Lebnani’s Abundant Choices

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Lebnani House (5051 S. 27th St.) sets a high standard for Middle Eastern dining in Milwaukee. The restaurant is spacious and airy, comfortably arranged with seating on chairs and booths. Service is friendly and swift. The menu is huge.

Word of mouth circulated quickly, after Lebnani House opened this summer, about abundant menu choices and authentic preparation balanced with contemporary presentation. I wasn’t disappointed, starting with the generous portion of yalanji (vegetarian stuffed grape leaves) ($7.99), served on a bed of lettuce, accented by sliced lemons and tomatoes and topped with red pomegranate seeds. The grape leaves were tender and bright with flavors of lemon and olive oil.

My entrée, kafta in tahini ($17.99), included two paddies of grilled ground lamb and veal and two slices of oven-browned potato in a tangy sauce of tahini (made from sesame seed paste) sprinkled with pine nuts. Beware the bright green chili pepper hiding in the tahini: Middle Eastern cuisine is known for subtle flavors, but that pepper was fiery! The kafta arrived at the table in an earth-tone pan with a handle, as if fresh from an open cooking fire.

The food was so good that I continued through the menu into the desserts. The baklava ($9.99) was sliced like a big piece of pie and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The layers of flaky filo dough and nuts were soft (unlike most baklava, you don’t need a serrated steak knife to cut it!). It was sweet but not overpowering.

The menu covers all major food groups. Of course, that Middle Eastern staple, lentil soup, is served, along with a soup of the day. There are salads (tabouleh and more) as well as hot and cold mezza (appetizers). There are several vegetarian entrees but many more offerings for fish, chicken, lamb and beef. All meat is halal. For beverages, sample the unique selection of non-alcoholic cocktails or the Turkish coffee. For a sky-high jolt of caffeine, order the double Turkish coffee ($3.99).

Restauranteur Naser Abdelfattah, of Palestinian background, rehabbed the structure over the past years with design assistance from his daughter, Asmaa, a graphic design student at UW-Parkside. She helped construct the restaurant’s centerpiece, a pink and white flowered paper mache tree. Running the kitchen is Chef Khaldon Mousa, newly arrived in Milwaukee from San Francisco. No one could guess that the building was once a Pizza Hut.