Middle Eastern Ithaca

One of the delights of living in Ithaca is that, for a town its size, it has eateries of remarkable quality and variety. Rob and I had dinner at Sindbad's in Collegetown on Saturday. For my money, this place has the best Middle Eastern food in town. The platters are pricey ($14 for schwarma, kofta, or kebab, $9 for falafel), but you get a lot of food: an overflowing portion of meat, a cup of rice flavored with olive oil, a pool of hummus, and a salad of lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. The schwarma here is not the homogenous Spam-like processed meat that is carved off a spit, but consists of chopped beef and lamb seasoned with spices (including lots of cinnamon) and fried to order with tomatoes, peppers, and onions -- kind of like an exotic cheesesteak (without the Cheez Whiz). It goes perfectly with the rice. The hummus is intense and creamy, with plenty of tahini and lemon. And everything is sprinkled with sumac, which adds a tart, earthy accent.

Also noteworthy are the corn salad -- light, refreshing, and flavorful -- and the dolmades, which are simply perfect. For dessert, they have baklava, bassbosa, and mango pudding, among others. They look delicious, but I never save enough room for them....

The Corners Deli in Community Corners is also superb, but their hours don't match our dining habits, unfortunately. The owners have been preparing homemade Lebanese dishes here for almost 25 years, and they are warm and welcoming. The tabbouleh is fantastic, and it's worth visiting this friendly neighborhood establishment for that alone.

And speaking of tabbouleh, here is a rockin' recipe and homage presented in musical form (thanks, Anna!). Enjoy.