Photo courtesy of Damascus Gate
In an attempt to differentiate Saturday from the rest of the week we picked Damascus Gate (807 W. Historic Mitchell St.), a restaurant committed to empowering Syrian refugees and giving them a chance to prosper in America after fleeing from war torn Syria.
We decided to split the Damascus Tour ($29.95). The sampler platter offers 10 items: hummus. baba ghanouj, falafel, mousakaa (eggplant, tomatoes, onions and garlic), green beans with olive oil, stuffed grape leaves, mujadarra, fattoush salad, kibbeh (ground beef and onions deep fried like small pasties in cracked wheat) and spinach and cheese pie, plus grilled flat bread. Building the various dishes with a few simple ingredients, notably chickpeas, eggplant and olive oil, then changing things up with different herbs and spices provided us with a satisfying buffet. Finding out that the Humphrey Bogart classic film Casablanca was about to air at dinnertime was an added bonus. As were the leftovers.
For a pre-COVID review of Damascus Gate, click here.
