Phoenicia Highland Park

So we ate out at Phoenicia tonight, Me, Mrs. F, P and D. The other couple had been there before and recommended it, so off we went.

Phoenicia Mediterranean 1910 First Street Highland Park (847) 266-9990.

Bottom line: excellent middle-eastern, but pricey compared to, say, Pita Inn.

Starters: Phyllo Cheese Pie and Kibbeh. D's special came with a salad with olive oil, parsley and lemon juice over ordinarly lettuce and tomato. We were also provided with a plate of pickles, pickled turnip, radish and pepperoncinis (hmmm... should have suggested they add olives to that).
The cheese pie was mild and flaky, cheese oozed better than the usual feta-stuffed pie. The kibbeh was theirs, I didn't taste it, but it looked good.

Main courses:
Hummos Shawarma $13 -- excellent lamb shawarma: crisp bits of roast lamb, not a pressed log. Very tasty over a pretty ordinary creamy hummos, with bits of red and yellow peppers.

Kefte Kabob $15 -- Three large logs of well-seasoned ground beef, plus grilled tomato, pepper and onion, plus pickled onions and cabbage, a couple slices of roasted potato and a mound of rice pilaf. Delicious.

Chicken Couscous Curry $15 -- Served with spinach, fresh mango, chunks of chicken over couscous in a mild madras curry with dried apricots. I didn't taste this, but it smelled good, and was certainly devoured by P.

Salmon Couscous Curry $19 -- Tonight's special. Same dish with grilled salmon. Also enjoyed heartily.

Several small desserts were provided complimentarily: for each couple there was a cigar-shaped baklava (light and crisp, perhaps made from almonds), a cube-shaped baklava (more syrupy and pistachio-ey)., and a semolina cookie with a pistachio in the top.

Service was excellent, ambiance OK. They have al fresco dining, but it was getting cool and dark. I'd go again.

Very interesting. You said service was excellent. How busy was it at the time? How large was the waitstaff?

Our experience when Phoenicia first opened was that the food was good, but service was poor because of disorganization / shortage of staff. The wait could be excruciating, even when the place was not very busy.

Friends of ours who tried it at other times had similar experiences.

Previously the owner had a small restaurant in Hubbard Woods several years ago. It was simpler and less expensive with good food, though the service was on the slow side.

We came to the conclusion that the owner really knew how to cook, but desperately needed someone up front to organize things.

If service really is on track we'd be delighted to go again. Have you heard how it is at busy times? Further information would be appreciated.

When we were there it was not busy at all: perhaps three tables inside and another few al fresco. We arrived about 7:30Pm on Sunday, so I think their dinner crowd was winding down (when we called for their hours, we were told the kitchen closes at 8:45).

I'll ask my companions, who'd been there before, how the service was their previous time there.

Looks like it's OK to go at least at non-busy times. We liked the food, so I'm glad to hear this.

Thanks for the info.

Just had a great meal here last night. The food was amazing. Our group of six started with a fava bean and lentil dip. We also shared cheese pie, and some feta and olives. All were delicious, especially when scooped up by the warm pita bread. They also brought out a plate of pickles, pickled turnips, and radishes. One of the major highlights of the evening were the soups. One was carrot and ginger and the other was lentil. Both are entirely vegetarian. They were perfectly seasoned. I would go back just for the soup. A serving of Jerusalem salad rounded out the starters.

Dinner was the lamb osso busco special (I can't even remember all the components, but it disappeared), two huge slabs of salmon with vegetables and an herb butter, a mixed grill entree, and two servings of chicken with couscous. The hit was the chicken with couscous. There was a buttery curry sauce that was addicting.

Our waiter recommended a Lebanese wine that was a pleasant surprise. Our meal ended with a pistachio cookie and a small baklava roll for each of us.

Service was attentive and our server was definitely charming. I was surprised comments from other diners about the prices. I thought that for the quality and amount of food, the price was excellent. (about $66/couple before tip)

It is definitely worth a repeat visit.

We eat at Phoenicia from time to time and like it very much. I have a hard time comparing it to other mediteranean restaurants like Pita Inn, mentioned by the OP, because it is different type of restaurant in terms of price point and menu. If you are looking for Pita Inn type fare with an Israeli slant try Mizrahi Grill, also in Highland Park.

Phoenicia does several things well including the Chicken Brochettes which are served with a delcious cous cous and grilled vegetable. The sauce is out of this world. The Lamb Chops Phillippe are also very tasty. My wife loves the hummos and I agree that it is a fine rendition.

I have not tried the schwarma and would be interested in anyones opinion that might have tried the same.

During the summer they also have outdoor dining which is very nice.

I've been meaning to try this place, so thank you for the review!

They have a website (click here).

We ate dinner there tonight with my parents, and my mom's sibs and spouses for my aunt's birthday.

Some highs and lows: There's a cold eggplant whose name I've forgotten (not baba ganouj) that is braised with shallots and is amazingly good. The special lamb (which they ran out of -- only one got to our table) is a biryani-like dish of slow-roasted lamb and rice, outstanding. The carrot soup is wonderful, the lentil merely good (ask them for half-and-half -- improves both). The kefta is underspiced and oversalted, though, and service was rather slow, pita was kinda stiff.

Many sides served with every dinner -- my kefta plate had grilled onions, tomatoes and pepper, rice, potatoes, cabbage and raw marinated onions.
The proprietor pitches the specials -- claims the veggies are all organic.

Had a very nice time, but I'm not going to claim this is the best middle-eastern in the Chicago area.

JoelF wrote:Had a very nice time, but I'm not going to claim this is the best middle-eastern in the Chicago area.

Relatively pricey, too, iirc (the prices listed at the top of this thread are no longer current).

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

JoelF wrote:Had a very nice time, but I'm not going to claim this is the best middle-eastern in the Chicago area.

Relatively pricey, too, iirc (the prices listed at the top of this thread are no longer current).

=R=

I agree that Joseph has raised his prices quite a bit, especially the daily specials. But the 10% off coupons make it a bit more palatable. He's a very good schmoozer.

When he first opened and didn't have carpet on the floor and his prices were more reasonable. His servers have gotten better. Not great.

Is it the best middle-eastern in the Chicago area? Nope. In the North Shore? Perhaps.