Mid-East Eats

Mid-East Eats: La Pita Offers Elegant Yet Casual Dining

From the verdant, crisp house salads to the melt-in-your-mouth-tender chicken shawarma, this west Dearborn restaurant offers an abundance of high-quality food at reasonable prices.

Walking into La Pita, there is no doubt that something special is afoot. The interior is a bombastic celebration of Middle Eastern culture. Booths can be set up for private dining. More intimate than Habib's, the feeling is similar at both. Both Habib's and La Pita are trying to make Middle Eastern cuisine an extraordinary event. In addition to the interior, La Pita boasts a large patio that is half covered. Sure, it has been over 90 degrees lately, but it is always satisfying to dine outdoors. The waitstaff is very quick to refill your ice water, so the heat is always kept under wraps. Speaking of wraps, La Pita (as the name would suggest) has a number of traditional wrapped pita sandwiches. I gravitated toward the simple falafel sandwich…

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Mid-East Eats

Welcome Back: New La Shish Remains Dearborn Classic

The New La Shish on Michigan Avenue focuses on resurrecting everything memorable about its namesake.

Upon entering the New La Shish at 12918 Michigan Ave., there is a sticker proclaiming La Shish as an AOL "Best of" choice in 2005.  Magazine covers from years ago adorn the walls.  Most people don't recall awards La Shish won five years ago; however, they do remember the food. One of the most comforting things for former La Shish patrons is the menu.  The "new" menu is the old menu and not just the items, the entire menu—down to the font and pictures—is exactly the same. First and foremost, the fondest La Shish memory for most people is the bread. Hot out of the oven, fluffy, just a little charred and chewy bread that is brought to the table as you are seated. Don't worry, the bread is still as stellar as it ever was except now a bowl of …

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Mid-East Eats

Offal Eating at Iraqi Kabob

This edition of Mid-East Eats takes us to Iraqi Kabob, a very clean place with a simple menu.

There's something not right about walking into a restaurant and the smell is strictly cleaning product, like everything has been wiped down and disinfected five times over. I get it, your restaurant is clean, but must you pummel my olfactory system into submission? Somewhere between the Tuhamas and Hamido lies the ambiance of Iraqi Kabob. It is nowhere near the dive that Tuhamas is, but it is not as welcoming as Hamido. Iraqi Kabob is, well, clean. From the just-been-scrubbed aroma to the bright white tables to the sterile fluorescent lights, there just isn't much to the atmosphere. Some art from the homeland and a TV with an Arabic station give some personality to the place. All of that might scare you away, but don't let it. Sit down and…

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Mid-East Eats

Elegant Dining at Habib's

This edition of Mid-East Eats takes us to Habib's Cuisine, an elegant restaurant serving classic dishes.

Middle Eastern dining as a rule is casual. Much of the food that is served in Middle Eastern restaurants has roots in street food tradition. Shawarma, falafel, kibbeh, and hummus can, and usually is, served in the form of a sandwich that can be easily transported and eaten. The idea of a white tablecloth Middle Eastern restaurant seems discordant.  Street food isn't elegant.  Somehow, though, Habib's Cuisine moves beyond the street food standard toward Middle Eastern as a special occasion option. Granite floors, huge comfy booths, and waitstaff in shirts and ties, Habib's is the exact of opposite of Tuhama's—which is not to say Tuhama's is inferior but it is definitely different.   There are some exotic menu items, but the focus is high …

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Mid-East Eats

Mid-East Eats: Dining in at Tuhama's

For this edition of Mid-East Eats, we stay on Warren Avenue. Tuhama's is a small, mostly carryout-driven restaurant that serves fresh, made-to-order food.

For a lover of Middle Eastern food, it doesn't get much better than Warren Avenue in Dearborn. This stretch of road has at least 10 restaurants and/or bakeries within a mile or two of each other.   Seems like Mid-East Eats can't get away from Warren: Al-Ameer, Hamido, Cedarland and now Tuhama's. For those in the know, Tuhama's is a must-visit destination. Known for their sandwiches–more specifically, their chicken shawarma sandwiches–Tuhama's is more a carryout joint than a sit-down restaurant. With enough seats for about 20, it wouldn't take much for the space to become crowded. When I visited, most people carried out, but strangely, everyone who visited was male. I'm sure women eat Tuhama's, but just not on the nights I've been there. …

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Bites Nearby: Halal Mexican at Fuego

This week, we visit the only Halal Mexican restaurant in the Midwest, Fuego Grill.

Bored with the same old dining out destinations you've been going to for years? Hungering for a new fabulous food experience?  Each week, Dearborn Patch editors and readers will pick a great restaurant either in town or nearby whose cuisine is considered to reign supreme. Here's this week's choice:  Fuego Grill Greatest Dish Ever: Chicken Fajitas. Boldly flavored and super fresh. Don't Miss: Fuego Hummus. A fusion of Mexican and Middle Eastern that can only be found in Dearborn. The Vibe: Upbeat yet casual. Cool Factor: Husband and wife team Sam and Nallely Alvarado have brought fresh Mexican cuisine to east Dearborn. Sam's culinary background coupled with Nallely's sunny disposition makes for an excellent dining experience.   Overview: …

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Mid-East Eats

Al-Ameer: Quintessential Lebanese Cuisine

Al-Ameer is one of Dearborn's most famous restaurants. For more than 30 years, the focus has been on traditional, made-from-scratch dishes.

Al-Ameer is one of Dearborn's most storied restaurants. Last year, Anthony Bourdain featured Al-Ameer as part of the Rust Belt episode of his television show, "No Reservations."  Bourdain and Zamir, his dining partner, picked Al-Ameer as the quintessential Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn. With good reason, too. Al-Ameer has been around for about 30 years. Not only do they serve exemplary versions of Middle Eastern classics, they also have signature dishes that are not available anywhere else. The interior is set up like what I imagine a family restaurant in Lebanon would look like–booths situated along the perimeters and tables for families set up in the middle of the room. It is a large space that fills up for dinner service most …

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Jessica Carreras

11:05 am on Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Hi Aita, Al-Ameer's Dearborn location is at 12710 W. Warren Ave. They have a Dearborn Heights location, too, on Ford Road near the intersection of Inkster Road. One good thing to note is that whenever we mention a Dearborn location in a story, we link directly to that place's directory listing, which has the location, hours of operation, photos and more. Just click on the name of the business and…   more ›

Mid-East Eats

Ollie's: Mid East Cuisine for the Masses

The second in our Mid-East Eats series, Ollie's is a relative newcomer to the game. How does Ollie's stack up to the others?

Situated on the corner of strip mall next to a video game store, Ollie's seems out of place, but placement can be overlooked if the atmosphere and food are good. Open for three years, Ollie's is one of many places that opened after the demise of La Shish. In fact, both of Ollie's waiters working during my visit were both former La Shish employees. Ollie's is the antithesis of Hamido. Where Hamido is simple, Ollie's is ornate. Ollie's interior is setup like a Arab temple–lots of stone and wood work throughout the restaurant. Menus are bound in leather.   Upon being seated, a basket of warm pita bread is brought to the table. The pita oven is behind the counter in the main dining area, so you can watch as pita is placed in and pulled out of …

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Mid-East Eats

Hamido: It's All About the Shawarma

The first in a yearlong series focusing on Dearborn's Middle Eastern restaurants, Hamido isn't the prettiest place in the city, but its food shines bright.

Over the course of the next year or so, I will be focusing on each and every Middle Eastern restaurant in Dearborn. From the dingiest hole-in-the-wall to the most upscale dining experience, I want to try them all.  If anywhere along the way, you want me to check out a place, or if you agree or disagree with my assessments, please let me know in the comments. I look forward to discussing shawarma, falafel and pita bread with you. The methodology is simple: We will compare each restaurant on food-based criteria. Hummus, falafel and chicken (or lamb/beef) shawarma will be judged. Other dishes may be sampled, but the final judgment will be based on those four items. Our first stop is Hamido. One of Dearborn's almost hidden gems, Hamido is …

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