lentil soup at Salam...no more?

Hi,

I'm a first time poster who is especially crazy about middle eastern food (and Korean food). A few evenings ago, a friend and I went to Salam and the lentil soup was blacked out on the menu, as in someone had crossed it out with a marker. We asked the man behind the counter who said they didn't have it, so we decided to go to Semiramis instead. Kinda felt bad, but I was craving lentil soup. Does anyone know how long they've not offered lentil soup? I hope it's only temporary... You'd think they'd get new menus printed up sans lentil soup if it were permanently gone.

p.s., Semiramis's lentil soup was pretty good, chunky and flavorful, though not hot and a little pricier that I'm used to. Like the lentil soup at Al-Khaymeh and Sultan's a little better.

cheers,
BoH (lentil soup freeek)

As you label yourself a lentil soup freek, may I suggest the lentil soup at Pita Inn? It's outstanding, and so thick that you can literally eat it with a fork. A little lemon squeezed on top, perhaps, and you've got cold weather comfort food at it's best. Give it a try...

Hi,

I was at Salam just before the conclusion of Ramadan a month ago. There was lentil soup available. It is conceiveable they may have run out.

If you are on the Lentil soup trail, the you need to visit Larsa's, which is east of Pita Inn's Skokie location on Dempster.

Larsa's, 3724 W. Dempster, Skokie 847.679.3663

Regards,

If you're a fan of Middle Eastern lentil soup, give Taste of Lebanon's a try. I absolutely love it and get very intense cravings for it about once a week.

I second the reccd's for <b>Lentil Soup</b> at Taste of Lebanon on Foster (between Clark and Ashland)

and
@
Al Khayameih
4758 N. Kedzie
Chicago,IL

pure comfort food!

Thanks for the suggestions, will have to try the lentil soup at Taste of Lebanon and Larsa's some time. I've had the soup at Pita Inn a couple of times and it's pretty good, chunky like Semiramis's and with bits of veggies, though it's such a *small* serving, imo (

Here's my list, in order of preference, of lentil soups I've had so far. This includes only yellow lentil soup. I've had the lentil soup at Reza's before but I think it was made of the large greenish brown lentils rather than the orange/yellow. I think the same goes for Aladdin's soup.

Al-Khayameih (divine...gonna be near impossible to trump)
Sultan's
Cedar's
Semiramis
Pita Inn/Couscous (tied)
Alma Pita
Pita Express

Places that are on my list to try:

Taza (love their falafel, haven't had the lentil soup yet)
the northside Couscous location
Baba Pita
Babylon
Middle Eastern Bakery (don't know if they even have soup)
Taste of Lebanon
Larsa's
Fattoush
any other place on the Kedzie strip I've missed (Noon o Kabab etc.) that would have soup

If anyone has more suggestions, please feel free to let me know Man, I hope the soup at Salam's comes back.

I would also recommend the consistently excellent and friendly Taste of Lebanon. I recently moved out of Chicago, and of all the food I miss, I crave their lentil soup the most. It is also ridiculously cheap (1.75). I suggest ordering the soup, a lamb "wrap" which is a warm pita filled with lamb kebab and fixings, and heading around the corner to Simon's, where you can escape the florescent lights and enjoy your feast with a beer and some very good tunes from the jukebox.

I definitely recommend the lentil soup at Taza: thick, spicy, no oil, all heart(iness).

binofhay wrote:Middle Eastern Bakery (don't know if they even have soup)

Yes, Middle Eastern Bakery does have lentil soup, of the yellow lentil variety. It's in one of their refrigerator cases and I have bought it to take home several times (so yes, I think it's very good--savory and comforting).

Please do report back on your lentil soup explorations!