Video: Deli changes name to reflect Middle Eastern flair

By SCOTT CHERRY - 10/8/2009


When Seema and Shahram Ahmadi took over the Market Deli two years ago they added Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes to the lineup of soups, salads, sandwiches and wraps. As time passed more and more emphasis was placed on the Mediterranean fare, and recently they changed the name of the restaurant to Ali Baba's Mediterranean Grill.

"We changed the name so people would know better what kind of food we have inside," Seema Ahmadi said. "We still have the sandwiches, wraps and other deli items, but the new name shows more what we do."

They also expanded the Mediterranean portion of the menu with a couple of redesigned platters and new specials.

We ordered the Mediterranean platter ($8.99) because it offered a varied assortment of items and the new kabob sultani platter ($15.99).

The kabob platter included one skewer of ground beef and one of cubes of grilled filet mignon, the former dense and lightly seasoned and the latter fork tender and flavorful. The meats were served around a mound of saffron-tinged basmati rice with a side of a tasty grilled tomato complete with char marks from the grill.

The Mediterranean platter held a big helping of the basmati rice, along with thin slices of gyros meat (beef-lamb combo), a grilled onion, a fat cabbage roll, a small stuffed grape leaf, hummus, tabouli, a cucumber sauce and pita bread.

The tabouli was mostly parsley with a little cracked wheat, cucumber, tomato and onion, and we added a little olive oil just to suit personal tastes. The hummus had a thin, almost soupy texture and a good, earthy flavor.

The cabbage roll was filled with rice, a little ground beef and a touch of cinnamon, and had a bit of spiciness in the flavor. The cucumber sauce, which made a fine dip for almost everything on our platters, included sour cream and a hint of mint.

"We also have a good eggplant dip that is available but isn't listed on the menu yet," Ahmadi said. "It's good with pita bread and rice."

Two dishes we liked here in the past are the khoresht ghaimeh platter ($10.99), a stew of beef, split peas and dried limes topped with potato slices and served with basmati rice, and the zereshk rice platter ($10.99), a mix of zereshk (dried berries), saffron, rice and almond slices.

The shirazi salad ($2.99) includes a traditional Middle Eastern combination of cucumber, tomato, onion, bell pepper, lemon, olive oil and a little salt and pepper.

The deli side of the menu includes all of the usual suspects, including such choices as a chef's salad, tuna salad, drip beef sandwich, Reuben sandwich, loaded baked potatoes, turkey-and-cheese wrap and chili.

For dessert we had big triangles of rich-tasting baklava ($1.99).

"I come in early in the morning and make everything," Ahmadi said. "And we can make the food to meet any special requests, like for vegetarians if they don't want meat."

The informal dining room seats about 35. A large wall mural of an Italian street scene is the most notable decorating touch.

Ali Baba Mediterranean Grill is located in a strip center directly across 51st Street from the old Steak & Ale building. Call-in orders may be picked up at the drive-through window.

The restaurant is open 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and accepts all major credit cards.





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Sereshk

Sereshk are brightly colored dried berries from the barberis, or barberry, shrub and have a sharp taste, something like a tart cranberry.

Zereshk and saffron are produced on the same land and harvested at the same time. The South Khorasan province in Iran is the largest producer of sereshk and saffron in the world.

Other species of the berries, which are rich in vitamin C, are widely found in Argentina and Chile, where they are used for jams and infusions, and in the Ukraine, where they are made into a candy.

The thorny shrubs make harvesting difficult, so in some areas the berries mostly become a n important food source for small birds.





ALI BABA MEDITERRANEAN GRILL

4709 E. 51st St.
488-1818



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Tulsa World Reader Comments
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tulsaGuy, (10/8/2009 10:19:42 PM)
Sounds Wonderful !!!! Tulsa needed this at this location !! Yumm Yummm !! (Hope they have good cucumber-yogurt sauce.)



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