It may seem like a dine out a lot- and to be fair, I do. F and I are childfree, and he’s not only vegetarian, but a picky and healthy vegetarian. I’m just… not either of those. At least when we dine out.
When we’re home, our meals are usually very simple and repetitive, and we also often eat on our own because I want nothing to do with his cold black beans or lentil soup out of a can or Morningstar concoctions with BBQ sauce. Meanwhile he is uninterested in my sauteed spinach and rice plates or riffs on mac and cheese. Even though I love delicious food and pretty much eat/blog as a hobby and a way to spend my leisure time, F is not shy to admit that if he could stop doing 3 things, one of the top 3 would be eating! For me, things like having to sleep so many hours to be functional or going to the bathroom or having to wash my hair every 36 hours make that list… and I would never even think to put eating on that list.
There are several places though that we both really really enjoy and bring us together to bridge this divide on food. Arabian Nights Cafe, a less than 10 minute walk from our home, is one of those guilty pleasures we both share great affection for. If on the way home he comes in carrying a bag of take-out from Arabian Nights, even if it’s just a side of fries with that garlic sauce, I just can never resist. I’ll tell you now that it’s totally a divey hole in the wall. But we don’t care.
Every time we order, the pita bread is always piping hot and fresh out of the oven, and it’s so soft and poofy.
He always gets the same thing, because he is a huge creature of habit. He finds something he likes, he will become a regular at that location with that same dish. Here at Arabian Nights Cafe, it’s the Arabian Nights Mezza Platter, a combination plate of hummus, baba ghannouj, falafel, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) and tabouli. The baba ghannouj here is really incredible because of it’s smokiness. There are lots of times we don’t like the dolmades dish because the leaves are hard, but at Arabian Nights the chef marinates them an extra long time than usual, making them very soft.
While F always gets pretty much the same thing at every Meditteranean restaurant (always hummus and falafel, and maybe baba ghannouj), I like exploring different foods. That’s why I like going to new places, and also ordering new dishes at the regular places. The one time I asked F to dine in at Arabian Nights, I decided to try the Arabian Nights Cafe entree of the Mixed Grill Supreme with three skewers of chicken, lamb and kafta kabob served with rice, small salad and a side of cucumber yogurt.
I couldn’t believe how much food there was on the plate. While the chef apologized he didn’t have any glass plates and had to serve me my food on a paper plate while F got the fancy plate, I thought it was homey and charming. And looking at those kabobs and mountains of rice, who’s looking at the plate itself? And, I was impressed that the lamb was tender and cooked perfectly medium for me and the kafta kabob was delicious also.
It clearly meant that my side order of Cheese Pie, a house dough that is used to make that doughy pita plus cheese spread on top, was clearly unnecessary to get me full, though it was super enjoyable.
The place is really a dinky and small. But I don’t judge – and would completely understand if on your visit you chose to get carry-out, which is what I think most people do given it’s in the PSU area in the South Park Blocks and it’s literally steps to a picnic in the park. Here’s an example of the carryout the Chicken Shawarma Platter with thinly sliced chicken over rice that is served with rice, small salad and a side of cucumber yogurt. That’s like 2 servings there in that box with that single order.
The Lamb Shank, which I got as carry out, is big enough for two. The lamb is fall off the bone, and served with traditional bokhari rice along with small salad and a side of cucumber yogurt.
My only disappointment is that the Arabian Nights Beef Shawarma Sandwich (thinly sliced beef rolled with tomatoes, parsley, pickles, onions and tahini sauce) is small. Though maybe this is actually an advantage so you can justify also getting a side of fries with that garlicky sauce. Yeah, it totally rationalizes it. F knows when I have a crappie day and want to wallow at home the fries with that sauce always are a comfort to me.
I support all small business owners – be it those beautifully designed restaurant with Northwest wood and maybe even white tablecloths, those pop ups with multiple courses where you bring prepped food in Tupperware, or if you working out of a food cart, or those out of a little hole in the wall. Sure I love a restaurant and being served like I’m special, but there’s something sorta luxurious about take-out or delivery food out of boxes and yes, paper plates and plastic utensils.
What is your little hole in the wall that you love by your home? What us your family regular take out joint?
This all looks so delicious. Middle Eastern food is a favorite of our whole household, and I make it often, but it is so nice to go out and have someone else do the cooking now and then. We need to try this place out!
I love how flavorful but yet relatively healthy dinner with Middle Eastern food can be
I would eat all of that. All of it. I love how sometimes hole-in-the-wall dives have amazing food. I am startled by the news that F is so uninterested in eating. How could it be in his top 3 things he would do without? Especially when you have someplace like this close to your house?
Mmmmm I had middle eastern today at Dar Salam on Alberta – very similar menu. Verrrry tasty! Will have to remember Arabian Nights next time we’re in SW. I used to love Pad Thai Kitchen on Belmont when we lived in SE… curious to try it again now that I’ve spent 2 months in Thailand! 🙂 But my all-time go-to is Yuki Sushi.
Mmmmmmm sushi sounds so good right now
Those little neighborhood places are the best. Now that we have kids, the hubs and I rarely go out (and, when we do, we have to go someplace kid-approved), but there is a diner near us we used to visit about once a week when were kid-free! Arabian Nights sounds fabulous!
Carry out date!!