52 | NOVEMBER 7 • 2019
I
f you’
ve lived in Metro
Detroit as long as I have,
you’
re probably a fan
of Middle Eastern cuisine.
Whether this is because of
your Israeli family who lives
in town, your favorite local
restaurant or a taste for for-
eign fare, you need to take
your taste buds on a journey
to La Marsa.
While the West Bloomfield
location of this local eatery
has been my family’
s go-to
takeout place for years now,
I was recently able to experi-
ence their Farmington Hills
location for the first time.
Though I had an idea of what
to expect food-wise, my typ-
ical dining experience was
made more worthwhile by the
chance to see this restaurant
from a completely different
perspective.
To get the best sense for the
variety that La Marsa has to
offer, we tried to diversify our
typical order. Rather than a
salad, we opted for the lentil
soup, hummus and vegetarian
grape leaves. As expected, the
lentil soup was everything
you’
d want a lentil soup to
be — light while being filling,
and flavorful without being
overpowering. Along with its
paprika-dusted hummus, the
lentil soup tastes especially
magnificent when eaten with
its world-class pita. I recom-
mend getting a dozen pitas
to take home, along with a
side of unusually delightful
hummus. Make sure to throw
some olive oil on
top of La Marsa’
s
hummus for that
quintessential
pita-indulging
experience.
For the main
course, we chose
a half order of
chicken breasts with almond
rice. Although simple, its
chicken breasts make excellent
usage of a blend of Middle
Eastern spices in addition to
a natural grilling flavor that,
when combined, is difficult to
mimic. The chicken provides a
perfect vessel for gathering up
La Marsa’
s almond rice, which
I could probably eat buckets
of. Pair the chicken and rice
with its pure garlic paste and
hummus, and you’
ll have a fla-
vor festival in your mouth that
will leave you craving more.
Though I didn’
t get a side
salad on this particular trip
to La Marsa, I have full faith
in it. Whenever we order
La Marsa from the West
Bloomfield location, I always
ask for extra dressing with our
side salad so I can use it over
the following weeks. It’
s that
good.
Even if Mediterranean food
isn’
t your favorite, La Marsa
has a wide enough offering
so everyone can enjoy a meal
there. This includes specialty
beverages and desserts. Not
only does it have a variety of
raw juices and smoothies to
enjoy during your meal, but it
also has rice pudding and bak-
lava if you’
re in the mood for
something a little sweeter.
While you could do what
my family usually does
and order L
a Marsa to go,
you should make plans to
go to the actual restau-
rant in Farmington Hills.
Alongside quick service and
friendly staff, the soothing
Mediterranean-inspired music
in the background provides
an ideal setting for a relaxing
meal.
The relaxing environment
and interior decorations
at the Farmington Hills
location make
your average
Middle Eastern
restaurant look
like any other
fast food joint.
With multiple
chandeliers
cascading from
the ceiling, wooden detailing
and stunning tile work
coupled with the background
music and scrumptious
cuisine, you’
ll really feel like
you’
ve stepped from a strip
mall in Metro Detroit to a
seaside Mediterranean cafe.
Mediterranean-
Inspired
Head to La Marsa for exceptional
Middle Eastern fare.
STEFANI CHUDNOW SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
PHOTOS BY STEFANI CHUDNOW
La Marsa
24273 Middlebelt Road,
Farmington Hills
(248) 473-9900
lamarsacuisine.com
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