Does Chicago have an extravagant Middle Eastern restaurant?

Hello,

Basically, I'm looking for a restaurant where when you walk in it's like walking into a sultan's palace. Ornate decorations, embroidered carpets, belly dancing, hookah, kebab skewered on swords, the works. It doesn't have to subtle, tasteful or authentic. Just extravagant.

It's a long shot that anyone will know what I'm talking about, but A Thousand and One Nights in the Sanlitun district of Beijing is what I'm after. Another example that's closer to home is Alhambra Palace on Randolph, which is just about perfect in terms of decor, but the food is lackluster. Is there any place like this around here where the food is great?

eating while walking wrote:Hello,

Basically, I'm looking for a restaurant where when you walk in it's like walking into a sultan's palace. Ornate decorations, embroidered carpets, belly dancing, hookah, kebab skewered on swords, the works. It doesn't have to subtle, tasteful or authentic. Just extravagant.

It's a long shot that anyone will know what I'm talking about, but A Thousand and One Nights in the Sanlitun district of Beijing is what I'm after. Another example that's closer to home is Alhambra Palace on Randolph, which is just about perfect in terms of decor, but the food is lackluster. Is there any place like this around here where the food is great?

I've never been but Caravan on Broadway north of Lawrence looks like it has the kind of gaudy vibe/design you're looking for.

You can see photos on the Caravan website. I haven't eaten there either, although it's not far from us.

Caravan
4810 N Broadway
Website has music: http://caravanrestaurantchicago.com/

Kan Zaman
617 N Wells

http://www.kanzamanrestaurant.com/

It's also BYOB which would keep your tab down.

Another possibility is Juliana http://checkplease.wttw.com/restaurants/juliana

Caveats that I haven't been there and that review is a few years old.

Is Sofra still open and any good? Its predecessor, A La Turka, was seedily extravagant, with at least divans and belly dancers and sword-skewers for the Turkish food, and felt, um, atmospheric on weekends, and I had understood they had maintained some of the traditions.

Santander wrote:Is Sofra still open and any good? Its predecessor, A La Turka, was seedily extravagant, with at least divans and belly dancers and sword-skewers for the Turkish food, and felt, um, atmospheric on weekends, and I had understood they had maintained some of the traditions.

Haven't eaten there since it was ala Turka but my friend IS one of the belly dancers--she's there most Saturday (and possibly Friday) nights.

You want Alhambra Palace. Almost comically ostentatious, and really over the top. It's precisely what you described.

I've been to Caravan, and it was okay. Not sure I'd call it extravagant . . . perhaps "clubby" is more like it? I mean, it's certainly more striking inside than your average Middle Eastern spot on Kedzie, that's for sure. But it doesn't offer what the OP asks for. Alhambra is the place that seems to fit the bill, but I can't comment on the food or experience as I haven't been there. I'll note that the menu prices are high, but not as high as I had expected.

sundevilpeg wrote:You want Alhambra Palace. Almost comically ostentatious, and really over the top. It's precisely what you described.

eating while walking wrote:Another example that's closer to home is Alhambra Palace on Randolph, which is just about perfect in terms of decor, but the food is lackluster. Is there any place like this around here where the food is great?

Nope, (s)he doesn't...

I live around the corner from Sofra and it's not my impression that there's ever much of a crowd there, so I'm not sure how festive it would feel.

Could be wrong, but I think (at least in Chicago) you either get great food or theatrics, but not both in one place. I'd go for the food. But that's just me.

Sorry, didn't see it was already posted

bw77 wrote:Another possibility is Juliana http://checkplease.wttw.com/restaurants/juliana

Caveats that I haven't been there and that review is a few years old.

On LTH, there is a post from 2004 by Seth Zurer. It is one I return to read from time to time, because it seemed like quite the evening: viewtopic.php?p=9356#p9356

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

bw77 wrote:Another possibility is Juliana http://checkplease.wttw.com/restaurants/juliana

Caveats that I haven't been there and that review is a few years old.

On LTH, there is a post from 2004 by Seth Zurer. It is one I return to read from time to time, because it seemed like quite the evening: http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=9356#p9356

Regards,

Thanks for that link Cathy2, it was really fun reading and sounds like what I am looking for.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I may have some Tunisian and Algerian friends visiting this summer and I want to take them to one of these places for a redonculous Arab-American experience. I'll definitely check all these places out.

boudreaulicious wrote:

sundevilpeg wrote:You want Alhambra Palace. Almost comically ostentatious, and really over the top. It's precisely what you described.

eating while walking wrote:Another example that's closer to home is Alhambra Palace on Randolph, which is just about perfect in terms of decor, but the food is lackluster. Is there any place like this around here where the food is great?

Nope, (s)he doesn't...

So, what's the problem with Alhambra Palace. I used to work for those folks when they had a place on Milwaukee Ave. Was it a pleasant experience, well PM me for the answer. I don't tattle. (Bou...I really want to know).

I think you're misunderstanding my post Bean I merely meant that since the OP stated flat out in his initial post that he didn't want Alhambra Palace (decor was right, food was not), recommending it would not help him. I've eaten at Alhambra twice--both times I thought it was similar to Reza's. And I don't mean that as a compliment...

But I wasn't weighing in on the suitability of the recommendation, merely that it had already been considered and rejected by the poster before he arrived here.