I have to say we don’t eat a lot of Mediterranean food at our house or even when we go out, well unless you count our yearly trip to our local Greek festival! So when my friend Rosalie called and invited me to go to Habibi Mediterranean Cafe I was ready and willing! Habibi is located at 2968 Lafayette Rd, in Portsmouth New Hampshire.
Rosalie and I got there just as they opened and I’m so glad we did as this place gets busy extremely fast during lunch hour. The first thing I noticed as we walked through the door was the amazing aroma’s coming from the kitchen. We were greeted by one of the owners and given menus. We found a table in the back of this very small restaurant. Although Rosalie had already picked out our appetizer I wanted to get a good look at the menu. Everything they have is made from scratch daily from generations of family recipes.
To start, Rosalie ordered us the Habibi Mezza Plate that had hummus (ground chicken, peas, garlic. tahini and lemon), Baba Gannouj (eggplant, tahini, lemon, and spices), Tabouli, 2 falafel balls (deep-fried balls made of chickpeas and spices), and 2 warm stuffed grape leaves. Everything on the plate was just as good as the next bite. If I had to pick a favorite it would be both the hummus and grape leaves. The grape leaves were warm, light and filled with rice and tomato. The hummus, I have to say, was the best I have had anywhere or even made myself. It was light and creamy and went so perfectly with the house-made pita bread.
We ordered this delicious house-made pita bread to go along with the Mezza plate. They make this bread to order and when it comes out it all puffed up before you break into it. This was the lightest pita bread I have ever had.
Shortly after our appetizer came this beautiful salad came to each of us as it comes with the entrees that we ordered. There was no shortage of food, that’s for sure. The salad was so refreshing and great bites while still nibbling on the appetizers!
I ordered the Chicken Shawarma that comes with their house sauce and rice. There is so much flavor in this dish. The fresh herbs and spices make this a dish to remember. The chicken was so tender and juicy. I can see why this is a popular dish.
I have saved the best for last. Rosalie ordered the Gyro Lamb. If you don’t think you like lamb or have never tried lamb I highly recommend this dish. Rosalie and I always share our plates and today was no different. Although I have had lamb and enjoy it, this dish was beyond good! The lamb was cooked perfectly, it almost melted in your mouth. This was my favorite dish of the day. One that will keep me going to Habibi Mediterranean Cafe!
I enjoyed this restaurant so much I was not about to leave without a dessert to take home! So this crispy, sweet piece of baklava came home with me and I am so glad, as it was delicious later that evening.
If you are not sure if this is something you would like don’t worry they have an incredible menu for eat-in or take out that include sub sandwiches, panini’s, calzones and even pizza. They do an incredible take out business as the door was revolving from people eating in or taking out. Many of their dishes are naturally vegetarian as well as gluten-free.
Habibi Mediterranean Cafe is closed on Sundays in the winter but open Monday through Saturday at 11 am. You can find the full menu and more information on their website. http://www.habibiportsmouth.com/menu
Enjoy!
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