It's Aladdin…Without the Genie!

Aladdin’s Eatery
Cleveland, OH
www.aladdinseatery.com

If you’re from Ohio, you may very well have heard of Aladdin’s Eatery and may have even eaten there. With 15 locations scattered throughout the state from Cleveland down to Cincinnati, you can enjoy their wonderful Middle Eastern cuisine in most of the major cities. But Aladdin’s isn’t just in Ohio. There are also locations in Chicago, Charlotte, San Antonio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.

They focus on fresh, healthy and affordable meals in a comfortable atmosphere. Catering to vegetarians and meat-eaters alike, they’re sure to offer something everyone will like. You can eat in their relaxing dining room or carry-out if you’re in a hurry. They even offer party trays for any occasion.

The menu here is so extravagant, that unless you have a favorite dish in mind, you will need time to decide which one to try. You will be tempted by homemade Fruit & Vegetable Smoothies, Hummos, Falaffel, Tabouli, Sfiha, Fatayer, Rolled Pitas, Salads, Pitzas and much, much more of their Middle Eastern fare. That’s not all…be sure to leave room for dessert! You will be equally tempted by their dessert case that draws you in from the moment you walk in the door. You would expect maybe Baklava at a Lebanese restaurant, but you may not be prepared to choose from a wide selection of cakes and cheesecakes. And these aren’t your traditional size cakes and cheesecakes; they are the biggest cakes and cheesecakes you have ever seen!! They offer at any given time a variety of flavors out of 26 different cakes and 28 cheesecakes, but usually don’t have them all available at the same time. All I can say is be ready to eat!! It’s at least a 3-course meal kind of place with appetizer, meal and dessert. You want to try as much as possible.

I would say that I frequent Aladdin’s maybe two or three times a year. The food is so good and so reasonably priced; it’s a great place to dine at for lunch or dinner. And there’s usually one close no matter which side of town I’m on in Cleveland. We always have to get Falaffel in some form, whether it’s in an appetizer, a rolled pita or pita pocket. These delectable, mildly spicy patties of chick peas, fava beans, parsley and scallions are deep fried in peanut oil until they are at the perfect level of crispness. Served with a Tahini Yogurt sauce and various vegetables depending on which dish you get, they are absolutely wonderful. I personally love to eat them with a piece of tomato and some Tahini. That is the perfect bite of Falaffel in my mind!! The spiciness of the falaffel, the coolness of the tomato and the tanginess of the Tahini makes my taste buds very happy!!

We also enjoy the Hummos, which is a puree of chickpeas, tahini and lemon with the addition of some spices and a drizzle of olive oil. This is served with warm pita bread for dipping. It is a great beginning to any dinner here.

Finally, I have to tell you about their desserts. This time we tried a checkerboard cake of white and chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse and chocolate mousse layered in between. They also garnished it with crushed peanuts on the outside. This was very good, but I think my favorite of the ones I’ve tried is the Chocolate Bomb cake. This is a chocolate lovers dream cake, from the inside out. You have to try it. They also have these little individual truffle cakes about the size of a baseball that appear to be very tasty. I’ll have to try one of those another time!!

So next time you’re sitting around waiting for a Genie to appear to grant you a wish, think about going to Aladdin’s for a wonderful meal of authentic Middle Eastern food and it will make you happy…even if you’re wish doesn’t come true!!