The Michigan Daily - Weekend etc, - Thursday, February 9, 1995 - 7 *All Baba's: Surprisingly authentic By Ben Ewy Daily Arts Writer It seems that on any night of the week, one of my friends at the house where I live on Lincoln will invari- ably order from AliBaba's. The smell of "Baba's" Hommous has perme- ated the walls of our house. But, I was reluctant to try the restaurant because Iwas convinced thatJerusalem Garden was the only place in town that served good Middle Eastern cuisine. Itis hard formeto admit mistakes, but was Iever wrong. I first tried Ali Baba's with a takeout order of Chicken Shawarma and a side order of Hommous. I was immediately hooked. The inexpensive ,neal fed me for a full day. I decided I had to try the restaurant proper. Ali Baba's is by no means a gour- met eating experience, but there is a certain je ne sais quoi about their restaurant environment that makes one feel immediately at home. Ali Baba's goes all out. Be it the flowers in the bathroom, or the hand-painted walls, one feels that the friendly owner Oman Dari personally prepared the restau- rant for you. The service is first-rate. My waterglass was kept full through- out the whole meal. My waiter was very happy to explain to me how my food was prepared and whether or not it was vegetarian. Additionally, when my coffee spilled into my saucer, the waiter quickly mopped up the drips. This is better service than I have re- ceived at many of the areas top restau- rants and it is this pleasant, intimate and personable atmosphere that makes eating at the restaurant even more enjoyable than ordering out. But what about the food? The waiter was extremely accom- modating and had the kitchen specially prepare a combination platter so that we could sample the many corners of the exhaustive menu. Had it not been for our combination platter, I would have had no idea what to order; every- thing on the menu looked so inviting. We started with a delicious order of Fattoush salad, which is a lettuce based salad, with toasted pita bread, served with an oil-based dressing. The dressing had a very subtle taste and did not overwhelm the taste of the fresh lettuce. The salad was served with normal pita bread and I greedily soaked the Pita bread in the leftover dressing. We then had an order of zesty Hommous. Hommous is one item that can either make or break a restaurant: Baba's Hommous had a very full garlic flavor, indicating that the garlic had been allowed to prop- erly ripen. The Tahini flavor was welcome without being overwhelm- ing. The Hommous presentation was first-rate, it was served with a pa- prika, beet and parsley garnish. We had both Chicken and Lamb Shawarma. I preferred the Chicken, but both were juicy and tender. The Lamb had a tangy marinade which enhanced the lamb flavor. We moved on to Meat Grape Leaves, stuffed with lamb, rice and vegetables. The Grape Leaves were tightly wrapped, keeping all the stuffing inside. The grape leaves were thin and served to complement, but not block the flavor of lamb and rice. Next we had both Chicken and Lamb Shish Kabob; both were equally delicious. The Shish Kabob came with charbroiled vegetables which added sophistication to the taste of the meat. All Baba's Restaurant 601 Packard (at Hill) 998-0131 or 998-1982 Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Seven days a week Price: Inexpensive to moderate Notes: No smoking Vegetarian friendly Dine in Carry out Handicap accessible No reservations neccessary Rating: MM-MMI This is Ali Baba's resteraunt. I wonder where the 40 thieves are hiding. Can you find them? The Shish Kafta - charbroiled ground lamb with parsley, onion and season- ings - looked some what un appetiz- ing, but was surprisingly good. Lastly, we had lightly spiced Falafel patties that were crispy brown on the outside and soft on the inside. The Falafel was remarkably ungreasy, unlike the Falafel in many other area restaurants. For dessert, we had a delicate and flaky Baklava that had just the right amount of sweetness. We finally fin- ished the meal with a delicious and complex Arabic Coffee. The coffee was both bitter and sweet; a flavor that I had never tasted before but was nonetheless a suiting end to a wonderful meal. The personable atmosphere, coupled with the wonderful food, makes Ali Baba's a restaurant that I heartily recommend. The service is first-rate and the menu has a marvel- ous combination of low priced sand- wiches and reasonably priced entrees. You can hardly go wrong with any of the food and I would highly suggest finishing the meal with their wonder- ful Arabic Coffee. The only possible complaint is that the chairs and tables were a bit spartan, but the attention to detail and comfort exuded by the rest of the restaurant more than makes up for this minor shortcoming. U U R50, 0 0 . . 06 If THE LP W I4O5 D { WH~tICI~T)T 9315 WOQ() 56LQ HRIVEN (WHnICH T ZS OVER500 DENTAL HEALTH DAY AllAges Welcome Free X-Rays Free Dental Health Evaluation Free Oral Cancer Screening Saturday, February 11, 1995 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. U of M School of Dentistry -PARKING IS AVAILABLE IN THE FLETCHER STREET PARKING STRUCTURE -PUBLIC MAY ENTER THROUGH N. UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE For more information contact the U of M School of Dentistry 764-1516 CoeacTDi S TO ~t7-r5C Ds a por ,r >1713PaC,2D o s 0 i<; £'f-n1 A c Jr 1 I r - I I Interested Business School and LS and A Students .. . You are cordially invited to attend our presentation: Kraft Foods Marketing Information Department Monday, February 13,1995 5-6:45 p.m. The Wolverine Room