Reza's




Awesome bread served throughout meal

We went out to dinner at Reza's in Oak Brook (there are also 3 locations in Chicago) for a bit of Middle Eastern food with a Persian flare. We didn't know too much about the restaurant except we pass it a lot when driving around Oak Brook.



Vegetarian Combo Entree

We just ordered entrees but they were really large and came with a lot so we still had food to take home.  We ordered a vegetarian combo and a kabob dish.  The vegetarian combo is an entree but because you get to create your own combo from lots of choices we chose items that would typically be appetizers on their own. We were able to choose 5 items for the combo and it came with rice.

The combo included:

1. Falafel (balls of ground chickpeas and herbs) - we wish we had a few more of these; they were not "mealy" or too hard

2. Hummus (mashed chickpeas with tahini) - this wasn't that exciting but a good standard

3. Baba Ghannouj (mashed roasted eggplant with tahini) - this was tasty but we had better baba ghannouj at Al Bawadi in Bridgeview

Feta cheese and radishes

4. Dohmeh (grape leaves stuffed with rice, yellow peas, caramelized onions and raisins in a tomato sauce) - this was tasty and they were warm grape leaves - which Nick prefers

5. Kashkeh Bodemjan (a Persian specialty; mashed roasted eggplant, caramelized onions, whey, flavored with garlic and mint) - this was even better than the baba ghannouj.  This is now a new favorite for an eggplant dish (right behind Eggplant Parmesan in Nick's mind).  Apparently this is more of a Persian dish so that is why we may not have encountered it at other Middle Eastern restaurants which may have leaned more to Arabic or Palestinian fare.

Barg Kabob

The other entree was called the Barg Kabob.  It was a tenderloin, with cous cous and grilled vegetables. The kabob was very tender and beautifully spiced. There were large chunks of moist beef with enough cous cous to feed 5 people.

Both of the entrees came with soups - we had the choice of tomato lentil or chicken barley and we tried one of each.  The tomato lentil was kind of boring, but the chicken barley was surprisingly tasty with large chunks of vegetables and a large flavor profile.

Also we have to mention that before the soup we were brought a small plate with radishes and feta cheese and a giant plate of baked bread.  The bread was amazing! It was almost the consistency of a pita bread, but since it was served on a large platter it reminded us of the way spongy bread is served in Ethiopian restaurants. We ate with with the radishes, cheese, soup and with the dips in the veggie combo dish.

Chicken Barley soup

Nick was worried about the location; it was a bit out of the way from other places.  It is located in an apartment/condo building and the parking situation is a bit awkward. We were the first ones in the restaurant for dinner. They were blasting Frank Sinatra music which we thought was a bit strange, but then later in the meal they switched to more Mideast/Persian music.

Final thoughts on Reza's:
Food - good filling food that came in super large portions.  We both had enough for leftovers without even ordering a separate appetizer.
Service - the service was really great.  Now granted we were the only ones there for a while.  But the waitress was very helpful in guiding us through the menu.

Atmosphere - really nice interior (this used to be the French restaurant Fond de la Tour many years ago).  They do have a few different dining spaces and in one of them there is buffet set up.  We looked through the reviews before we went and a lot of people didn't seem to like the buffet so we went with the regular menu which worked out well for us.

Mezza Mediterranean Grill

We went to dinner at Mezza Mediterranean Grill in downtown La Grange.  They have 4 other locations all in Chicago and one more coming soon to the Merchandise Mart. They have Mediterranean/Middle eastern fare - including pita and wrap sandwiches, salads, traditional sides and kabob plates.

Tunisian Chicken Pita

Unlike the two other Middle eastern\Mediterranean food establishments we have recently visited, this restaurant was the most westernized. Also this meat was tender but not as moist as the other restaurants. We both ordered sandwiches and them come either in pita bread or a wrap (this was not clear from the menu); we liked the thick and hearty pita to hold all the meat in.

Here is specifically what we ordered:
We both ordered Mezza meals - a sandwich with a side and a drink.
Tunisian Chicken pita sandwich - spicy chicken, harissa mayo, red onion, avocado - again not as moist as the meat at other restaurants, but tasty

Beef Tenderloin Pita

side of falafel - 3 falafel (garbanzo beans) with sauce, served to us hot and fresh, Nick enjoyed probably better than any other falafels he has had (not too crunchy on the outside, and a warm moister center)
Beef Tenderloin Kabob pita sandwich - skewered cuts of beef and veggies, tahina sauce - better than the chicken sandwich; but probably not a classic Middle Eastern dish
side of red pepper hummus with pita - creamier (instead of thick) than the consistency of most hummus. Natalie found it mundane compared to the flare and freshness of the past two Middle Eastern restaurants.

Red Pepper Hummus

We went at 5pm on a weekday.  Not sure when they get their rush because there weren't many people there at the time.  The location is right next to the La Grange train station so they are probably trying to capitalize on the train traffic but we didn't see that happening from the trains that stopped while we were there. Unfortunate, because it seems like a nice place.  But perhaps better suited for a lunch crowd which is perfect for their 4 other locations in Chicago.

Falafel

Final Thoughts on Mezza:
Food - Good place for a lunch.  A good light summer meal. Nick was a little sad that there was no baba ganoush. We would go again but probably not dine in.
Service - order at a counter up front and get your food as you are paying - not quite fast food, but pretty close.  The falafel wasn't quite done when we paid so an employee brought it to our table.
Atmosphere - very nice decore, quite fancy looking actually for such a casual place.

Crisp and clean interior

The Nile

Went for more Middle Eastern fare at The Nile in Hyde Park.  We had heard about this restaurant a while ago on Check Please and it was "kind of" on our way home this particular night.  It supposedly was a favorite of President Obama's when he lived in Hyde Park.

What we ordered: 

Baba ghannoj

Hummus

small appetizer of hummus (they spell in hummos on their menu) - pretty good hummus, we heard comments all around us at other tables that people loved the hummus.  But it isn't hard to mess up hummus?

Side salad - came with entree

large appetizer of baba ghannooj - eggplant puree, tahini and lemon juice.  This is slowly becoming Nick's new favorite food.  In fact he just looked at a cookbook to see if it is something he could make himself. Natalie liked the baba ghannooj at Al Bawadi (from a few weeks ago) a little bit better because of the Mesquite fire roasted eggplants there. 

Lamb Shawerma wrap sandwich - thin pita bread rolled and stuffed with lamb shawerma, onions, tomato, pickle and tahini sauce.  Nice, warm and filling without leaving you overstuffed.  Good lunch option.  Great value meal.

Combination Plate

Combination plate - Shish kabab beef (filet mignon), Chicken shawerma (slow rotisserie marinated chicken), Shish Tauouk (marinated charbroiled chicken), kifta kabab (blend of ground lamb and beef), served with sauteed vegetables and Middle Eastern rice. Each of the meats were tasty and displayed the authenticity of the restaurant. The next time we go to a Middle Eastern we'll probably just stick to one meat to get more of it, but if you are new to the cuisine, it's a good way to get a few of more of the dishes.

Final Thoughts on The Nile:

Lamb Shawerma Sandwich Wrap

Food - good Middle Eastern food, I think we may have enjoyed Al Bawadi slightly better (from a few weeks ago) due to their mesquite grilling techniques.  The Nile is also a lot further from our house so it would be hard to repeat.
Service - very prompt, we were in and out in about 40 minutes.  We lots of carry out orders as well.
Atmosphere - in Hyde Park by University of Chicago so lots of college students (they asked it we would need to split the bill because they are used to catering to college students), casual sit down, minimal decore, found a parking spot right in front of the restaurant

Al Bawadi Grill

See the "tents" in the background

Pickled Vegetables & Pita Chips

Pita Bread

We went to eat dinner at Al Bawadi Grill in Bridgeview, after hearing about it a while ago on Check Please. It serves Mediterranean/Middle Eastern Food in a very interesting setting.  We were seated at a booth that was surrounded by blankets with Arabic designs to evoke a feeling of sitting in Bedouin tent.  Most of the employees were dressed in Bedouin style clothing.  At first we thought this might be a little kitschy and meant to tailor to an American stereotype of the Middle East (i.e. the Middle Eastern restaurant equivalent of an Olive Garden).  But this was a fleeting thought because the food was so authentic.

They brought out a plate of complimentary appetizers which included some hot pickled vegetables and pita chips. It was a good way to start the meal as we perused the large menu. Also as we were choosing what to order the head waiter wanted to give us some Arabic coffee but we politely declined since we are not coffee drinkers.

Hummus

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Falafel

For appetizers we ordered hummus and stuffed grape leaves. The hummus was garnished with whole chickpeas and olive oil and was served with pita bread. The hummus was nice and smooth, better than our attempts at home.  The grape leaves were stuffed with rice, garlic, tomato, parsley and other spices.  They tasted good, but Nick was disappointed that they were not served warm.
For entrees we ordered falafel and the Al Bawadi Mixed grill plate. The falafel was served warm with a tahini dip.  They were not dried out and the crust was still pliable.  But the real winner of what we ate was the mixed grill items.  The dinner included 3 meat kabobs - a lamb shish kabob, a kafta (lamb/beef) kabob and a chicken shish tawook - a grilled tomato and onions, rice and a side of babaganouj.  The kabobs were mesquite grilled which gave them all a great flavor. They were even moist and tender the next day as leftovers. Surprisingly our favorite was the kafta kabob.  Since it was made from ground meats they were able to incorporate more spices into the mixture before cooking. We also both loved the babaganouj - a similar dish to hummus, but the base is grilled eggplant instead of chickpeas.  The eggplant is pureed with olive oil, garlic, tahini and lemon juice.  It was so good, it may become our new favorite Middle Eastern appetizer.

Mixed Grill Plate with 3 kabobs and rice

Final thoughts on Al Bawadi Grill:

Babaganouj in the middle

Food - definitely exceeded our expectations. It reminded us of our favorite Middle Eastern places in Dearborn, Michigan.  Right across the street was an entire strip mall of Arabic restaurants and grocery stores, so this is definitely the authentic area to be in for this type of food.

Service - excellent! They held the door open as we entered the restaurant.  They were very attentive to our needs and explained the dishes.  The food was served very quickly and it was a great value for the amount of food.  It looked like they had a large take out business so we might try that next time as well.

Atmosphere - once we were seated we felt like there would be good food because most of the other customers were of Middle Eastern descent.  The decore and attire of the staff enhanced the experience and made it feel like you weren't in a suburb of Chicago.  Because this place is relatively easy for us to get to from home or work we will return.