Open sesame . . .
and let me in to Aladdin's! I had lunch at this fairly new Jackson eatery last week, and it was wonderful!! Aladdin's is located on Lakeland Drive, right before the street dead-ends into Old Canton Road. (It's a stone's throw away from Cups and the Rainbow Co-Op.) On the menu: hummus, babganoush (an eggplant dip), falafel (a fried patty made of garbanzo beans and cracked wheat), tabbouleh (a parsley/tomato salad), kafta (ground beef skewers), gyros, Greek salads, and more. I have a Middle-Eastern heritage, and it was so refreshing to be able to go into a local restaurant and order some of the dishes I ate growing up.
First of all, I ordered the sampler platter, which includes hummus, babaganoush, tabbouleh, kafta, falafel, pita bread, and rice. The tabbouleh and the falafel were both wonderful. I prefer a little more lemon and garlic in my hummus, but I could still tell that what they were serving was pretty authentic. For me, the only real miss was the babaganoush. I guess everyone makes it differently, but the dip I remember had much more eggplant in it, and it had a less creamy taste. As well, we put more spices (and parsley, etc.) in our kafta when we made it at home. STILL, though, the food was absolutely wonderful, and extremely reasonable. And I LOVE the fact that their tea is flavored with mint. It's perfect for summertime, and it totally takes me back to my childhood. (Personally, I don't understand why more local restaurants don't serve minted tea. It is delicious, and so cooling in the summer months.) I finished it off with a piece of baklava, made on the premises.
Another great source for Middle-Eastern food (and ingredients, so you can make this stuff at home) is the Mediterranean Grocery and Cafe, located at 6554 Old Canton Road in Ridgeland. (It's located in the shopping center at the crux of Old Canton and County Line Road, practically behind the Car Care Clinic.) They carry the most wonderful assortment of products, and if they don't have what you're looking for, they will order it!
First of all, I ordered the sampler platter, which includes hummus, babaganoush, tabbouleh, kafta, falafel, pita bread, and rice. The tabbouleh and the falafel were both wonderful. I prefer a little more lemon and garlic in my hummus, but I could still tell that what they were serving was pretty authentic. For me, the only real miss was the babaganoush. I guess everyone makes it differently, but the dip I remember had much more eggplant in it, and it had a less creamy taste. As well, we put more spices (and parsley, etc.) in our kafta when we made it at home. STILL, though, the food was absolutely wonderful, and extremely reasonable. And I LOVE the fact that their tea is flavored with mint. It's perfect for summertime, and it totally takes me back to my childhood. (Personally, I don't understand why more local restaurants don't serve minted tea. It is delicious, and so cooling in the summer months.) I finished it off with a piece of baklava, made on the premises.
Another great source for Middle-Eastern food (and ingredients, so you can make this stuff at home) is the Mediterranean Grocery and Cafe, located at 6554 Old Canton Road in Ridgeland. (It's located in the shopping center at the crux of Old Canton and County Line Road, practically behind the Car Care Clinic.) They carry the most wonderful assortment of products, and if they don't have what you're looking for, they will order it!
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