I ate a late lunch at Shish Kabobs today. My friend was singing its praises to me the other day and when I couldn’t find the African market to create my own international meal. I decided to try it out.
It is a small Mediterranean restaurant in a shopping center and it looked like my kind of place. When I walking in it felt comfortable and it had a welcoming atmosphere. It was clean and had the feel of a family owned restaurant. You know like the people who work there care about the place. I believe that comes through in the food. I was greeted by a friendly server who gladly gave me time to review the menu. There were so many items I wanted to try including the lamb shanks and most of the appetizers. I decided on the appetizer sampler plate with the intent of taking some home. The appetizer had hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, a cabbage roll, and dolmas. I also ordered a single sirloin kabob to try as I felt the lamb shank would be way too much food. The grape leaves on the dolmas melted in my mouth which was a first for me. The other times I had tried dolmas the leaves were not tender. I was impressed with the cabbage roll as well, as the cabbage leaves were also tender. I took the obligatory bite of the tabbouleh expecting my reaction to be the same as always. Not for me. Yet, this time I took several bits and I was thinking this is a tabbouleh I could eat. All in all there was not a bad dish in the bunch.
My friend had raved about the rose cake so even though I was taking home leftovers I saved room in order to try it. I ordered a hot Persian tea and a piece of rose cake. A simple looking cake unadorned with frosting or glaze and no filling laid on the plate before me. Even with my friends accolades about its deliciousness I was unsure it would be good. I don’t eat many desserts and if I am going to indulge I wanted the calories to be worth it. I timidly tasted my first bite. A sigh of pleasure filled me. The crust was ever so slightly crisp and it reminded me of a delicious pound cake I once made in a cast iron skillet. The inside was moist and it was sweet but not the overwhelming sweetness found in many desserts. Then you taste the exotic hidden in the ordinary, the flavor of rose. I savored each bite with sips of the warm unsweetened Persian tea. When it was gone I was tempted to order another slice to go, but I didn’t. I knew that I would be back for more of the cake and I also wanted to try the lamb shank. Yeah, I like the cake so much I wrote a poem about it. Check it out below.
Rose cake
No frosting or glaze adorns you
No filling to bring you depth
A seeming simple boring piece of cake.
A timid taste
A sigh of pleasure reveals the truth.
A hint of crispness on the edge of moist deliciousness
A rose infused sweetness that lingers
In my mouth and my daydreams
No not boring or simple