Alma-Pita: hey, not bad middle-eastern in Uptown

Okay, let's have this out first. Is 1254 W. Wilson in Uptown or somewhere else? I don't want to be accused of misstating neighborhood boundaries.

Anyway, I found this place, which so far as I could tell has had one passing mention on LTHForum (for its lentil soup) despite apparently existing for the last 11 years, while walking a bike with a %$#$%&! flat to a bike shop the other day. It's a little Lebanese hole in the wall, bright and pleasant, the menu does not entirely exude confidence when it offers curries and hamburgers (no pizza or ribs?), but I ordered a veggie combo as the likeliest bet:



And it was entirely likable. Freshly made, falafel hot from the fryer, dolmas bright and lemon-tangy, hummus so-so but baba ghanoush quite good. A bit expensive compared to Kedzie perhaps, but all in all, a happy lunch. I also notice that they have quite a sideline in fruit lassis in the refrigerator case next to the Diet Cokes and Dasanis, including blueberry and other flavors, which would be well worth checking out sometime.

Alma Pita
1254 W. Wilson Ave.
(773) 561-2787

I've been going to Alma Pita for quite a few years. I could swear that I posted about their falafel, but I can't seem to locate the post (could it have been as far back as the CH days?). Anyway, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one to like the mostly empty spot.

Mike G wrote:Okay, let's have this out first. Is 1254 W. Wilson in Uptown or somewhere else? I don't want to be accused of misstating neighborhood boundaries.

Solidly Uptown.

The Wikipedia map is clearer than the other map I found but the indication is that (at least for the "official" community areas as defined by the U of C), Uptown is bordered on the north by Foster; on the west by Ravenswood (from Foster to Montrose) and Clark (from Montrose to Irving Park); on the south by Montrose (from Ravenswood to Clark) and Irving Park (from Clark to the lake); and of course, on the east by Lake Michigan.

Of course, there's no accounting at all for what realtors will call it.

You really meant that rhetorically, though. Didn't you? Sometimes, I can't help myself.