We’ve been coming to Arabian Nights for years. And, frankly, I cherished the just about Disneyland-
ish inside, like one thing out of, properly, “Aladdin.” Sitting beneath the painted murals of deep-blue night time skies and swaying palms, with golden hanging lamps emitting a glow over the Arabesque cut-outs and archways, you might nearly hear Scheherazade spinning her tales. Then, the pandemic hit and we thought it will shut, however they puttered alongside, and even when it appeared there was nobody within the cavernous, darkish area, it simply saved on going.
We lastly returned just lately, and had been elated that the meals was pretty much as good if not higher than ever. The delicacies right here is Center Japanese, partially consisting of dishes it has in widespread with lots of its neighbors, however with many Lebanese specialties. For us, the meals right here stands fairly a bit above many such eating places we’ve been to. The whole lot right here is completely seasoned, artfully plated, and zinging with freshness.
The latest phenomenon at Arabian Nights shouldn’t be an altogether disagreeable one, as soon as one is forewarned: It now not serves any alcohol. We had been informed that the proprietor made the change for spiritual causes, and who’re we to argue with another person’s beliefs? Particularly when the institution permits you to deliver your personal beer or wine sans corkage price. Splendid! One other factor we simply found was that it has a beautiful eating patio within the again! We’ll definitely be availing ourselves of that pleasant area.
On our first go to again, we ordered hummus, as one does, however, fairly merely, as a result of they make the very best hummus round.
Impossibly creamy and garlicky, doused with fruity olive oil, sprinkled with herbs and lashings of paprika, their hummus is the usual by which to guage all others.
Particularly when accompanied by their house-made pita, blazing scorching from the oven.
For his essential, the BF remembered that we’d at all times cherished their method with steak…
The rib eye didn’t disappoint. Tender, with pretty charring from the grill, served with rice pilaf and crispy grilled greens. Tremendous, this isn’t actually a Medi-dish, however who cares?For $34 for a 12-ounce prime lower of beef, it made the BF pleased. And their buttery pilaf is genuine because it will get, no matter genuine means to you.
I opted for the salmon:
A stunning piece of fish, cooked good; tender, with a slight char of its personal, burst cherry tomatoes, a sprinkling of creamy feta, over crisp-tender asparagus, bell peppers, garlic, and rice pilaf. My solely quibble is that my dish was supposed to return with tabbouleh, and as an alternative they seasoned the pilaf with mint and parsley to simulate that different herby grain dish. I used to be not displeased. And although I’d been trying ahead to a pleasant glass of wine with dinner, we left sated, and with leftovers.
For our second go to, we obtained sensible and introduced our personal wine.
It’s pretty that they provide this selection with no corkage price, and nonetheless have their wine glasses, so that you’re not ingesting out of a water tumbler.
We went a little bit extra with the Center-Japanese theme this time.
The Mezza Sampler contains hummus, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, crispy phyllo with cheese, falafel, fried kebbe (fried floor lamb/beef/bulgur patties), and warek enab (stuffed grape leaves). Good bites of a few of the favorites. Particularly cherished the dusting of sumac on the baba ghannouj, which seems means “father of coquetry!” This smoky eggplant dish can flirt with me any time. The phyllo cheese cigars can be a superb snack with a beer, and the tabbouleh — correctly made this time with bulgur wheat — was herb-centric, accurately.
BF ordered the meat shawarma.
With fries! Sure, fries! They provide them, the BF will get them! The meat itself, laced with white
sauce (a yogurt-based, garlicky/lemony mix that goes on nearly all the things, or ought to, for my part), was tenderness itself, and once more, kissed by the grill for a touch of char, with sweetly sautéed onions and roasted tomatoes. And yeah, the fries? They’re good.
I had one of many seafood plates for my essential:
Jumbo prawns, marinated in olive oil, garlic and lemon juice, had been superbly grilled and paired with rice, veggies and feta. A full of life mixture that I’d get once more.
Arabian Nights is considered one of our neighborhood gems that I don’t really feel will get sufficient love. There’s
a lot deliciousness to select from right here: Vegetarian choices, meshawi (skewers) plates, kafta, shawarma, kabobs, and a complete cornucopia of starters: manakeesh (flatbread) with zata’ar and feta, fried kebbe, cauliflower, makdous (pickled child eggplant with walnuts), labneh, and fattoush, that pretty Northern Lebanese salad served with crunchy pita chips; no starvation shall depart unvanquished!
So come on by, deliver a bottle, have a seat on the patio, and say hi there to an outdated pal that wants our help.
Arabian Nights is positioned at 2345 Mission St.