Mediterranean Restaurants – Page 5

Kaelin’s Mi Pueblo- A surprising market in El Cajon.

April 25, 2011 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Taco Shops, What Cathy Eats!

Hi again. You are reading mmm-yoso!!! It's a blog about food in all its forms. Today Cathy is blogging, because Kirk is on an adventure somewhere in the world and ed (from Yuma) is busy. Really busy.

Kaelin's Market has been in the same location in El Cajon on Main near Greenfield for more than two decades. It has had its ups (it was THE fancy IGA in East County) and downs (it got pretty scary for a long while) and recently is under new ownership. It is still IGA.

There are always weekly specials in each department.

It's been cleaned up and the variety of selections have expanded, in a good way. Prices are excellent. Some surprises have been added.

As with other Ethnic markets I have posted about, there is a small area inside where you can order food to eat in or to go. The Taqueria area near the doorway offers five different Aguas Frescas daily(three more five gallon jars are along the other side of the counter). Next to the cash register, you can see small bowls of salsas and other condiments. There are burritos and tortas sold here, in addition to what I am showing in these photos.

The salsa and condiments include grilled onions, radishes, lemons and three types of salsas. However when you order, a 'proper' salsa is put on your item.

Tacos are $1. Every day. (The fried fish taco is $2). The store sells corn tortillas, sopes, hurrache shaped corn tortillas, flavored (chipotle, cactus and other flavors, depending on the day of the week) corn tortillas in the store. Those fresh tortillas are used for the items sold at the counter.

The carnitas tacos have been simmering and are rich flavored. Those are my favorite. The fish ceviche tostada ($3) is fresh and brightly flavored. Both carnitas and ceviche are sold by the pound at the Deli counter in the store, as are guacamole, salsa, refried beans, chicharrones…

The birria, a beef stew, is very good here. I have had birria made with pork or goat and never beef. This version is really good, tender and rich flavored.

On another visit, we got a pork adobada taco ($1). The pork is marinated in a vinegar based marinade and that breaks down the meat to be very tender. The hot sauce which was made for this was complimentary and negated the tartness of vinegar.

Mulita ($2). Two corn tortillas, each with melted cheese surrounding (in this case) al pastor beef. You can choose the meat for this quesedilla on steroids…excellent, filling, fresh. Worth it. Of course, beef made in the al-pastor style is cooked on a spit…

The most interesting aspect of the new Kaelin's is noticed as you are walking in
Two spits of meats- Al Pastor and schawarma. Yes, schawarma.

Just past the spits, there are ovens for baking flatbreads.

The Mediterranean flatbreads sell for 75¢.

Gigantic super sized flat bread, as large as the top of the indoor picnic table where we eat. Hot from the oven…the freshest you can get. Fresh hummus ($2.99) sold in the refrigerator next to the cash register, is the accompaniment.

Then there are the kabobs. Beef kabobs $1.25 each (or 99¢ each if you buy ten). You read that right. These are large, juicy, nicely spiced, beef (or chicken) really meaty, tasty kabobs. Five is too many for The Mister and I to eat for a meal. We always order five and always end up taking at least 1 1/2 home, to use for breakfast the next morning.

This store is not at all selling only Mexican foods.
The Meat Department is NOT Halal. It can't be. Know that Kaelin's sells spices, vegetables, and ready to eat items are Mediterranean based and this is not just a Mexican Market. Stop in if you have the chance.

Kaelins Mi Pueblo 1435 East Main El Cajon 92020 (619) 440-1423
Here is a photo of a carnitas quesedilla ($2) to show you the size perspective, as well as a flour tortilla…The quesedilla is very stringy melty cheesy…

I hope everyone is starting out the week on a good note!

Kaelin's Mi Pueblo Market 1435 East Main Street El Cajon Ca 92021 (619)440-1423

Valley Foods Mediterranean Market-and a meal.

November 28, 2010 Cathy Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

See other posts about Valley Foods here and here. A 2015 update, from another blog: Here

mmm-yoso!!! That's the name of this blog. It's about food. With anecdotes tossed in. Cathy is blogging today. The guys aren't.

Hi. El Cajon has a new Mediterranean Market. It's on the South side of Main Street, just West of Second.(Next to the Rally Burger).
It's a new building, but the facade is more visible to the parking lot than on Main Street. It is not as large as Vine Ripe Market, does sell Halal meats, fresh breads and has enough of a produce section to make this a regular stop for me. Of course, as with the other Mediterranean markets I frequent, it has an in-store eating area. With good prices. Below, the deli area (which has many choices of Feta cheeses as well as the olives and halal deli meats shown)and a sort of 'grab and go'/prepared foods area.

When you walk in, you will go to the left and there is a hot food counter and small eating area. On the far left of this photo, the beverage machine with red juice- that is pomegranate juice- $1.49 for a large styrofoam cup. I get on every time I am here, but never seem to have snapped a photo. It is not from concentrate. The sign underneath the "Seafood" sign is "You Buy We Fry".

The steam tray area has a large menu above it. Prices are good. Really good. Order, pay and find a seat.

Beef shawarma sandwich ($3.95). Yes, that is the price. Yes, my hand is small. It is still a very large sandwich. Usually I don't order beef shawarma, because elsewhere, it is dry. Here at Valley Foods, the beef shawarma is moist and wonderfully flavored. The bread is one of the three main types sold in the store. Fresh. Those are turnips pickled in beet juice and onions in the sandwich, along with a garlicky hummus sauce.

On the bottom right is a 'side' of Biryani rice ($2.99). It's a pint.
Cooked Basmati rice, sauteed with shredded chicken, onions and some potato, along with cumin and maybe cardamom (a sweet spice, not cinnamon), this could be a meal in itself.
The falafel plate ($5.95)Seven fresh made from garbanzo beans(not powder) falafels, with a side of pickled mango , fresh made hummus (nice and with light garlic), fresh-fresh tabouleh (parsley, mint, tomatoes and bulghur wheat in a lemon-olive oil dressing) and two standard (fresh made here and warm) pita breads.
Here is a blurry photo of a cross section of the falafel. It is fresh, fluffy and good.

This is a good place for regular grocery shopping or a quick, good, inexpensive meal. It's worth the stop.

Valley Foods Mediterranean Market 1275 East Main Street El Cajon 92019 619-749-8355

Website

Balboa International Market. Lunch in the store.

October 28, 2010 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Hey there! You're reading a blog about food. It's called mmm-yoso!!! A few friends writing about what they ate out, or food they prepared and ate in. Today, Cathy is writing. Because Kirk and ed(from Yuma) have jobs.

There is a parking lot behind some buildings which have a parking lot in front. Hidden from the main Road, Balboa Avenue (at the SouthEast corner-ish from Genesee, behind the See's Candy Store). All new construction.

The Balboa International Market building was opened not too long ago. It is not too large inside (only one cart can fit in an aisle) with a good selection of boxed/canned items to purchase and a good vegetable and large wall refrigerated section. It is not as large as Vine Ripe, which is closer to where I live, but I can see myself stopping here if I am in the area.

There is a small deli area and a Hot Food Menu (one page, with beef, lamb, chicken fish and specialty rice plates along with a soup of the day and a stew of the day). The gyros sandwich is $5.99, rice plates are $8.99 and the most expensive item is a white fish kabob plate for $13.99.
The Mister and I have been wanting to take a road trip just to go to Wholesome Choice since December, but life seems to have interfered. One thing we wanted was hot fresh sangak (flatbread). The day we were at Balboa International Market, they were testing the new ovens and asked if we would like one of their 'practice' flatbreads. Oh yes!. We decided we needed to eat it immediately, in the store, just as we did at Wholesome Choice. So we ordered.
So. The loaf of bread was not formed perfectly. The sesame seeds were not evenly distributed. So? It was fresh, soft, still warm. Excellent. (Oh and it was free. Everyone leaving that day seemed to be carrying a loaf in their bags. I am unsure what the price will be and don't care. It is *so* good).
Lam Kabob ($12.99) marinated lamb, grilled vegetables (a whole tomato, a whole onion and about half a green pepper) served with Basmati rice (that is piece of rice crust on top) and a small salad. Excellent fresh lamb, very lightly marinated. Not overpowering salad dressing. One of the condiments on the table is a shaker of sumac, which went very well with everything. So fresh.
This was listed as a daily special ($7.99, regularly $8.99)- Zereshk Polo. Baked chicken (lightly marinated) and the Basmati rice with sour barberries and saffron. Excellent and fresh. The chicken was juicy and not at all dried out.

The hot tea is $1. They give you a cup and there is a pump pot of hot water and box of Sadaf teabags at the counter.

We asked the man in the bakery area if he knew about Wholesome Choice and he said "oh yes". For now, Balboa International Market is a great choice. Yes, that is a very large restaurant that is going to open next door. The parking lot will be filled. I hope they use the same chef and ingredients as the market…

Balboa International Market 5907 Balboa Avenue 92111 (858) 277-3600 Website

Sagmani’s Restaurant – El Cajon

September 19, 2010 mmm-yoso Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

**** Sagmani’s is no longer

It had been while since I had a kebab, so I thought I’d head on down to El Cajon, home to the second largest Iraqi population in the US (next to Detroit). The mostly Chaldean Iraqi community has turned El Cajon’s Main Street into a parade of Halal meat shops, markets, and kebab shops, providing a kind of ethnic vibrance, albiet a very laid back vibe, to the street. My initial thought was to hit my favorite spot, Village Grill. I gave my good friend JohnL a call, but he was tied up with work, so I headed down to El Cajon solo. While driving, I decided to check out someplace I hadn’t been to. I drove past a restaurant I’d seen a few months earlier, but it had shut down, and was being replaced by “Nahrain Fish and Chicken Restaurant”, which was not yet opened. Then I recalled a place I saw during one of our visits to Athena Market….. the shop was behind the market, away from the main drag. It is called Sagmani’s Restaurant.

A few months back, I was talking to someone about all these Iraqi/Kebab Restaurants in El Cajon, and was taken aback when told, “I’d be afraid to go there….. I don’t think I’d be welcome.” I explained that my experiences, like what happened at Ali Baba were just the opposite of what she thought. Even though many of the men were fairly stoic, the women are warm and welcoming…. which turned out to be untrue based on this visit to Sagmani’s. I was greeted by a jolly gentleman, who smiled and said “welcome….have you had kebob before?” I answered in the positive, and looked over the menu, which like many of these restaurants is compact, but deceivingly varied, with tekka, kebabs, stews, kubba(kibbeh), and even grilled quail and cornish hens. Looking over the menu, I just couldn’t make up my mind….so the gentleman made it easy for me…..”I’ll make you one beef, and one chicken, and you can tell me which you like better…. how does that sound?” Well, it sounded just right to me.

The interior of Sagmani’s is much smaller than it appears from the outside, only a couple of four tops, and two large, almost communal tables. But based on the table-tops laying against the corner, I’m guessing that they can accommodate a pretty sizable crowd if necessary.

I had a seat, and the very nice, but quiet young lady brought me some water, and asked me if I’d like to have some tea. And soon enough I was brought some.

Here’s my Beef and Chicken Kabob:

Let’s work around the protein first…… I really liked the “turshi” aka pickle, which was the pickled tumeric cabbage, which was really good, not too sour, and full of flavor. The salad was your basic plain lettuce dressed with a bit of olive oil and vinegar. The rice was moist, and had a nice savory flavor, almost like some kind of stock was used to make it.

On to the Kabobs…….

I really couldn’t decided which I enjoyed more; the beef was fairly mellow, with just a touch of herbaceousness…. but man it was moist and tender. I could cut it easily with a fork. I loved that sumac was sprinkled liberally over the kabobs as that added even more flavor to them. On occasion, I’ve had a kabob that has what I call a “negative gamey flavor”, which is that slightly off flavor of meat that is starting to head South….. this tasted clean. The chicken had more flavor, and did well with the char. It was also moist, but as with chicken, it was not as tender as the beef. It did have good flavor, though!

The only major item I didn’t care for here was the bread.

Which were basically pita, and were pretty tough……..

I would like to mentioned the service, which I thought was wonderful. When the young lady saw me finish my water; she brought me an entire pitcher. I was checked on twice by the young lady, first to see if I wanted more bread; second to see if I wanted more tea. The gentleman came by to make sure I was enjoying my meal. I was surprised to find that I wasn’t charged for my tea….. the entire meal came out to $7, the price of a sandwich in most of San Diego……. And from the various signs, they’ve got a slew of deals going on, from 99 cent kabobs to Monday and Tuesday lunch specials….. there’s quite a bit of competition in the area.

So where do I place Sagmani’s compared with the other Iraqi Kabob shops in the area? I still think the bread at Ali Baba is the best, followed by Hammurabi. For protein, my favorite with regards to flavor is Village Grill(and they make the best okra stew). Still the kabobs here were the most tender I’ve had to date, and I thought the rice was very good. And I’ll go back, I’d like to chat with the really nice guy who made my kabobs…….

Sagmani’s Restaurant
478 West Douglas St
El Cajon, CA 92020

Vine Ripe Market (and the adjoining restaurant)- La Mesa

April 28, 2010 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Since this post, the adjoining restaurant has changed. I'll link to it once I have something to say.

Hello and welcome back to mmm-yoso!!!, the food blog written by Kirk, ed(from Yuma), VickyL and Cathy. Kirk is still on vacation. ed (from Yuma) is in Yuma. VickyL is in Northern California and cathy is in East San Diego County, blogging today.

Hello again. Vine Ripe Market was around a few years ago, then closed, then opened again in January 2010. I wrote a post about it back in 2006, when Kirk went on his Hawaii vacation. (It was my 5th post. Ever.)
It seems to be a bit cleaner than before, and the bakery, meat, produce, regular aisles, freezer and deli sections are filled with wonderful well priced items.
All Halal meats.
Household items and accessories are sold here also.

Inside there are steam trays with hot food, sandwiches can be made to order or you can go out front and to the Fletcher Parkway side of the building is the restaurant. (I have never seen a name for the restaurant, not even on the menu..)

We started with a Turkish coffee ($2)on this chilly day (all the seating is outdoors).

The Mister ordered the Ghorme Sabzi-Vegetable stew ($9.99) a baby lamb shank cooked with red beans, lime ad fresh herbs. The meat was tender and flavorful as was the accompanying stew. Really good.
I ordered a chicken Shawerma sandwich ($5.99) served on a warm pita bread. Juicy marinated very flavorful chicken cut from the spit then grilled with lettuce, green pepper and onion in the bread. This is served with salad and house made hummus. A nice olive oil with vinegar and herbs dressing is served also.
On another day, we ordered hot tea…
We decided on a Greek side salad ($4.99)to go with the sandwiches we ordered. Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion olives, feta and the same house dressing…
A falafel sandwich ($4.99) was OK good. After having the falafel at Mystic Grill , I am spoiled. These were fresh and kind of fried a bit too long. The flavor of the falafel were good. The sandwich had lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion and a fresh home made (yogurt based) sauce.
My sandwich came wrapped in flatbread…looking like this from the outside.
and was filled with charbroiled boneless chicken. Not Shawerma/marinated, but juicy and good flavored. It must be Halal chicken.
As I said, the prices here are great.
Stop by if you are in the area. Great market, great restaurant.

Vine Ripe Market 8191 Fletcher Parkway (at Jackson-SE corner) La Mesa 91942 (619)462-9900

Garden Fresh Grill and Smoothie. Garlic for breakfast…

April 25, 2010 Cathy Lebanese Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Welcome back to mmm-yoso!!! the food blog written by Kirk and occasionally ed(from Yuma), VickyL, Cathy and a few others. Kirk is on vacation and today Cathy is writing.

The other day, I was on College Avenue at El Cajon Boulevard and drove into the Vons parking lot. I remembered a bagel place that used to be here, years ago and saw this instead.

Curious as I am about food, I walked up, asked some questions, grabbed a paper menu saw they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies and fruit bowls. They serve halal meat, no alcohol. The families who own and run this very clean establishment are Lebanese.

The Mister and I first went on a Saturday afternoon. Three people were waiting for "To Go" orders, Two tables were filled with people eating, there was one couple in front of us. We ordered, paid and sat down.

We decided to try a cheese & zaatar pie ($2.99). Dough is made in house then baked in the wood fired oven (to the right, behind the pastry case above) the fresh bread dough is topped with a blend of 'premium cheeses', sesame seed and zaatar (oregano, sesame seed, olive oil and herbs) A nice blend of seasonings and quite a bit of cheese on this small (8 inch) pie. You can get a Zaatar pie for $1.99 if you don't want cheese.

The Mister ordered a beef gyros salad ($8.99) (the menu has chicken gyros as an option). The Mediterranean salad – lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pickled onion, parsley and mint topped with garlic, lemon juice and olive oil (house) dressing. Topped with sliced grilled beef gyros (moist/slightly greasy in a good way). This was a large, plentiful, fresh and tasty salad.

I ordered the "Combo 3"($8.99)- an assortment of house made hummus, tabouli, falafel and spanakopita. House made everything.: The falafel was made of fresh chickpeas (not the powdered mix) and were light, airy, tender and just crispy on the outside. The spanakopita was crispy (not soggy on the bottom) and filled with Feta cheese as well as spinach and onions. The tabouli was very fresh parsley and bulghur, feta, onions and lemon juice. The hummus was excellent. All were done quite well. The Mister and I shared a cup of Turkish coffee ($1.99).

We went back for breakfast.

First, we ordered a small bowl of fresh fruit ($4.49), cut up just for us (which is the same as when a smoothie or fruit juice is ordered-fresh fruit that is available, not frozen fruit). Banana, apple, pineapple, cantaloupe, papaya and strawberries. Very fresh, flavorful fruit.

This was made on the other side of the cash register, where most people were walking in to get their morning smoothies.

The Mister tried the scrambled eggs with chicken schawarma ($6.99). There was more meat than egg. Simple, flavorful, moist. We figured two eggs were used.

We got a plate of pickles.

Along with four pieces of fresh baked, hot bread. These are small, maybe 4 inches, but thick and fluffy and soft. I believe it is the same bread used for the zaatar pie, above, just not as flattened/thin.

The pickles and bread accompanied my most wonderful hot breakfast of Foul Mudammas ($5.99) A 30 year old family recipe of warm, cooked fava beans, mashed then mixed with fresh garlic and lemon juice, topped with olive oil.

All cultures have some sort of warm breakfast, usually a grain like oats or bulghur or rice that is a usually made into a sort of porridge. Items have to be added in for flavor- salt, butter, brown sugar or fruit. The fava beans and garlic with lemon juice is by far my most favorite. Garlic for breakfast. Nothing needs to be added to this bowl of goodness. Yay!

Coffee is free with any breakfast order. It is a good dark roast of coffee. The food here is wonderfully fresh. Everyone has been very nice to us every time we have had a meal here, answering questions and asking how we like the food. I plan on stopping by whenever I am in this part of town.

Garden Fresh Grill and Smoothie. 6165 El Cajon Boulevard, Suite F San Diego 92115 (619) 287-2373 Website Open 7 days, 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.

Wholesome Choice- Irvine. A Market, and then some.

January 8, 2010 Cathy Markets & Grocers, Mediterranean Restaurants, Orange County, Road Trip, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog. Just some friends writing about what they ate. Today, it's Cathy writing after she ate.

One Saturday morning, The Mister and I drove North up the 5, took the 405 a few exits, exited at Culver street, went South two lights and stopped here.
Wholesome Choice. The location used to be a Wild Oats (Henry's) Marketplace. It is quite large inside. When you first walk in, there is a line of people waiting for hot Sangak (flatbread) to come out of the oven. I don't take photos of people and so could not get a good one of the ovens. You'll have to go there and see it for yourself.

The bread is four feet long, made from mostly wheat flour, with a starter from the day before, is topped with sesame seeds, costs $2.79, is placed on a piece of brown kraft paper directly from the oven, HOT. I will show you photos later. Here is a story of Sangak .

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It is a regular grocery store, with fruits, vegetables, Halal meats and pretty much the normal Mediterranean stuff. Good prices. Very clean.

Nuts- in all varieties and prices.
Preserved foods and olives from around the world…
Then, at the other end of the store, you notice the cheeses…and what is all that? Looks like steam trays.

Menus above each area (there are Indian, Persian, Chinese, Thai as well as soups, cold deli and bakery sections )
In the soup area, there is Haleem.(a wheat-based porridge)
There is a Gyros and Schawarma area.
A by- the-pound deli area…
So many different Feta cheeses are available…
as well as any other sides you can think of (fresh hummus is $4.49/lb)
…so much more that I haven't shown you.

These are just some of the desserts. There is a fresh baked, by the piece baklava and in house made croissant case…so much.

So anyhow. The Mister and I were hungry and bought some stuff, paid at the cash register and sat down (there are tables inside just past the cash register and also tables out in front of the store).
Here is a photo of one large styrofoam tray, filled with half a baked chicken(with *wonderful* saffron flavor) on top of what must be a pound of Addas Polo (basmati and saffron rice with lentils, currants and dates) ($7.99). The rest of the photo is the Sangak bread we picked up when we walked in. At the midpoint of the Sangak bread…see that hummus in a box…one half pound. The box is 4 inches square…wait.
Here is a photo of the hummus with a normal size plastic fork…the bread is HUGE. It is soft, slightly spongy in the areas where it is not too thin, tears easily tastes so good…the sesame seeds make it more flavorful.
We also got one Koofteh ($3) Ground beef, rice, herbs and yellow split peas in a vegetable stew.

A wonderful place, not that far from here. There is a location in Anaheim Hills also. If you have some free time, take a short drive North. Then stop, shop and eat.

Wholesome Choice Market 18040 Culver Irvine, CA 92612 Open 7-11 daily (Food Court area open 11-8 daily) website

5755 East La Palma Anaheim Hills, CA 92807 Same hours

(The Irvine location is 84 miles from our East County home and the Anaheim location is 106 miles from here. The Anaheim store is about 1/3 larger, formerly had been an Albertsons. That location has a gelato area in the food court. Really good gelato.)

Dubai Restaurant – (It’s in El Cajon, next to Sultan Baklava)

December 27, 2009 Cathy Desserts, Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Dubai closed. In the same location, it is now a restaurant named Sultan and is part of Sultan Baklava

mmm-yoso!!! is this. What you are reading. A blog about food. Today, Cathy is writing.

The other day, The Mister and I were in El Cajon, at Sprouts market, and a sign kitty corner from that location caught our eye. We had to check it out.

We had already had lunch, so went into Sultan Baklava and bought a few things (Turkish pistachios as well as some fresh made dessert treats)

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Everything here is sold by the pound, and *really* good. The sweets are made with a sugar-water mix, not honey…they are Turkish. You can taste the nuts and other fillings. Really, really good.

We got a menu from Dubai and went back last night.

Six tables, four set for six each and two set for four each. Small, cozy, clean. The owners are Chaldean.

We ordered Baba Ghanouj (Large, $4.95)
A nice serving of fresh made, creamy baked eggplant, pureed with tahini, garlic and olive oil. Really good. Really fresh. Served with fresh flatbread.

We also ordered the Dubai salad (large, $5.95). Fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and lettuce with a light olive oil and vinegar dressing (vinegar and olive oil are also on the table) and lemon wedges can be added for more flavor. The plate was double the size of the Baba Ghanouj plate.
The Mister ordered a lamb shank ($13). Don't be put off by the photo. It was not burned or tough. It was marinated lightly and was moist and tender- flaking off in a good way from the bone- and you could taste the lamb flavor (at many other places, there is so much marinade that the meat has no flavor). There was a choice of Biryani or Basmati rice- The Mister chose Biryani: the cumin and cardamom flavors were wonderfully pleasant. The rice had roasted potatoes, peas and raisins in it. The plate also comes with a stew and picked turnips, onions, parsley and tomatoes.
I ordered the chicken schawarma sandwich ($3.95). The chicken was moist and flavorful and the sandwich was filled with cucumber, yogurt sauce and onion, parsley and lettuce. It was wrapped in fresh flatbread.

All meals come with hot tea. Served this way. Strong tea (4 bags in that pot)…beautiful teacups.

Dubai also has a buffet on Wednesday and Saturday, with most hot sides available and kebabs made to order for $8 per person.

Sultan Baklava 131 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019 Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily (619)440-1901 website

Dubai Restaurant 133 Jamacha Road El Cajon 92019

Ali Baba Restaurant – El Cajon

December 7, 2009 mmm-yoso Iraqi Food and Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants

A couple of weeks before our visit to Village Grill, the Missus and I took a drive down Main Street in El Cajon, just to take a look around. Not quite sure where to stop, we saw a packed parking lot…..and decided this was where we'd be stopping. It turned out to be the very colorful Ali Baba Restaurant, which Cathy had done a post on earlier.

As Cathy noted, the interior is quite "Arabian Night-ish"…… in a somewhat kitcshy kind of way.

We made two visits over the next couple of weeks, and what follows is a summary of the dishes we tried.

Overall, of all the items we had at Ali Baba, our second favorite was the Baba Ganouj (small – $5):

The Baba Ganouj had a wonderful smokey eggplant flavor, that went so very well with our favorite item at Ali Baba….. which would be the flat bread called "Khubz". On our visits we were served two hot large dinner plate sized bread to start.

The Jajeek (small – $5), the Iraqi version of the refreshing yogurt and cucumber dish that many folks know as Tzatiziki, was good.

The Jajeek was very creamy, but was a bit short on salt. I also thought a bit more lemon juice and garlic would bring up the flavors a bit for me. Of course, I'd eat anything with that bread.

Of all the Entrees we tried, I'd say the Shawarma (Gus – $10.95) was the best.

The beef was nice and chewy, but was much drier than the version at Village Grill. It was also a bit short on salt, I ended up adjusting the flavor with a good amount of sumac. The rice was also quite bland. It was quite a bit of food, as the Missus and I shared this, and we still had leftovers…. of course we had two pieces of bread…..

I did enjoy the "Turshi", the variety of pickles and other "mezze". The pickled turnips were good and sour.

On one visit, the Missus ordered the Kousi, braised lamb shank and rice ($13):

The dish came with a stew of choice, and the Missus went with Her usual, the Okra Stew they call Bamia. Man this was quite a hefty meal. This version of Okra Stew was fairly mild and didn't have any meat in it. The lamb shank was cooked to perfection, but was a bit underflavored for our tastes. I love the version of the Okra Stew at Village Grill which is full of whole cloves of stewed garlic.

I think the item we enjoyed the least at Ali Baba is the Lamb Tekka ($13):

The first thing I'll note is how difficult it is to take photos of food on reflective metallic plates…… The chunks of marinated and grilled lamb was badly in need to of salt. It was also tough and dry, not my favorite combination in the world.

From this post, you might get the idea that we won't be going back to Ali Baba anytime soon, but that would not be accurate. We will probably stick to maybe the Baba Ganouj, a salad, or maybe the Potato Chop or perhaps a sandwich. And of course that bread…….. Which of course would be part of the reason we'll be back. But there's another reason. The service is not the fastest, and the men working there are on the indifferent side, but there's one woman who works there who is wonderful. She has a very warm, kind, and welcoming personality; every child get's a warm smile and a pat on the head. She always seemed pleasantly surprised that we finished all of our bread, and asked if we wanted more on both of our visits. We were even asked if we wanted more bread with our doggie bags. And even though we wanted to say "yes", we really didn't want to impose. And we especially didn't want to seem like gluttons. On our second visit, as we were grabbing our leftovers, the Missus asked if they made their bread fresh since it was always hot when it reached the table. The woman smiled warmly and beckoned us to "come and follow me, I'll show you". And we got a quick tour of the kitchen! We were led to the back of the kitchen where the fresh bread was made.

We watched as another woman, who smiled at us strangers in her baking area like it happened all the time, cut and rolled out the dough, which was then placed in a oven that looked much like a tandoor.

A few moments later a hot flatbread was brought out of the oven. Our guide, that wonderful lady, then grabbed the bread and popped it into a white paper sack and handed it to me and said, "ok, now this one is for you to take home" as she walked us to the back door. As we left she said "see you soon", and I think she will….see us soon…… And we'll do a post of course.

You can't put a price on that……

In a nutshell, it is probably the most accessible Iraqi Restaurant in the area. The prices are reasonable and the portions are very generous. The lunch crowds are, well, crowds. It is perhaps better to go for an early or late lunch. Limited parking in the small parking lot, but there's ample street parking.

Ali Baba Restaurant
421 East Main Street
El Cajon, CA 92020

MMMMmmm! HuMMMMMmmmmus and Chicken Wraps

December 1, 2009 Vicky (SF Bay Area) Mediterranean Restaurants, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, What Vicky Eats

Hi! It's Vicky again… blogging again… This time, I'm finally featuring one of my favorite hole in the wall lunch places.

My friend Jennifer introduced me to this gem that's super close to work (since we work together) and it's fairly off the beaten path. I've always liked Mediterranean/Greek/Middle Eastern food, but this hails as some pretty authentic cuisine. I didn't realize that so many places had their "take" on hummus (similar to how Panda Express does "sweet and sour chicken.") Needless to say, this place does a perfect style of the traditional-going-back-to-the-founding-roots type of hummus. Perfectly balanced out with tahini and garbanzo beans, served with a flavorful extra virgin olive oil, it's the balance to my carb addiction. Ahhh… Tartousa… It's truly our mini oasis during lunch.

Jenn and I love sitting in the back patio, soaking in the sun and savoring our long awaited lunch break. This restaurant tends to be kinda slow during lunches but picks up during dinner. Their back patio turns into a quasi-hookah lounge that serves food – often they have music too.

Today for lunch, we both ordered our usual… the chicken daya wrap with Mediterranean pomme frites, and a side of hummus. Behold… the glorious hummus!

Here's another shot of the hummus, with some of the pita bread served in the back. The hummus was perfectly creamy (not gritty like some places), thick, flavorful. It has become our fall back on comfort restaurant for rough day at the office.

Service here can be slightly spotty probably since we tend to sit on the patio and the waitress seems not to check up on us as much as I like. (I still have my camel tendencies and need multiple refills of water.) The upside is that when we just need to vent or talk, we're not constantly interrupted. Shortly after we scarfed down the basket of pita, our wraps came out. Delicious! The chicken was marinated perfectly, cubed and tossed in a creamy garlic sauce and wrapped up in a pita/shwarma bread. Paired with cubed tomatoes and their homemade Mediterranean pickles, it provided the perfect textural and taste balance. Ahhh…

I've always been particularly picky about my french fries. They need to be perfectly crisp and not greasy. Tartousa does a good job. They're cut thick so the centers are nice and mealy, tossed with some salt and paprika, served with a side of ketchup topped with a dollop of their garlic sauce. Delicious!

If you find yourself in the area on the way to SFO for a flight or having some time to kill, swing on by… The food was great!

Tartousa Mediterranean Bistro
514 Peninsula Ave
San Mateo, CA 94401
650.558.9674