Middle Eastern fare healthy, affordable

By John Lehndorff, Rocky Mountain News
April 25, 2003

For all the bitter religious, ethnic and political differences that pit nations of the Middle East against one another, when the Lebanese, Iraqis, Israelis, Syrians, Greeks, Persians, Turks and Afghans gather their families around the table, they eat from essentially the same platter.

Hummus, baba ghanouj, lamb kebabs, saffron rice, gyros and baklava pop up under various guises (and spellings) on menus of small restaurants throughout the region; garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, sesame seed paste and onion are the common seasoning currency.

Luckily, the Front Range is blessed with plenty of Middle Eastern places dishing this healthy, affordable fare, including two notable examples: Ali Baba Grill in Golden and Pita Jungle near the University of Denver.

Owner Fayad Aoutabachi has gained a wide reputation for dishing the real thing at Ali Baba, his small, modestly decorated eatery in a Golden strip mall. Give me a stack of pita bread and I'd be happy just munching on the mezze or appetizers. The easiest way is to order the basmati rice-centered vegetarian lovers platter ($8.95). It includes baba ghanouj, a velvety combination of roasted eggplant, sesame paste, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. The equally smooth chickpea-based hummus is sprinkled with reddish ground sumac, which adds a tart touch.

The rice- and vegetable-filled grape leaves are only ho-hum but I'd walk a mile for the fabulous falafel. The golden-fried, heart-shaped chickpea patties perfectly balance spice and crunch.

The multinational menu's soups are equally appealing. When it's hot out, nothing refreshes like the semi-tart cucumber yogurt soup ($3.25) dotted with diced cukes and laced with mint. Cumin, garlic and pepper add extra oomph to the red lentil soup ($2.95.

There are as many versions of kibbeh as there are countries in the Middle East. Ali Baba's kibbeh ($4.25) takes the corn dog approach with spiced ground meat inside deep-fried balls of soft cracked wheat coating. Take a chance on the fava beans ($3.95), which are more like black-eyed peas stewed until soft with spices and tomato and served warm.

The grilled items are among Ali Baba's most treasured. The beef kebab ($9.95) offers skewered steak chunks, onion and peppers - marinated in olive oil, oregano and spices - that have that fine charred edge. My favorite main dish is the saffron-accented chicken barg ($10.95), a pairing of broiled, marinated chicken breast and wonderful ground chicken kobideh - nicely spiced ground chicken made to be wrapped in hummus-smeared pita.

Less successful entrees are the seafood kabob ($11.95) with overcooked scallops, salmon and shrimp, and the lamb shank ($10.95) whose stewed fall-off-the-ankle meat was just a little too gamey.

For dinner or lunch, the eatery prepares a four-star gyros sandwich ($3.95). It's a pita half rolled around chewy slices of peppery garlic-infused beef with a little salad and yogurt dressing. I like the taste, I like the chew and I like the combination of flavors.

Pita Jungle - the equally nondescript student favorite - does serve wonderful hummus ($3.95), creamy baba ghannouge ($3.95), parsley and lemon-spiked lentil soup ($2), ping-pong balls of hot falafel ($7.95 plates, $3.95 sandwich), and lemony tabbouleh ($3.95) garnished with olive oil, thin pickle slices and olive-oily olives.

However, what attracts me to Pita Jungle are the other dishes you see less often on the menus of local Middle Eastern restaurants. For instance, I love the garlic dip ($3.95), a mess of olive- oily mashed potatoes that serve as a carrier for a massive infusion of fresh garlic - yow! I was glad I had the parsley-heavy tabouleh ($3.95) to counterbalance all the great garlic in the meal.

Lots of fresh herbs provide the earthy moujaddara ($3.95) - cooked mashed lentils and rice - with a much different flavor burst. Another simple but out-of-the-ordinary treat is green beans stewed in herbed tomato sauce, or lubieh bizzeyt ($3.95). That quintessential coalition of flavors would be right at home on any Italian table.

Also memorable is arayes ($4.95), a pita pizza made with ground lamb and pine nuts, and the classic shawarma ($8.95 entree, $3.95 sandwich).

Leave room for a piece of sweet pistachio baklava ($1.50). It's perfumed with rose water, an attribute that may surprise novice diners. For a change of pace, order jallab ($2.25). It looks like thin prune juice with pine nuts floating on top and it tastes, well, different.

Less-than-stunning items at Pita Jungle include a filo-wrapped spinach pie ($3.95) that was very soft and lacking the advertised ``French feta cheese;'' and the kafta kebab ($8.95 plate, $3.95 sandwich) that seemed unseasoned.

Both restaurants offer fruit and milk shakes, tea - hot and cold - and intense, beautifully muddy Turkish coffee. Service can be slow because they are mainly staffed by family and friends.

The leisurely pace is fine. This is scoopable finger food that isn't really designed to be doled out in individual plates - it's meant to be shared. Bring family or friends, grab a bite and gab.