Mike and I were in good old Abilene, Texas for the West Texas Rehab Telethon that I work every year. The family always joins me since Mike is from Abilene and the kids just love it there. Friday night is our one night to go out to dinner, so on our way into town I was checking out the Urban Spoon app on my phone. Shaking through the options I came across one titled Middle East. Intrigued, I checked out the reviews. With 93% liking it out of 213 votes, Mike and I were all about trying it out.
We found our way to the Middle East Restaurant located in an older strip mall. The parking lot was full, always a good sign, so we parked and made our way inside. We were instantly greeted at the door by the owner, Mr. Hammoodi, who showed us to a table. The journey was a short one seeing as there are only a handful of tables inside the small restaurant. On one wall there was a poster sized picture that was taken from a news paper. It was a grinning Mr. Hammoodi with three American soldiers in Iraq holding a newspaper that announced Saddam Hussein's capture. You can tell this incredibly friendly man is happy to be here in America, but still proud of his Middle Eastern roots.
The size of the restaurant may diminutive, but the menu was not. Oh what joy! So many wonderful choices, but so little room in my stomach. We decide right away that we will split an entree so we may also try an appetizer platter consisting of hummus, tabouleh, dollma, and peayas (this I had never heard of, and it seemed like a type of potato salad with onions), and we also ordered a plate of falafel. We go ahead and order our entrees at the same time. Mike and I decide to split a combo kabob plate with chicken, lamb, and beef kifta (#25 the Meat Combo Platter). Liam opted for the Beef Kabobs, and Remy chose the Grilled Chicken breast. All entrees came with a salad and jasmine rice. When we ordered we let Mr. Hammoodi know that we were from Fort Worth, found out about his restaurant from Urban Spoon, and that we loved Persian food. He proceeded to explain that we were about to have the best Middle Eastern food that we could ever find. All the food made was cooked by his family from home. He said that there was not a stranger cooking in his kitchen. (I perk up, because to me this means that the most important ingredient in successful cooking would be present in every dish... and that ingredient is love.) He guaranteed that we would leave the place 100% satisfied. Little did we know that we were in for a culinary adventure.
Mr. Hammoodi informs us about a soup appetizer available for everyone. It is a lentil soup, and there is a spicy option next to it. Mike served me the lentil soup and he took the spicy one. They were both delicious-- off to a good start. Then our appetizers start coming out.
At this point I have come to the conclusion that I am a big fan of sumac. It was sprinkled all over our appetizers, and Remy's chicken was seasoned with it. My extra plate arrives and we dig in. I love beef kifta. It is my favorite. It is a ground beef seasoned with onions and spices and wrapped around a stick and grilled. Wow. It is mouth watering good. Did I mention I love tzatziki? I usually put it all over my food, but I didn't want to take away from the flavor of the kifta. Remy's chicken was my second favorite. I will be buying some sumac and attempting this chicken at home.
I sample everything, but don't stuff myself, because at the beginning of the meal I mentioned I might try some baklava and a coffee for dessert. Mr. Hammoodi excitedly told me he had just made it two hours ago and it will be the best baklava I have ever had in my life, and that I will never have better. Dude, seriously?? I am not passing up the chance to try a dish that was described with such passion. He told me the turkish coffee was perfect with the baklava, so I placed an order.
The baklava was divine and the Turkish coffee was the best I have ever had. He added a spice, and I'm not sure if it was cardamom or just something similar, but it was fabulous. He was spot on in pairing the two together. The baklava was buttery, flaky, nutty, and not too sweet. I would make the 2 1/2 hour trip just for the two.
As we leave the Middle East Restaurant Liam raves over the beef kabobs. He keeps thanking Mr. Hammoodi over and over. Liam is my pickiest eater and rarely likes food that is different in any way, so this is saying a lot.
We were treated to a home cooked meal that just happened to be served in a restaurant. The amazing part, is this is how all their guests are treated. There was another family who raved just as much as we did, and they were local. We didn't receive special treatment because we were from out of town, we received special treatment because that is how Mr. Hammoodi treats all his guest. My only disappointment in this whole culinary adventure is knowing that in order to experience it again I have to drive 2 1/2 hours. Don't be surprised when I do.
