean up after himself, though he’s butt ugly.

The jamoke at my house doesn't wear masks or gloves once she returns to the fortress of solitude and scrubbs up her hands really well.

OTOH, I know where she's been and what precautions she's been taking

Giovanna.