Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites

Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites is a new food truck. It is operated by Ousra El Gamal and her husband. They are a Turkish/Egyptian couple who both have Ph.D.s. Their daughters also have terminal degrees, indicated that Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites could probably beat your squad on team bar trivia night.

But rather than dominating trivia matchups, Dr. Mom uses her nutrition background to create delicious, healthy Mediterranean fare with a focus on low fat and vegetarian diners.

There are two veggie panini sandwiches, a veggie burger and a bean salad as entrees on the menu. Sides include hummus, baba ghanoush, potato salad and potato chips.

The baba ghanoush works a tremendously deep smoke into the tender eggplant slivers along with garlic and parsley. This eggplant dip would stand up to almost any in the Columbus area.

The veggie panini had squash, zucchini, red peppers, mushrooms and onions. It was dressed with pesto that soaked nicely into the bread. 

Prices are inexpensive. Dr. Mom's Tasty Bites is at Dinin' Hall a few times coming up, and it can be seen at the Campus Pitt Stop too. Check out Facebook for location updates.

Grill and Grilled

Grill and Grilled opened in the last week Downtown. It offers Mediterranean salad and wraps constructed in front of diners like Chipotle. Despite its Greek and Middle Eastern ingredients, the lack of protein makes Grill and Grilled a boring option for vegetarians.

The two main items on the menu are salad and a griddled lavash bread wrap. Ingredients include lettuce, tomato, red onion, carrot, cabbage, corn, black olives, cheeses and dressings. A lack of veggies or dressings available again gives vegetarian diners limited choices 

The canned olives are one example of a poor ingredient, because real Kalamata olives would be quite superior to the canned pizza topping sold here. Falafel also would be a solid addition for vegetarian diners, though there is none available at Grill and Grilled. 

The hummus is average, and the baba ghannoush is nearly inedible. The baba is studded with chewy eggplant with the consistency and flavor of a vegetal gummy bear found in an ashtray. 

The dips are served with crackers despite the fact that the restaurant serves a soft flatbread sandwich. I've used crackers at home to eat hummus at home because I was out of pita bread, but I'm hardly accustomed to this in a restaurant. Lavash would be a better vehicle to deliver hummus to my mouth.

Prices are expensive based upon quality. The salads at restaurants like Market 65 are far superior to these for the price.

Noora's Persian Cuisine

Noora Persian Cuisine takes an outside the box approach to Mediterranean fare, offering grilled kebabs and appetizers that explode with fresh flavor. There are many vegetarian and vegan items on the menu. Some items must be special ordered.

The colorful decor reflects the warmth displayed by the staff. They took great care in explaining all of the dishes, and worked efficiently.

The appetizer sampler is a must-order for parties of two or more. Four dips are served with toasted flatbread. The mirza ghasemi is made from tomatoes and roasted eggplant. The deep, complex smoke builds with each bite. The potato salad was egg-heavy and herbaceous. The cucumber-mint yogurt dip is bright and refreshing. The hummus is about as good as any in Columbus.

The beef stew with stewed greens, split peas and lentils can be prepared for vegetarians. While it is an interesting dish texturally, the flavors were murky and one dimensional, lacking the savory punch that was probably added by the omitted beef. 

The kebabs, on the other hand, were flawless. Enormous mushrooms, red, green and yellow peppers, tomato and onions are nicely charred, and it is served with a spicy green sauce. It's a perfect complement to the veggies.

The dill yogurt beverage is a tart refreshment that is not for the faint of heart. It is a sour drink that quenches thirst with a viscous, pasty essence that never truly leaves the palate. File this under acquired tastes.

The house-made baklava is the perfect end to a meal.

Pera Fresh Food

Pera Fresh Food is a fast-casual Mediterranean eatery located in the old Ali Baba space on campus. As would be expected, they serve inexpensive, healthy Middle Eastern eats on the fly.

Where Ali Baba offered a full service menu that focused on variety, Pera makes a small number of healthy lunchtime standards. 

The set-up at Pera is similar to Chipotle, where customers choose combinations of rice and vegetables as the foundation of their bowl, salad or flatbread wrap. Prices are reasonable. Falafel wraps are less than $5 at select times.

 The wraps are made on lavash bread that is warmed in the oven when ordered. It can be customized with veggies, including cucumbers, black olives, onions, spinach, tomatoes and more, as well as sauces like tzatziki, hummus and harissa. The falafel lacked a little crispiness, but had a pleasant flavor. The wrap is a full lunch if a side dish is added.

The hummus has a deep herbal flavor that also picks up spice from the dollop of harissa that floats on its surface. While the hummus is good, it is difficult to eat in the shallow take-out cup in which it is served, and it is challenging to order because bread must be ordered on the side a la carte. Bread probably should be included in the purchase price.

Desserts mostly lacked character. The rice pudding was bland and mealy. The baklava was good, but wasn't fresh or house-made.

Overall, service at Pera is fast. The prices are reasonable, but considering that most Mediterranean food is inexpensive, Pera may find it difficult to stand out. A plethora of restaurants have opened in the past few years that make better food for essentially the same price. 

Hot Pita!

Hot Pita! Mediterranean Street Food is a food truck that whips up fresh Middle Eastern fare. The menu proudly announces that they use no frozen ingredients, and fans of falafel and hummus will find something to like from this vendor.

Like other mobile food operations, Hot Pita is easy to track on Facebook, Twitter and mobile apps like Hungerly. I caught Hot Pita at the Holiday Fair at Columbus Commons this past weekend.

The rolled falafel sandwich puts small falafel disks into a warm pita with chopped romaine, tomato, house made pickles and tahini. I develop a favorite Columbus falafel crush on a regular basis, and this is a great candidate to claim this prestigious mantle created in my mind.

The hummus from Hot Pita comes in three flavors: traditional, roasted red pepper and jalepeño. It is served with a choice of pita triangles or pita chips. The jalepeño hummus had just enough punch to make the spiciness linger. Portions are big enough to share.

The lentil soup with lemon is also vegetarian.

The photos of Hot Pita catering looked delicious. This is definitely an operation worth keeping on the vegetarian radar.

Zorba the Greek

Zorba the Greek is a carry-out Greek and Mediterranean restaurant in a dingy strip mall in West Mobile. Its humble setting doesn't prevent Zorba from offering fresh Mediterranean fare accompanied by service with personality.

Vegetarian options at Zorba the Greek include staples like hummus, grape leaves, spinach pie and falafel. Portions are adequate and prices are low.

The hummus was flecked with parsley and drizzled with a spicy ribbon of harissa. It was accompanied by an enormous quantity of pita.

The falafel sandwich was stuffed with lettuce, tomato and onions in tahini. The discs of falafel were well seasoned and had a nice textural contrast between the crispy exterior and the soft insides. The pita was thick and provided a good vehicle to deliver the sandwich and all its dressing. It was served with a side of saffron rice.

The owner of Zorba is an affable gentleman who knows all his customers by name. If he doesn't know you by name, he learns what you like pretty quickly.

There is limited seating at Zorba. It is an easy spot for a quick lunch. Overall, its quality was superior to that of its neighbor Ollie's, although its menu was somewhat smaller.

Zorba's

Ollie's Mediterranean Grill

Ollie's Mediterranean Grill is a veggie-friendly restaurant in Mobile with a sports bar motif. In addition to the restaurant, Ollie's also has a full bar with commercial European and domestic beers as well as an array of hookahs.

The menu features Greek and Middle Eastern classics like saganaki, grape leaves, falafel, hummus and baba ghanoush. There are also vegetarian rolled pitas including one stuffed with falafel and tahini, as well as Mediterranean lentil dishes.

The house salad was slightly better than bagged salad mix. The Greek dressing was bland and nearly without character.

The hummus had nice ribbons of parsley that added a fresh, citrus-laden touch to the dip. The pita bread was cooked to a crispy texture, allowing it to pick up massive quantities of hummus like a Mediterranean tortilla chip.

The falafel in the wrap had a mild taste that was overpowered by the otherwise dry sandwich. While the wrap was drizzled with tahini, a side of extra dressing might be necessary to enjoy the flavor nuance of the chickpea balls.

The meal I sampled at Ollie's was fairly pedestrian. The locals tell me that Ollie's suffers from a bit of inconsistency, which hopefully means that other visitors might enjoy a better experience.

Ollie's Mediterranean

Lashish the Greek

Lashish the Greek is a bustling little Mediterranean/Middle Eastern restaurant on Bethel Road. It adds another layer of international flair to a strip mall that already has Indian, Vietnamese and Korean storefronts.

The proprietor of the restaurant is a affable host that does a great job with vegetarian and vegan diners. Although seating is limited, the kitchen keeps a busy pace that doesn't keep patrons waiting long.

The menu at Lashish is awash in freshly prepared Greek and Middle Eastern classics like hummus, baba ghanoush, spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, Greek salad, tabbouleh and falafel. The pastry/dessert case looks absolutely divine.

The lentil vegetable soup had chunks of carrots, potatoes and celery in a mild broth with soft brown lentils. The soup is a delightful hybrid of vegetable soup and veggie chili with a Mediterranean flair.

The spanakopita displayed an artful talent for the phyllo dough arts. The perfectly constructed pie was light with a faint crispiness and a burst of flavor. The spinach filling highlights the best flavors in the leafy green. The spinach pie at Lashish the Greek beats the tar out of the frozen garbage served at less reputable Greek restaurants.

The baba ghanoush was smoky with faint hints of garlic and citrus. The soft, puffy pita bread was appropriately allocated to scoop up all of the eggplant dip.

Lashish the Greek has three different falafel sandwiches. There is a standard falafel sandwich with tahini, lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. The Greek vegetarian pita has falafel, banana peppers, kalamata olives, cucumber, onions and lettuce in tzatziki sauce. The Mediterranean vegetarian pita is slathered in hummus and stuffed with falafel, fried cauliflower, eggplant and potatoes in an herbed sauce.

The falafel has a hint of spiciness, and it had a pleasant green-colored interior. The pitas are stuffed to capacity.

Lashish the Greek is a great experience. The combination of friendly service and reasonable prices should make it a destination for vegetarians.

Lashish the Greek

Pita House

Pita House is an inexpensive Mediterranean take-out in Bexley. The menu is small, but it offers plenty of options for vegetarians because of its Middle Eastern focus.

The Bexley area has two Mediterranean restaurants. Pita House is different from Aladdin's in that the menu is smaller and less expensive at Pita Hut. It's nearly impossible to spend $10 at Pita House. Pita Hut lacks the less authentic fare (pita pizzas and chili) at Aladdin's and instead focuses on the nuts and bolts of Middle Eastern cuisine.

All of the appetizers at Pita House are vegetarian. Choices include hummus, baba, tabouli, Jerusalem salad, matbuka, grape leaves, fried eggplant and fried zucchini.

The hummus was smooth with subtle hints of garlic, citrus and olive oil. While it was excellent, it should have been served with two pitas rather than one because it's tough for one pita to scoop up the chickpea dip. I ended up using a couple of fries to grab the leftover bits of hummus that were remained after the pita bread was depleted.

The falafel sandwich is large. About five falafel balls are tossed in a tahini dressing atop a lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle base inside a whole pita. It is a well made sandwich that is rather filling.

There is a limited selection of desserts available at Pita House. The dining room can seat about 30 people. The restaurant is brightly lit and clean.

Pita House

Nazareth Restaurant and Deli

Nazareth Restaurant and Deli is a Mediterranean establishment in the plaza adjacent to the international smorgasbord that is Columbus Square. Nazareth features many vegetarian options that are freshly prepared in successful fashion.

Nazareth has been in Columbus in one form or another for 20 years. The menu features rice dishes, dips, and a fantastic maza, a plate of veggies, feta and harissa which adds extra accents to hummus, baba ghannoush and sandwiches. There are also Mediterranean dishes like tabbouli and grape leaves.

I started out with the mixed hummus/baba combo. It was served with pita triangles, and when the maza platter veggies and harissa were added to the mix, it worked out beautifully. The hummus is light with citrus accents, and the baba is smoky, earthy and complex. The harissa adds an intense spiciness to everything it dresses.

The Greek salad is a mix of iceberg lettuce, cucumber, tomato, black olives, banana peppers and feta cheese in a dill-accented Greek dressing. The salad adds a nice element to a meal at Nazareth.

The falafel sandwich is also excellent. The falafel is crispy with a deep green color. It rests atop a bed of mixed greens, tomatoes, onions, tahini, hummus and a bit of harissa I saved from the maza platter.

The food at Nazareth is very good. Prices are a touch higher than the typical neighborhood Mediterranean eatery, but the quality of the fare allows this to appear fair.

Nazareth has a full bar. Interestingly enough, the restaurant decor is a sports bar. There are televisions throughout the dining room, all tuned to sports programming. My favorite decoration is the illustration of a Jewish person, an Arab and a Christian sharing a hookah on the bar wall. Service is prompt and capable.

Nazareth Restaurant and Deli

Cafe Ephesus

Cafe Ephesus is a Turkish restaurant in Dublin. As with other food from the Mediterranean, the fare at Cafe Ephesus is fresh and vegetarian-friendly.

The cuisine of Turkey, particularly that from Ephesus, is an interesting mix of cultures. Ephesus is a city that had been ruled by the Greeks, the Romans, the Byzantines, and currently the Turks (although it is a historic site now rather than a proper city). While there are many classic Mediterranean and Greek dishes on the menu, there are additional items that are solely a product of Turkey.

Prices at Cafe Ephesus are reasonable. While dinner prices hardly break the bank, the $9 appetizer, entree and dessert combination is a fantastic deal.

Vegetarian starters on the menu include hummus, stuffed grape leaves, sigara borek (cheese stuffed phyllo cigars), red lentil soup, chopped eggplant salad and an assortment of salads.

I began with the red lentil soup. While lentil soup is a classic dish, the red lentil soup at Cafe Ephesus was an explosion of flavor. The savory lentils were augmented with the flavor of black pepper and garlic. It was a very satisfying dish.

My main course was mucver, a zucchini and potato pancake served with a yogurt dill dip. The creamy dip adds a fat layer of flavor to the dish. The dill adds an herbal undertone to the pancakes, which were delightful.

Dessert was sutlak, a thick, baked rice pudding accented with cinnamon. The dish is reminiscent of creme brulee, but the sweet rice and cinnamon add a different wrinkle to the course.

Service at Cafe Ephesus was evenly paced and competent. The server did a good job of pointing out the vegetarian items on the menu, and he highly recommended the turlu, a Turkish veggie stew.

Cafe Ephesus

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is a two week event in late April and early May that celebrates the music, food and cultural heritage of the Crescent City.

You expect the music to be great (see the calendar for details). The bonus is that the fest also has scores of vegetarian dining options conveniently marked by an asterisk for your meatless dining convenience.

Much like New Orleans, the food at Jazz Fest is a melting pot. There is Cajun fare and Creole cooking in addition to food from other parts of the U.S., Italy, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and Japan. Most of the vendors are from the New Orleans area.

Jazz Fest provides a tremendous opportunity to try a little bit of everything in the Big Easy. When paired with a great soundtrack, it's a winning combination.

Red beans and rice is about as New Orleans as a dish can get. It's at least as New Orleans as gumbo, jambalaya, andouille sausage, muffulettas and po' boys. Unfortunately, carnivores often up the flavor of their R-B-R with ham hocks, sausage or bacon. Luckily, Burks & Douglas prepares a vegetarian red beans and rice that packs all of the flavor with none of the guilt.

Ya ka mein (pronounced yock-uh-mean) is a dish of indeterminate origins with a flavor that is 100 percent New Orleans. Ostensibly, ya ka mein was introduced to New Orleans by Chinese port workers, and it was later adopted by the African American community. It is sometimes called old sober because it is utilized as a hangover cure. Miss Linda's catering makes a vegetarian ya ka mein (ya ka mein is typically a beef soup). Vegans be warned: it does contain a hard boiled egg. The hot soup has a mushroom broth base turned up by soy sauce and hot sauce, then filled with spaghetti noodles, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, scallions and of course the hard boiled egg. You don't have to know who created ya ka mein to know that this one tastes delicious.

Bennachin is an African restaurant in New Orleans that specializes in the cuisine of Cameroon and Gambia. The vegetarian combo plate that they serve comes with jama jama (sauteed spinach) and fried plantains. The spinach is prepared with onions, garlic and hot peppers. It is soft and satisfying. The plantains are soft and thickly breaded. The savory spinach pairs well with the sweet plantains.

Mona's Cafe is a small Mediterranean chain in New Orleans. Like most Mediterranean places, Mona's features many vegetarian choices. The combo platter comes with falafel, hummus, tabouli and a Greek salad. While the food was tasty, it was definitely a pain to eat salad at Jazz Fest while the sand and wind are whipping you in the face. Unlike myself, I would recommend taking shelter before engaging this dish or you will end up coating yourself and those who surround you with lettuce, dressing and feta cheese.

DiMartino's Muffuletta's makes a vegetarian muffuletta that is absolutely killer. The thick, sesame seed sandwich roll is stuffed with Swiss cheese and covered in an olive salad with red peppers, yellow peppers, mushrooms, green olives, spices and olive oil. Flavor explodes from the olive salad, and it's so good that there are no condiments required.

One of the other New Orleans specialties that was on display at Jazz Fest was the Snoball. If you ask for a Snow cone, a vendor will assume that you are a stupid Yankee and spit in your dessert. Plum Street Snoballs had stands set up all around Jazz Fest. I sampled the chocolate snoball with an extra dollop of condensed milk, which adds both sweetness and richness. It is a great cure for the blazing hot sun (or whatever else ails you).

There were many other vegetarian eats available at the fest that I didn't get a chance to sample. Other options include fried green tomatoes, corn on the cob, spinach artichoke casserole, fried eggplant in marinara, broccoli cheese pie, seaweed salad, Tunisian salad, Jamaican steamed vegetables, grilled veggie pitas and gelato from La Divina Gelateria.

I will have to wait for another time and another forum to extol the music I saw at Jazz Fest. You can see some of the music I caught in the slide show below. However, the food alone makes the Jazz and Heritage Festival a destination all by itself.

Jazz Fest

Jerusalem Cafe

Jerusalem Cafe is a Mediterranean restaurant in Mobile that offers a great abundance of dining options for vegetarians. The food is fresh, healthy and delicious.

Mediterranean food consists of many dishes that are safe for vegetarians, and the fare at Jerusalem Cafe is no exception. Starters include hummus, baba ghanoush, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, spanakopita, tabouli, fattoush, Greek salad and Jerusalem bean salad. Entrees include a falafel sandwich, a grilled veggie sandwich, eggplant parmesan sandwich, vegetarian lasagna, and a variety of combo platters.

I started out with the hummus/baba ghanoush appetizer. The chickpea and eggplant dips are dusted with pepper and parsley, and then drizzled with olive oil and harissa. It is served with warm pita triangles, and the combination of flavors is fantastic. The hint of heat added by the harissa lends a spicy note to the citrusy hummus, and the black pepper provides a nice contrast to the roasted flavors in the baba.

The stuffed grape leaves are stuffed with rice and tomato. The texture is soft and the flavor is bright.

The falafel and hummus pita is also very good. Soft falafel disks are stuffed into a pita that is slathered in hummus. The pita comes with grilled onions and zucchini as well as fresh tomatoes and lettuce in a tahini dressing. It is served with a side of saffron rice.

Jerusalem Cafe makes pastries, including the ubiquitous baklava in a variety of flavors. Some of the combo platters come with baklava included, so plan your meal accordingly.

The staff at Jerusalem Cafe works briskly and capably. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant is BYOB. Their website lists specials, including 25% discounts Monday nights, 20% lunch discounts to club members, and Sunday buffets.

Jerusalem Cafe

Mazah Mediterranean Eatery

Mazah Mediterranean Eatery is a fast casual spot in Grandview. The food is inexpensive, and it's tasty enough to stand out from the many other Mediterranean eateries that have opened in the last year.

Like most restaurants of Middle Eastern origin, Mazah is tremendously friendly to vegetarian diners. In addition, the menu also contains a number of dishes that are vegan and/or gluten-free.

There are many vegetarian starters, including hummus, baba ghanoush, mashed foul (fava bean salad), fatayer, falafel, stuffed grape leaves and a variety of salads. Vegetarian sandwiches include falafel, mojadara and grape leaves.

I tried both the falafel plate and hummus as appetizers. The hummus is light, and it possesses hints of garlic, lemon and red pepper in its flavor profile. It comes in both a small and large size. It is served with pita triangles.

The falafel balls were great. They had a crispy outside that encased a soft, spicy interior. The falafel was drizzled with tahini and served on a bed of lettuce and carrots.

The mojadara sandwich was also excellent. Mojadara is traditionally a rice and lentil dish commonly served in the Middle East. The lentils, rice and veggies are stuffed into a giant pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber and tzatziki.

The inside of Mazah is bright. There is seating for about 30 people inside. Service is brisk and unobtrusive.

Mazah is making it tricky for me to pick out a Mediterranean restaurant to eat at. Before, I was limited to Aladdin's. However, in the last year or so, Ali Baba, Lavash, Shish Kebab Express and Mazah have all opened, making the decision harder on me. I guess I'll have to spread the love around.

Mazah Mediterranean Eatery

Shish Kebab Express

Shish Kebab Express is the latest Mediterranean dining option to open in Columbus in the last 12 months. Much like its predecessors Ali Baba and Lavash Cafe, Shish Kebab makes fresh, wholesome fare at reasonable prices.

Calling Shish Kebab Express a new place, however, is somewhat misleading. In actuality, Shish Kebab Express is a spin-off of Shish Kebab Mediterranean Grill on Bethel Road.

Like other Mediterranean restaurants, Shish Kebab provides numerous options for vegetarian diners. Even some of the salads and dips are vegan. My favorite characteristic of a menu (vegetarian choices marked with an asterisk) is in play at Shish Kebab.

There are many salads and traditional Middle Eastern starters like hummus, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves and falafel. I, however, chose to try the slightly less common sigara borek. Sigara borek is feta cheese and parsley wrapped into finger-sized phyllo tubes. It is bright, creamy and pairs well with the tomatoes on the plate that act as garnishes.

The sandwiches at Shish Kebab are also very interesting. Instead of offering stuffed pita bread as a wrapper, the falafel sandwich was prepared in a crusty sandwich roll topped with sesame and poppy seeds. The bread added another layer to the flavor profile. The taste of the sandwich is more akin to that of a veggie burger than a traditional falafel sandwich.

The only shortcoming of the sandwich is that it used a small amount of lettuce and a light coating of tahini sauce. The addition of more vegetables and tahini would have made a very good sandwich superb.

Shish Kebab Express serves a limited selection of desserts and a typical array of fountain drinks. Both delivery and catering services are available.

The interior of Shish Kebab Express is bright and modern-looking. There is seating for about 40 people inside. There are two flat screen televisions in the dining room. The staff is friendly and quick, although orders at Shish Kebab come out at a fast casual rather than fast food pace.

Overall, I have to say that I prefer Ali Baba and Lavash Cafe over Shish Kebab. The falafel sandwich at Shish Kebab should be a change of pace from those at the other two places if nothing else. I eat enough Mediterranean food that I can see myself eating at all three places in a future week.

Shish Kebab Express

Ali Baba Mediterranean Cuisine

Ali Baba is a new Mediterranean eatery located in the hot spot that used to house Moe's and Jimmy Guaco's. I read a post on Rosie's Kitchen about Ali Baba, and my natural affinity for the food of the Middle East drew me to the new campus eatery.

The decor and the set-up of the restaurant are similar to that of Jimmy Guaco's. Ali Baba is owned by one of the original proprietor's of Pita Hut, another popular Northside Mediterranean spot.

Like other Mediterranean establishments, Ali Baba features vegetarian options in spades. The appetizer options include the traditional (hummus, baba ghanouj and grape leaves) and the more interesting (mama ghanouj, which is a zucchini dip, fool m'damas, which is a cooked bean salad, and fried eggplant and cauliflower salads). Many other options, such as tabbouleh, are also available as sides.

The hummus was excellent. The smoothly mashed chickpeas are drenched with olive oil and harissa, and then sprinkled with mint and whole chickpeas. The hummus had a nice hint of garlic, and the harissa adds a hint of spiciness that makes the dip sing.

The falafel sandwich is vaguely reminiscent of the falafel sandwich at Pita Hut. The pita is cut at the top, and then stuffed with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and disks of deep-fried chickpeas. It is lightly dressed in tahini. If possible, try to get some of the harissa to add a little fire to the sandwich. The fries were fairly average.

It looks as if there are plans for a salad bar. I was unable to tell if there is an alcohol license. There was a tasty-looking case of rice pudding and baklava avaiable to quell the after-dinner sweet tooth.

Prices are fairly inexpensive. Ali Baba is open Monday through Thursday from 10 am to 12 am, Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 4 am, and Sunday from 10 am to 9 pm.

Ali Baba

New Salaam Location

Salaam in Athens should have their new location operating very soon.

From an email and the Web site:

Come for dinner at "old Salaam" this weekend; it's the last chance you'll get, as we're closing there at the end of the evening on Saturday! We're working feverishly to have the new space at 21 W. Washington ready to open on MONDAY, APRIL 6th.

Lavash Cafe

I was beaten to the punch by every print publication from Columbus in reviewing Lavash Café. Alive beat me. The Dispatch beat me. ThisWeek beat me. Even other Web sites like MetroMix beat me. I admit defeat. I'll still eat vegetarian amidst the ashes.

Lavash Café is the new Mediterranean venture from the old proprietor of Firdous. It is located in the same plaza as Hungry Howies in Clintonville. As with most other restaurants of this type, there are tons of options for vegetarians on the menu.

You place your order at the counter at Lavash, and they call your name when your order is ready. The name of the establishment comes from the fluffy Turkish bread in which many of the sandwiches can be rolled. The decor is colorful and modern.

Vegetarian starters include hummus (in both chickpea and black bean varieties), baba ghanoush, grape leaves, falafel, various fatayer preparations, lentil soup and assorted salads. The baba (pictured above) was rich, smoky and delicious.

The falafel sandwich was quite good. The falafel was nicely spiced. I ordered it wrapped in lavash bread, although it could also be stuffed in pita bread.

There are also a number of vegetarian entrees, including mojadara, which is rice and lentils cooked with special herbs and spices topped with carmelized onions. Prices on all items come in south of $10. There is no alcohol on the menu, but there are plenty of coffees, teas, smoothies and Pepsi products to quench your thirst.

The neighbors will have to decide for themselves whether Lavash is better or worse than Aladdin's. I like both well enough that my stomach wins the battle.

Lavash Cafe

Cafe Istanbul

It has been a long time since I have been to Café Istanbul at Easton. The place is under different management than the last time I was here. The menu is different. The interior is the only thing that has remained the same. I have to admit that I like the changes (not that there really was much wrong with the restaurant in its old form--I'm just a sucker for new things).

The new menu features a wider variety of traditional dishes outside of the realm of the typical hummus, falafel and baba options. There is a huge assortment of vegetarian items, including ezme, a tomato, onion, hot pepper and olive oil spread that makes the soft, doughy bread even more addictive. The Sigara Börek is a Turkish take on the Greek tiropita, made with an abundance of feta cheese, herbs and flaky phyllo dough. The grape leaves are also vegetarian (Items on the menu are marked with an asterisk to denote vegetarian selections).

Other vegetarian starters include hummus, falafel, baba ganoush, tabouli, and a host of other dips, salads and assorted vegetable items. I really applaud the number of healthy vegetarian starters (and I am a sucker for menus that label vegetarian items because they make my job that much easier).

My entree was a vegetable stew called türlü. It is a tomato base made with big chunks of roasted eggplant, onions, carrots, red peppers, potatoes, mushrooms, celery and whole garlic cloves. It is rustic and flavorful. Other vegetarian main courses include a grilled veggie plate and okra stew.

The bread is served with a spicy flavored olive oil. The mixed drinks are creative and tasty. I really like Efes Dark, a brown Turkish beer that tastes vaguely like Newcastle. The service is attentive, friendly and prompt. Café Istanbul is a great option for vegetarians as well as people looking for flavorful food with a healthful character.

Cafe Istanbul

Sahara Grille

Mediterranean food is notoriously vegetarian-friendly. This regional diet is praised for its health benefits as it involves fresh vegetables and copious quantities of olive oil alongside a pile of dining options for all makes and models of vegetarians. This veggie-centric approach to dining is evident at the Sahara Grille in Canton.

The starter is pita bread is served with herbed olive oil, highlighting the region's affinity for the healthful fat. The pita bread is also useful for scooping up some of the appetizers, such as the hummus. The hummus comes in two sizes with the option of adding pine nuts.

We sampled a few other starters. The cheese pie (often called tiropita in Greek restaurants) features a soft, white Farmer's cheese inside a buttery shell. They are a savory delight. The other starter (pictured above) isn't a Mediterranean tradition, but it was also quite good. The avocado egg rolls were crunchy, and they were filled with my favorite fatty vegetable, served with a tamarind sauce on the side that gives the rolls an added tanginess.

I was a little less impressed with the falafel sandwich. Sahara Grille offers a rolled pita with lettuce and tomato with pieces of falafel laden with tahini sauce. The sandwich was exceptionally dry. It might hace benefitted from the addition of more tomato or tahini. The falafel was also not the best. It was flavorful, but it also could have been improved through the addition of more seasoning.

However, I will now praise Sahara Grille for my favorite practice--labeling vegetarian items on the menu. This makes it easy for you to avoid the falafel sandwich while still maintaining plenty of main course options.

Middle Eastern eateries are also great places to share with a large party. If a large group orders hummus, baba ganouge, grape leaves and fattoush (or one of the many other options), each person can sample a ton of food without breaking the bank.

Sahara Grille is a nice addition to this area. It should do a good job keeping Stark county vegetarians happy and healthy.

Sahara Grille