Baba Ghanouj

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Seven of us tonight at Baba Ghanouj in Long Beach. www.babaghanoujrestaurant.com,  We ended up ordering  lots af appetizers and then a main dish along with the basmati rice. Then split the bill. Personally I would have preferred ordering my own main dish but sometimes you have to go with the flow. It did make it much easier for the waitstaff.

Started out with the traditionals.  Baba Ghanouj (eggplant with garlic and Tahini) and Hummus. served with fresh Pita bread.

Then came the Sauteed Potatoes (garlic, lemon, chile, cilantro and tahini). I can really get into this dish. It is good. Also had the Karmaheet (fried cauliflower with tahini). Again good flavor. Both of these could become favorites.

Warak Enab (vegetarian grape leaves). Small but very tasty. Last appetizer was the Spinach Fatayer (spinach, onion, lemon, olive oil and walnuts) wrapped in a pastry dough and fried. Similar to an Empanada. Flavor was good but I felt the dough was a little thick and heavy.

For the main dish, I balked at the Shish Kabob because the meat is always so dry. So CJ ordered the lamb chops cooked to different doneness.  Terry and I had the so called medium rare. One of mine was medium and the other well done. Flavor was good but I cannot go for the damm dry meat. It just hangs in your throat and I do not enjoy it at all. At this time I was really wishing we could have ordered our own mains. I would have opted for the Lamb Shank.

We also had Chicken Shawarma for a main. Good flavor and thankfully moist. But we had so many appetizers that by this time I was full and not wanting anymore food. I can really make an entire dinner out of appetizers.

A nice interesting selection of wines. some went with the food and others did not.

2009 Clos Pepe, HTC Chardonnay - nice wine
2009 Dragonette, Fiddlestik Vineyard, Pinot Noir - showing well
NV   Veuve Cliquot, Champagne - always good
2007 Sea Smoke, Botella, Pinot Noir - very good
2010 LaPosta Colina, Tinto - would have gone with a different line of food better
2012 Schlossberg, Grand Cru, Pinot Gris - too sweet
2008 Tablas Creek, Espirit de Beaucastel Ponopile, blend - went well with the lamb
2013 Richioli, Rose of Pinot Noir - A little sweeter than I like my Rose's
There also was a Cremant on the table but the name did not get written down