Thank you all for your patience with my lack of blogging. Things have been busy here at Spark (no complaints about that), and I've been attending to some other needs. I haven't been eating out as much either, mostly because of time constraints. After all, the ethnic places I chronicle on Beyond Scrapple don't require a CEO's salary. So thanks for sticking with me.
I ventured today to Petra, the new Mediterranean restaurant on Broad Street close to Apollo Grill in Bethlehem. It was one of my best lunches in a long, long time.
Petra opened about two months ago in a former coffee shop that was headed nowhere from the day it opened. (Too many coffee shops in one downtown. We're not Seattle.) The decor is pleasant -- cream colored walls, wood floors, simple artwork. In many ways, it's a reflection of a cuisine that combines fresh straighforward ingredients in a delicious and healthful manner.
I was surprised to find a lunch buffet. I'd never seen one in a Mediterranean restaurant. The various dips/spreads lured me in; the rest of the dishes sold it. For $9, I can't remember a better buffet at any location. All items were freshly homemade.
In addition to standard hummus and a surprisingly light baba ganouj, Petra had a muhamara dip: a combination of walnuts, pomegranates, molasses, bread crumbs, olive oil, roasted red peppers and spices. Phenomenal -- it was at once hearty and sweet with incredible balance. I could have made a meal out of that alone.
The tabbouleh was fresh and tangy, though a little light on the bulgur in my opinion -- more of a parsley/mint salad with diced tomatoes. (That didn't stop me from having two small servings, though.) Hot dishes included couscous, which in this case refers to a stewed Moroccan vegetable dish (carrots, sweet potatoes, others), rather than the grain-size pasta. (Petra had that, too, and it was light and a tad buttery. Mmmmm.) A side dish of peas and diced carrots with small pieces of beef in a beef broth was rich and outstanding. It could have been an entree. And a rice/lentil combination featured an ideal balance of texture and flavor, not to mention the healthy rice-legume partnership.
I'll repeat: this is one of the best $9 buffets you'll find. Prompt, friendly service with good food at a fair price. I'm fortunate to have it less than three blocks from my desk.
Thanks once again to all who have continued following and commenting. I promise to make it out more often and continue blogging.
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8 comments:
I keep hearing good things about Petra . . . I want to go but haven't found time yet. Soon, and now after reading your review, I'm hoping sooner.
Glad to see a new post! Checked out that Caribbean/Soul Food restaurant mentioned on here a while back - My Weekend Kitchen - by the Sterling. Also a location in South Bethlehem. I was disappointed - decor blah, which would be ok if the service and food were good. Server was friendly but we ended up waiting for our lunch for nearly 40 mins - unacceptable for a place that lists "take-out." We ended up having them wrap it up to go. Food was only ok - got the jerk chicken, greens, and mashed potatoes. Also a burger which was clearly mass produced and not that good. Sigh. Still searching for good soul food in this region!
Thanks for the update on My Weekend Kitchen. Sounds like a "pass." Winston's on Seventh/Allen has excellent Caribbean food. There's a soul place close to Central Catholic High School (4th Street?) that I need to try as well.
Was beginning this blog might not be active anymore...welcome back! I live in downtown B and need to check out the new South Beach place where Tortilla used to be, isn't that by Spark? Had anything to each there yet?
$9 is a little expensive for no meat! I've heard they charge $3 for a skewer of meat with the buffet.
You know, I didn't even notice the lack of meat on the buffet because everything was so enjoyable and freshly prepared. Disclaimer: I'll often go without meat at lunch, so my "carnivoradar" definitely was not engaged. So if you need cooked animal protein, bring some extra singles.
We stopped by for lunch today (10/5/09) and were very satisfied with the buffet. The selections were delicious and fresh. There was a lamb/vegetable stew, and they offered a veggie only version of it as well. Glad I was able to enjoy it. Thank you for the recommendation!
Since I don't have a blog, I wanted to post my thoughts where people who are interested might see them. I guess they've dropped the lunch buffet since then, b/c I was there two days ago and there was only menu ordering available.
Service was very, very slow. Waitress did not offer to tell us the specials - I didn't even know they had any until I heard her asking one of the owners "What are our specials today?" and he explained them to her on behalf of another customer.
Prices were a little too ridiculous for food that is essentially Jordanian fast / street food. Although I was happy to see them serving musakhkhan, something that people really do eat at home in Jordan, the rest of it is our version of fast food. Shawarma for $14 was especially galling, and my daughter didn't like it. The kebabs were good. The fattoush was not. I thought Jedda Aziza (the grandmother quoted on the menu) would not be pleased to see fattoush with little tiny croutons and made out of iceberg instead of romaine and rocket, as it is done traditionally (and is much tastier).
All in all, we had hoped for something a little different from this restaurant. I wish Arab restauranteurs in the US would experiment with serving the types of food we really eat at home, instead of serving up fast food / street fare all the time. I think people might really enjoy some real Arab home cooking.
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