Leila's Maza ($13.99) is a bargain and a good way to sample your way through most of the menu. The combination includes about six dishes - a meal for two or appetizers for four.
Tabouleh salad is always a good measure of a Middle Eastern restaurant. A proper tabouleh will have a ratio of about three times as much parsley and mint than bulgar wheat.
In addition to tomatoes and onions, it also needs a strong hit of lemon with the olive oil for good balance. Leila's hits the mark on each here.
Another good salad was the fattoush, a mix of toasted pieces of pita tossed with chopped vegetables. It reminded me of Italian bread salad with pita pieces replacing the dry bread.
The stuffed grape leaves on the maza were compactly rolled, yielding a great texture for the rice. The leaves offered enough briny taste to add some zip and contrast.
My tasting panel was at odds over the baba ghanoush.
There was one really thumbs-up, one in the middle, and I was less than enthusiastic as it seemed overly salted and the flavor of the eggplant was nonexistent.
The meat platters are $9.79 and are served with a side of tabouleh and hummus, but you can substitute a Greek or garden salad.
Chebab blends his own spices for the dishes and makes everything fresh.
Rather than use a mix for the falafel, he makes a combination of his own secret spice blend and chick peas. He also makes his sauces from scratch.
A big hit with all the tasters was the Shawarma Platter. It was piled high with perfectly shaved pieces of beef on a bed of creamy basmati rice.
Another good dish was the Beef Kaffta, or what some refer to as the Arabic hamburger. The meat is usually seasoned with cumin and coriander – Chebab creates his own blend.
