This whole LaRosa thing has always been peculiar. Lots of different restaurants with the same name and similar sinage, some related and some not, some good and some awful. What gives?

Regarding Kabul House,

c8w wrote:After doing very well in Evanston for a year or two (this was on Main,
between Judson and Chicago), he moved to Skokie on Dempster,
changed the name to Kabul House, and opened his Afghani
restaurant... the week before September 11th, 2001! Basically nobody
showed up for a couple of weeks after - and then supposedly some
in the neighbourhood community decided to show up to demonstrate
support.

That's not quite what happened, as I understand it. The timing of Kabul House's opening was indeed in September 2001, however, the regular customers from the old location showed up soon in solidarity with the well-liked and respected Qazi family, who own the restaurant. WBEZ (either Steve Edwards or Jerome McDonald, I can't remember) very soon thereafter featured an extended interview with Abdul Qazi, who discussed his personal views on the situation in Afghanistan and the suffering of the country under the Taliban. This exposure was also helpful in re-establishing the restaurant.

c8w wrote: Then* it showed up on Check Please... and raised prices by 50%, opened a new outpost on Belmont,
and the rest is history

In fact,

nr706 wrote:. . . the second location was on Halsted, approx. across the street from Steppenwolf

c8w, while you are correct that prices at Kabul House are now higher than the ridiculously low prices they had at the Main Street Evanston location, I seriously doubt that pricing has ever been an issue at Kabul House, as it remains an excellent value. My understanding is that the Skokie location does a big weeknight take-out business, facilitated by readily available parking. The Halsted location, on the other hand, relied almost exclusively on pre-theater crowds and parking on Halsted proved the number one business problem for that location. I like to think that a second location remains a realistic business goal for Kabul House. Actually, Belmont might have been a better call -- The Helmand (also Afghan) thrived there for years, at a higher price-point! I still remember a meal of of stewed pumpkin with yoghurt that I ate there in 1987.

Josephine wrote:c8w, while you are correct that prices at Kabul House are now higher than the ridiculously low prices they had at the Main Street Evanston location, I seriously doubt that pricing has ever been an issue at Kabul House, as it remains an excellent value. .

While I agree with the rest of your post (youre probably know more about
the Kabul House early-Skokie-day history than I do, Iam sure ... I dont
really agree with the above.

I do think its a very good value, yes. However, you must remember, there
is a Pita Inn literally a couple blocks down the street which is a quite
ridiculous value. And that *is* their competition IMHO - yes, LTH-ers will
distinguish between Afghani and Middle-Eastern (and even Middle-Eastern,
but more from Egypt than Lebanon) et al. But the "average" customer, IMHO,
very often just looks at it as kababs, or kababs

Is Kabul House doing well? Absolutely - and they desrve to. But are they
doing as well as Pita Inn? Its not even close. Their prices while in
Evanston were about Pita Inn level prices IIRC. If they had kept those
exact same prices on Dempster (which may not be possible, of course -
rents are probably much higher, for one)... but if they had managed to,
I think they might well have rivalled Pita Inn in terms of sheer number
of customers.

I also think this may be true to some extent of Basha and/or Larsa, BTW.
They are offering a similar type of cuisine to Pita Inn (not the same items,
of course, but similar)... and Pita Inn is already established with a loyal
customer base, *and* Basha and Larsa are a smidge higher-priced. A
lot of loyal customers would see no reason to switch from something
theyre already happy with to try something "similar" *and* higher-priced
(if only marginally).

c8w

c8w,
I guess I can't speak for every value-conscious diner, but I really do think that most people see Pita Inn and Kabul House as being in different categories. Kabul House may do a takeout business, but it doesn't have a fast food vibe. Instead, it's a quiet room where one might enjoy a bottle of wine brought from home. I can say that I have never seen, (and indeed cannot imagine) anyone bringing a bottle of wine to Pita Inn or Basha for that matter. Moreover, Kabul House does not serve the Middle Eastern greatest hits menu of Pita Inn, but rather has vegetarian entrees -- stewed pumpkin, spiced spinach, and braised eggplant as well as mantu (meat or scallion dumplings) that are unique in this area (I have not been to the Afghan place on Devon, perhaps eatchicago can enlighten us on their menu.). I like and patronize Pita Inn, but as noted elsewhere, there are areas where Basha outshines them -- in freshness, and where Larsa's baked items, including pita are superior. Actually, I think Larsa's would be Kabul House's closest competitor. Larsa's has a nice dinner atmosphere and a menu that goes beyond kebabs to include some special items not found at Pita Inn or Basha. Price is only one of the factors that determines the choice of restaurant, and surely if broad categories are to be drawn, Kabul House remains in the bargain category.

Erik M. wrote:My love for Larsa's is well documented here, but I would like to remind folks that there is yet another (better and even more directly comparable) alternative to Pita Inn just down the street, namely, Basha.

Erik,

Tried Basha for the first time last week and agree it's a good alternative to Pita Inn. Pita Inn on Dempster is fine, but I never find it as satisfying as, say, Salam. There also seems to be a continuously frenetic vibe at Pita inn that I can find grating.

Basha's hummus was light and creamy as you say, with flavorful olive oil, but the chicken shawerma, while well spiced, was slightly dry, next time I'll go mixed meat. Kibbeh was freshly fried and greaseless, though I found the flavor a bit on the neutral side. Fattouch salad was slightly overdressed, but saved by a nice vinegary tart dressing.

When ordering, one orders at the counter, receives a number and picks up their food, same same system as Pita Inn, I inquired if the falafel was chick pea, fava bean or a mix of the two. Chickpea and, while I am a fan of falafel in all forms, I was not in a falafel mood at that moment.

Just as I was finishing lunch a young fellow, maybe 5-years-old, who was watching cartoons in the front, brings me a small nicely decorated plate with a single falafel. A very nice touch on the part of, who I assume was both the owner and father of the child. The falafel was quite good, crisp, greaseless and surprisingly light. Flavor wise I thought it a wee bit neutral, but it scored high on overall points.

Thanks Erik, D4v3 and Josephine for bringing Basha up in the thread.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,
I think the point we were all trying to make is that each of the Dempster Avenue "Middle-Eastern"(a misnomer) restaurants has its strong points. In my opinion, the best dishes at Basha are the Beef Shawerma and the Baba Ghanouj. I also like the garlic potatoes, although those can be a little oily.

As I said somewhere else, it seems that good shawerma, like BBQ, is all a matter of timing (and turnover). Even from the same source, Shawerma can be radically different each time, depending on how long it has been on the rotisserie, how long it has been since somebody last ordered it and how often heat has been applied to it, or god forbid, if it has been cut, kept and reheated. What I like about Basha is that you can see what you will be getting. I hardly ever eat chicken shawerma, because I don't like white-meat, but from what I have tasted, I like the chicken at Pita-Inn better. Maybe PI uses fattier chicken whereas Basha just uses trimmed breasts.

The Baba Ghanouj at Basha is always fresh and smokey. I think they produce my favorite rendition of that dish. They don't overblend it with too much tahini the way some places do. I often see them grilling the eggplants for a fresh batch. I also like that Basha gives you a container of really good hot sauce and a container of garlic "mayo" with your order.

dave

G Wiv wrote:Thanks Erik, D4v3 and Josephine for bringing Basha up in the thread.

I am glad that you liked it, Gary.

Just to be clear, when I said "better and more directly comparable," above, I did not mean to suggest that I think Basha is better than Larsa's, but only that Basha is a lot more like Pita Inn than Larsa's is, and in that regard, it more fairly compares. I, like you, prefer Salam to nearly everything else when it comes to what I call, "rough-and-ready" Middle Eastern dining in this town, so my raves for Basha are mainly relative to its direct and immediate counterpart down the street, Pita Inn.

E.M.

d4v3 wrote:I hardly ever eat chicken shawerma, because I don't like white-meat, but from what I have tasted, I like the chicken at Pita-Inn better. Maybe PI uses fattier chicken whereas Basha just uses trimmed breasts.

As I've intimated before, the chicken shawerma at Pita Inn, or "fauxwarma," as I call it, is liberally seasoned with a commercial Vegeta-like mix. Basha, in contrast, is rather parsimonious when it comes to the seasoning of their chicken shawerma, and I have been given every assurance that whatever it is they use is not a commercial, msg-laden mix.

Generally speaking, the chicken spit rotation (i.e. product turnover) at Pita Inn is quite high, so there is little chance of the chicken drying out. By the look of things at Basha, the opposite would seem more likely to be true. [And, while the meat (i.e. beef) spit rotation at Pita Inn is equally (if not more) high, the product is very often dry because they use extremely lean meat to begin with.]

d4v3 wrote:"]The Baba Ghanouj at Basha is always fresh and smokey.

Did you ever manage to try that of La Baraka, down the street?


heaven

E.M.

Erik M. wrote:As I've intimated before, the chicken shawerma at Pita Inn, or "fauxwarma," as I call it, is liberally seasoned with a commercial Vegeta-like mix. Basha, in contrast, is rather parsimonious when it comes to the seasoning of their chicken shawerma, and I have been given every assurance that whatever it is they use is not a commercial, msg-laden blend.

d4v3 wrote:"]The Baba Ghanouj at Basha is always fresh and smokey.

Did you ever manage to try that of La Baraka, down the street?
heaven

Aha MSG. Well that makes sense. That is why the chicken seems more tender and juicier. Basha tenderizes its meat naturally by placing tomatoes on top of the cone. Truthfully, I discovered Basha a few years ago and have not been back to Pita Inn since. You are right about them being directly comparable.

That plate of Baba Ghanouj is a thing of beauty. Nice and chunky, like I make it myself. The pomegranate seeds are a nice touch. I will definitely try it. Looks like I might have a new favorite. Thanks.

Has anyone ever done a Dempster-a-thon?

A long time ago I mentioned on chowhound that I also liked basha a little better than Pita Inn (I can't find the link at the moment) that's still pretty true.

A couple things about Larsa which have not been brought up in this thread which I enjoy (though I agree that their oven stuff is great) is the catfish special which I quite enjoy and the fact that in addition to the lentil soup they make another more tomatoey one which none of the spots mentioned do, I like this one better than the lentil soups (which, being indian always seemed to me be dal without the finishing seasoning of a tarka)

One thing that none of the places can compete with Pita Inn on though is the astonishing efficiency of the place, I've thought that a clip of the workers there (as well as at the Elmwood Park Johnny's) would fit quite well into the scene in tampopo where the noodlemakers to be scout well run kitchens.

d4v3 wrote:[That plate of Baba Ghanouj is a thing of beauty. Nice and chunky, like I make it myself. I will definitely try it. Looks like I might have a new favorite. Thanks.

I regret to inform you that La Baraka has closed.

Regards,
E.M.

zim wrote:A couple things about Larsa which have not been brought up in this thread which I enjoy (though I agree that their oven stuff is great) is the catfish special which I quite enjoy and the fact that in addition to the lentil soup they make another more tomatoey one which none of the spots mentioned do, I like this one better than the lentil soups (which, being indian always seemed to me be dal without the finishing seasoning of a tarka)

I, too, really enjoy that catfish preparation.

And, since you so rarely surface these days, I will take the liberty of highjacking this thread to tell you that--speaking of catfish--I quite enjoyed the Fish (catfish) Masala I shared with G Wiv and PIGMON at Shan yesterday. For me, it was the standout in our blowout spread. I'd be curious to get your opinion.

Regards,
E.M.

Erik M. wrote:

d4v3 wrote:[That plate of Baba Ghanouj is a thing of beauty. Nice and chunky, like I make it myself. I will definitely try it. Looks like I might have a new favorite. Thanks.

I regret to inform you that La Baraka has closed.

Erik, you tease.
Actually, if I had been paying attention, I would have seen that was mentioned in this very thread. I am sorry to say that I never went to La Baraka. Speaking of which, did we ever figure out which restaurant is being sold? If it is indeed Larsa's, I will have to make a point of going there to get my fill of their wonderful Lahim beajin and Mana'eesh. Even if it isn't, I should still go there soon.

d4v3 wrote:

Erik M. wrote:

d4v3 wrote:[That plate of Baba Ghanouj is a thing of beauty. Nice and chunky, like I make it myself. I will definitely try it. Looks like I might have a new favorite. Thanks.

I regret to inform you that La Baraka has closed.

Erik, you tease.
Actually, if I had been paying attention, I would have seen that was mentioned in this very thread. I am sorry to say that I never went to La Baraka. Speaking of which, did we ever figure out which restaurant is being sold? If it is indeed Larsa's, I will have to make a point of going there to get my fill of their wonderful Lahim beajin and Mana'eesh. Even if it isn't, I should still go there soon.

Well, La Baraka has a For Sale sign out front, so that's been my bet all along.

E.M.

Erik M. wrote:
And, since you so rarely surface these days, I will take the liberty of highjacking this thread to tell you that--speaking of catfish--I quite enjoyed the Fish (catfish) Masala I shared with G Wiv and PIGMON at Shan yesterday. For me, it was the standout in our blowout spread. I'd be curious to get your opinion.

thanks for the threadjacking, I haven't had the fish masala at Shan, will have to try it out.

d4v3 wrote:Has anyone ever done a Dempster-a-thon?

Now that is a grand idea.

d4v3 wrote:Speaking of which, did we ever figure out which restaurant is being sold?

No, although I hope it is La Baraka. What I want to know is, why is the newspaper listing quoted in the first post written in the style of a "blind item" from a gossip column? ("This very FAMOUS established Mediterranean restaurant who's long been rumored to have an abnormally large rotary pizza oven up in front was recently spotted canoodling with a hot young bistro who insiders insist is only after it for its outdoor patio.")

Is that normal? (I mean the ad copy, not the things I write. I have a pretty good idea about the latter.)

cilantro wrote:What I want to know is, why is the newspaper listing quoted in the first post written in the style of a "blind item" from a gossip column?

That is pretty typical for business listings, especially restaurants. I suspect that is so you have to go through the broker and can't approach the owner directly. Also, if a business is operational, the owners may not want their customers to know it is for sale (of course, that would not apply to La Baraka)

So Larsa's now has a huge sign in the window boasting of "PIZZA and RIBS!" My heart sank as I entered, fearing the worst.

Fortunately, these new offerings are in addition to, not instead of, Larsa's regular menu. And I must say that the kifta I had there that day was the absolute juiciest incarnation of this dish I've ever tasted. And by the way, add torshi to the list of things Larsa's does really well. Very nice selection, including a good bit of cauliflower and apple, and quite flavorful. So hopefully the new dishes will give this place the business it so badly needs, because I want it around for a long time.

The pizza, judging from the heat lamp display, looked perfectly mediocre.

cilantro wrote:The pizza, judging from the heat lamp display, looked perfectly mediocre.

Had a tidy little lunch at Larsa's last week and that was my exact thought, pizza, in a clear sided point of purchase warming box on the counter, looked perfectly mediocre. On the other hand, the baker was churning out hand pressed* thin pita in the pizza ovens that was anything but mediocre.

Laham Ajeen, blistering hot, fresh from the pizza oven, ever so slightly oily and terrific dipped in the requested spicy, though multi-dimensional, hot sauce. Liked both the texture, which is not completely pureed, and flavor of Larsa's lentil soup, hummus smooth with a light kick, though shawerma a bit dry.

We split cornish hen which rated low compared to Al-khaymeih and Big Bun's and Pita. Larsa's version was dried out with no perceptible marinade flavor. Accompanying rice, with distinct slightly buttery grains, was quite good, but not enough to elevate the mini hen to satisfactory.

Service was friendly and moderately efficient, prices reasonable, I'll be back for lentil soup, fresh made pita with hummus and Laham Ajeen.

Enjoy,
Gary

Larsa's
3724 W. Dempster
Skokie, IL
847-679-3663

*by which I mean with a hand levered device not unlike a large tortilla press

G Wiv wrote:Laham Ajeen, blistering hot, fresh from the pizza oven, ever so slightly oily and terrific dipped in the requested spicy, though multi-dimensional, hot sauce.

I think Larsa's wins the Lahim ajeen (Lamejun) face-off, hands down. The Mana eesh (another dish from their pizza oven) is also amazing. They have a third crusty appetizer (I can't remember the name), that is also very good. The thin pita is the best I have had. Unfortunately, their other dishes don't measure up to what comes from the oven. If they want to put their pizza oven to better use, they should start selling the lahim ajeen and mana eesh by the dozen. Skokie doesn't need more "perfectly mediocre" pizza. That market is well covered.

I recently found out how to get excellent shawarma at Larsa's. Unfortunately, this will be of rather limited usefulness.

What you do is this: watch for the parking lot in that strip to be completely full -- and I mean packed. This indicates that there is a large group of expatriate Iraqis who have gathered at the restaurant for a private event. At this point, one of two things will happen: 1) The waitress will sheepishly apologize because there are no seats available and you will be forced to seek sustenance elsewhere (9 times out of 10); or 2) The smaller of the two dining rooms will still have a few tables free and you will be treated to the best, most freshly-made food Larsa's can produce, including a truly wonderful, juicy shawarma (1 time out of 10).

We lucked out in this way a few weeks ago and both agreed that the difference was quite pronounced (and we are both fans of the "regular" cooking, but this was several notches above). Even the laham ajeen was better than ever (and came with lemon wedges without us having to ask). And the shawarma was spectacular.

Like I said, it's very much a matter of chance. But it does tell me that Larsa's could put out a very good shawarma if it did a more regular business.