To be equally honest, we probably won't give it a second look. Things started off well...I saw that there was no booze on the menu, so I called to ask if they allowed BYO. The owner was incredibly sweet, and informed me that they just got their liquor license last week, so they now have beer and wine.
The service was good...it's basically family run. Mom and tween daughter were attentive without being overbearing. The food, however, was mostly under-seasoned and underwhelming. :(
We started
with the omek houria, a grated carrot, olive oil, and garlic dip, and the baba ganoush. Both needed some salt and would have probably been stellar with a few more spices! For dipping we got Mlawi bread, which is kind of like a savory crepe. The ones that had been cooked well were pretty yum, but a few were still a bit raw.
We shared two entrees. One was a vegetarian Lablabi (the website says Tunisian chick peas stew, served over croutons of bread and topped with spices and an egg...but I think it had some tuna in it too) that you mix tableside. Again, could have used some salt, but not bad and super-filling. The Kaftaji was the winner of the night--a chopped onion and tomato stewy-type dish with a fried egg, surrounded by french fries and topped with merguez, delicious fat finger-sized sausages of lamb and beef. My only complaint is that I wish the fries were a little crispier!
We each had som
e okay wine, nothing fantastic but nothing offensive: a merlot, a dry white from Santorini, and a sangiovese from Chianti.So...not disappointed we went. It was an experience, foods we had never had before, and we certainly did NOT leave hungry! But probably not a repeat...unless maybe I bring my own spice rack. ;)
If you go anyways, get the Sangiovese...
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