Baladi Restaurant
Baladi Offers Affordable Gateway to Middle East
When you walk in and sit down in the outer or inner dining rooms at Baladi Restaurant in Bridgeview, you’ll hear unusual music playing from ceiling speakers and patrons at nearby tables speaking a foreign language with animated hand gestures and even some emotion.
Although the southwest suburbs have a large Christian and Muslim population (there are more Christian Arabs than Muslim Arabs), few Americans take the time to enjoy the Arabian cuisine.
If this is your first time, Baladi is a great place to start. The restaurant offers home style recipes popular in the Arab world and a friendly wait staff.
Some find the atmosphere discouraging, especially in today’s world dominated by endless Middle East conflicts. But don’t be discouraged at all and feel comfortable walking in and asking the waitress for help in picking out the day’s specials or from a selection of popular Middle East foods.
The safe choice for first-time diners is shish kabob or shawerma, the Arab version of Gyros. The fact is (and not just because I am Palestinian), the Arabs invented Gyros, a sandwich made of sliced compressed beef on the stand-up skille
t smothered in cucumber sauces.But don’t stop there. My favorite salads are tabouli (diced tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley mixed with burghal, a cracked wheat soaked in lemon juice, olive oil and vinegar, or “Jerusalem Salad” named in honor of the Palestinian Holy City that consists of the diced ingredients mixed with Tahini, or sesame seed paste).
I always wondered why more Americans don’t enjoy Middle East foods when they are so close to Polish and Greek cuisine.
The owner is Issam Jibrin, a Palestinian who knows his food and maintains an efficient and clear kitchen and dining area. In English, the name “Baladi” means “My Homeland,” and Jibrin takes his pride seriously, reflected in the quality menu array.
There’s also lamb and beef shish kabob. You won’t find pork, not just because Muslims don’t eat it but because Christian Arabs don’t eat it, either.
And there is a ground beef or ground lamb mixed with parsley shish kabob called “Kifta kabob,” which is one of my favorites.
If you’re the kind of traveler who likes to explore the inner neighborhoods of foreign cities, you’ll probably want to explore the menu even further. Stuffed grape leaves, which is a popular dish for Easter Sunday in my home, is a great choice. They are rice and lamb seasoned and rolled in grape vine leaves that are then cooked.
Or, a popular dish whose name will only stump the neophyte, “Imsechan,” which is roasted chicken covered in spices and diced onions and served on two crisp pita breads.
Don’t be afraid to eat with your hands, because that’s how Imsechan is enjoyed. Of course, Americans eat chicken with their hands all the time, so don’t give me that look of hesitation.
They’ll bring out a small dish of cracked green olives and pickled beets that taste great. You can ask for a dish of hummos, chickpea dip with Tahini and spices that you eat by breaking off a small slice of the pita bread and using it as an edible spoon.
I can go on and on.
The bottom line is you should never be afraid to try new foods. And especially because the Southwest Side of Chicago and its suburbs are teaming with Arab Americans and many Arabian restaurants, you’ll want to try this affordable place to begin your oriental excursion.
Tell Issam I sent you.
The 411
Baladi Restaurant
Middle Eastern/Arabian Cuisine
7209 W. 84th St.,
Bridgeview, IL., 60455
(708) 233-1025
Open every day for lunch and dinner till 10 p.m.
Baladi Restaurant
Middle Eastern/Arabian Cuisine
7209 W. 84th St.,
Bridgeview, IL., 60455
(708) 233-1025
Open every day for lunch and dinner till 10 p.m.