Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen (Halsted location)

I was excited to hear that Dawali of Kedzie, a mostly reliable Middle Eastern spot, had opened a branch on the Near North Side in the heart of a decidedly non-Arabic neighborhood.

I made a stop today to check it out, and left mostly pleased. I ordered a half-dozen falafel and a hummus with lamb/beef shawarma to go. The servers were friendly, but mostly clueless about the menu, giving me a blank stare when I asked to change my order from hummus with shawerma to hummus with sauteed lamb and pine nuts (its on the menu). No biggie, let's stick with my original order, I said.

I ate the falafel straight out of the bag as I got to my car and am very happy to report that they are fried to order. Not so happy to report that they are too mushy and dense (the inside of a proper falafel should not retain the texture of the raw paste used to make it, rather, it should be slightly dry and fluffy). I would have forgiven this sin had the falafel been more flavorful. Unfortunately, these fritters were missing the strong cayenne spice, cumin hit, and ground coriander undertone of proper falafel. With a little work, these things could probably be brought up to speed. Like I said, props for frying to order.

Hummus with shawerma was much much better. Even after a long, humid car ride, the shawerma retained crispy bits here and there, and the flavor exhibited precisely the opposite qualities of the lackluster falafel. Strong vinegar/lemon tang and pronounced Arabic spices - this was a punchy shawerma. The hummus was also great - not overwhelmed with tahina, but nontheless airy and light, with a good balance of lemon and garlic.

A bit of inconsistency aside, Dawali seems like a great option for the neighborhood. Likely not destination worthy, but I doubt you could do better on the Near North Side (I'm not a huge fan of Old Jerusalem). In either case, I will hit them up for takeout and delivery, as I am often in the area when I'm in Chicago.

Dawali North
1625 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60614
tel (312) 944-5800

I enjoyed the falafel I had last week, they weren't mushy as you describe, but with just enough moisture. I especially enjoyed the hummus and citrusy ful mudamas spooned over the falafel eaten from a pita pocket. Of the salad sampler I tried, I think the Jerusalem salad was my favorite - the dressing was just spot on, light but flavorful.

I really like their pita bread too - how thin it is and that it's drizzled with olive oil. They don't make it themselves (I ask) but get it made fresh daily from a local bakery. I have yet to try their meat but plan on trying their lam shawerma and lamb hand pies next time I'm in.

Has anyone tried their desserts? Any standouts?

Hurdler4eva wrote:Has anyone tried their desserts? Any standouts?

The “bird’s nest” dessert was fantastic: light, sweet, sour, fruity.

David Hammond wrote:

Hurdler4eva wrote:Has anyone tried their desserts? Any standouts?

The “bird’s nest” dessert was fantastic: light, sweet, sour, fruity.

Was there a syrup sauce with it? It looks a lot like kadaif, only drier than any I have ever had.

theskinnyduck wrote:Was there a syrup sauce with it? It looks a lot like kadaif, only drier than any I have ever had.

There was a creamy lemon syrup/curd on top of the nest and under the fruit.

Yes, just like David said. ^^^

What is the BYOB status at Dawali on Halsted? We were told we couldn't open our bottle at the Kedzie location so we opted for Semiramas.

burnt offering wrote:What is the BYOB status at Dawali on Halsted? We were told we couldn't open our bottle at the Kedzie location so we opted for Semiramas.

When I was there about two weeks ago, it was BYOB. Best to call.

Had a quick dinner this evening. Was flying solo, so not a broad swath of dishes to report on. Came in early (5pm) and there was only one other table occupied. A third party came in while I ate.
My server was very friendly without hovering or any oppressive cuteness in her approach. She was also very efficient, clearing things as I was finished, refilling water, offering a refill on tea without being asked, etc. (I didn't see any busing support, so I gather the servers are on their own in that regard.)
Had felafel as appetizer and would mostly concur with the OP. They were fried to order, not at all greasy, with a very solid, uniform crunch on the outside, not properly fluffy on the inside. I got a bit of cumin/coriander flavor. No cayenne, really. I also noticed that they had an unusual uniform shape, as if they were fried in a mold. Perhaps all felafel are, I don't know. But rather than being simple spheres, like ping-pong balls, they sort of had straight sides and then crested into a rounder top, like a mini-muffin or cupcake. No idea what this might mean, but it struck me.
Had the beef/lamb shawerma sandwich. Very generous portion. Very good flavor. LOTS of burned crispy bits; nearly every piece of meat had a dark crunchy facet. Yum.
Was at first disappointed that "mint tea" turned out to be a Lipton bag in a glass with some whole mint leaves floating beside it. And yet, those leaves sufficiently transformed the drink so that (along with a bit of honey, which my server offered without being asked), it made for quite a nice drink. And as mentioned above, she gave me a second round, (fresh bag!) no charge, also without being asked.
Also had a side of fries, and these were excellent. Crispy, skin-on, fresh from the fryer, nicely salted and sumac dusted. They were served with a small ramekin of sauce which went unnamed on the menu. When I asked the server she said that the kitchen is very guarded about ingredients and would only tell her it was a "curry sauce." She related an anecdote to support her explanation: A guest asked what the meat was marinated in. Kitchen said, "Lots of spices." Patron asked if they would name a couple. Kitchen replied: "Salt and pepper." So, "curry" was all I could get out of them, but it was a nice dip. The sauce did run out before the fries, but overall it was a nice portion for $2.50. The whole meal was a good value (about $12 total), and stellar value for the neighborhood, being sandwiched between Caminito (Argentine grill), and Mangia Roma, both of whose main dishes alone sit around the $20 point. For dining near Steppenwolf in a budget, I can't think how you could do better.

mrbarolo wrote:Was at first disappointed that "mint tea" turned out to be a Lipton bag in a glass with some whole mint leaves floating beside it. And yet, those leaves sufficiently transformed the drink so that (along with a bit of honey, which my server offered without being asked), it made for quite a nice drink.

I believe I've had a concoction like this before, and your mention of it has sparked a thought about what I can do with all the excess mint in our yard/garden and some mediocre black tea we got as a gift.

David Hammond wrote:

mrbarolo wrote:Was at first disappointed that "mint tea" turned out to be a Lipton bag in a glass with some whole mint leaves floating beside it. And yet, those leaves sufficiently transformed the drink so that (along with a bit of honey, which my server offered without being asked), it made for quite a nice drink.

I believe I've had a concoction like this before, and your mention of it has sparked a thought about what I can do with all the excess mint in our yard/garden and some mediocre black tea we got as a gift.

We had a similar experience in, of all places, the King David Hotel in Jerusalem a few months ago. They have this huge Israeli breakfast spead in the morning, but for all the fresh, local veggies and fruit, serve a hideous instant Nescafe coffee and tea from the local equivalent of Lipton (Wissotsky). If you ask the right waiter, though, they'll go and get mint literally straight from their garden and add it for the tea. The fresh mint completely transforms a forgettable accessory to breakfast to something altogether different.