It was immediately clear that our dinner that our dining party would be leaving stuffed and satiated.
By ARI MILLERal baboor 224.88(photo credit: Courtesy)
Having just finished watching The Sopranos (yes, I'm behind the times. Thank god for DVD), I was craving family-style Italian dining. The quintessential HBO show depicted mobsters and their families in generally three different base-instinct activities: violence, sex and eating. It was the latter that most captivated my imagination. Carmela, wife of family crime boss Tony, would ask him upon his return home if he'd like something to eat. His response, no matter what, always was, "Yeah, I could eat." Hence, he was perpetually on the verge of a beautiful sandwich or a glorious meal.
Having grown up in close proximity to South Philly's Italian section, I knew this was a representation of reality and not cruel, TV bubbe meises. I just didn't know where to go for such an experience in Israel. So, when the opportunity to visit Umm el-Fahm's Al Baboor, I unknowingly accepted an offer of tremendous delight.
At Al Baboor, they take the Arab tradition of treating the guest like a king to new heights. Food is served not just with smiles but knowing winks - it's clear that the staff enjoys serving their traditional if not ancient cuisine as much as the customers enjoy stuffing it in their bellies.
We started with fresh squeezed pomegranate juice and lemonade. The best red stuff I've put past my lips made all the more pleasurable when mixed together. It was immediately clear that our dining party would be leaving stuffed and satiated. We continued on with the spread of house salads. No matter where you've had the standard spread before it was not Al Baboor. Aside from the extensive selection, which undoubtedly includes options you hadn't known existed, it's the colors, the freshness, the environment in which it's served that added unparalleled quality to the already superb ingredients.
Before getting to the main course we were treated to the restaurant's lollipop lamb chops. It's humbling to be handed a piece of food that has become trendy in other circles and find that fashion means nothing to those who've been doing it right for millennium. The meat melted off the bone, handed to each diner with the aid of a napkin wrapping, and continued to dissolve in the mouth. I had thought I'd experienced pure pleasure prior. I was mistaken.
For our main course we let our vegetarian members continue to explore the huge selection of salads while me and my carnivorous tablemate enjoyed the lamb kebabs cooked in a dish covered with bread. Ceremoniously served by our waiter who dished out the first bites to our individual plates. It was good, which is to say I'd follow chef Hussam Abbas anywhere.
Dessert was a homemade knafe. If you've never had this Arabic delicacy this is a good place to try it out. Tasty in its own right, when it's hot and fresh, not unlike a tasty Krispy Kreme, it gives you hope for this world yet. Of course our meal was actually finished with small cups of coffee and the warmest regards of the restaurant's staff. They asked that we come back and we'd like to oblige.
Al Baboor is open Sunday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and is located on Wadi Ara Rd., at the Ein Ibrahim Junction. Catering services also available. For details and reservations call (04) 611-0691; not kosher. The writer was a guest of the establishment.
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