Rannoosh

Rannoosh - Hillcrest, San Diego

Searching for some good mid eastern cuisine one weekend night, we came upon Rannoosh. Its made up to give off an exotic feel, with rich vibrant fabrics decorating the walls, small artifacts and hookahs reminiscent of the arab world placed here and
there. They have a limited wine selection (try the Lebanese wine), and a exotic sounding drinks like Lebanese coffee and Mint tea. I liked the Rannoosh cocktail .. a mixture of milk, bananas and honey (3 of my favourite substances to eat).

The menu is similar to what you'd find in any other Lebanese / Mediterranean restaurant .. hummus, pita, baba ganoosh, kababs, falafel, shawarma and gyros. The food might take some time to arrive and all of it is worth the wait. The Chicken Shawarma plate and the Mjadara (rice mixed with lentils and sauteed onions) are worth a mention, so are the lamb kababs that come with some kind of garlic sauce. Rannoosh also offers a well sized selection for people preferring vegetarian stuff, and which it turns out is quite delicious too.

The prices are okayish .. not too expensive, but not on the cheap side either. Overall a very pleasing experience.

Food: **** Ambiance: *** Price: $$$

Dish Dash

Dish Dash: Sunnyvale Downtown

I absolutely, totally love mediterranean / middle-eastern food. I love the kebabs, falafels, shwarmas and the baklavas.

There. Now that that little disclaimer is out of the way. I can harp about Dish-Dash at will.

DishDash is located on Murphy Ave in Sunnyvale. Now, Sunnyvale itself lacks a bit in the good-restaurant department; but DishDash more than makes up for it. DishDash is almost always packed. Thats always a good sign - though it also means crazy waiting times in some cases. The place itself is tastefully decorated and the seating area is comfortable and welcoming. The crowd is mostly young and varied and I have always found the restaurant itself in good cheer.

Being slightly on the expensive side [$16 - 25] for regular dinner [not an occasion], I generally opt directly for the sumptuous main course; but the appetizers are pretty decent too. The Babaghanouge is good but I remember not liking the Grape leaves much. For dinner I recommend the Shish Taouk with the house yogurt drink. Shish Taouk is marinated and diced chicken served with vegetables and rice. Ah - a whole meal if there is one. I didn’t care much for the Beriani. For vegetarians there are plenty of options available - theres a dish with some kind of tomato-yogurt sauce - be sure to try it.

The entrees are cheaper [$10-14] during lunch hours - haven’t noticed if the portions are smaller too. Alternatively, they have some good wraps available for lunch [$8-10].

For dessert they have an assortment of Middle-Eastern desserts - which I suggest you have some other time. Go for the Turkish Coffee. You will not be disappointed.

DishDash
Cuisine: Middle-Eastern
Food: ***** Ambiance: **** Price: $$$
Last Visited: mid 2008

Pita Inn

Pita Inn - Wheeling

Pita Inn invokes memories of a time long gone .. when I was looking for a job and money was sparse. Pita Inn played its part by serving lip-smacking, healthy and inexpensive food. Its a mediterranean place and we used to frequent the one in Wheeling .. right on Elmhurst St. The place is freaking packed during lunch .. and you will see all kinds of vehicles in the parking lot .. right from old dirty pickups, to swanky new Mercedes. Which is why I used to go in the late afternoons, park my rickety GrandAm in the emptying lot and enjoy a delicious, filling lunch with my friends.

The falafel is amongst the best I have tasted .. its crispy on the outside and moist and grainy on the inside. The hummus is good too and comes with warm Pita. Quite a lot of vegetarian options keep the veggie-ppl happy and succulent shish and lamb kababs keep the rest fully satisfied. The portions are huge and the combos make a good meal.

Food: **** Ambiance: ** Price: $
Last visited: Mid-2004