Who knew a crappy little hole-in-the-wall restaurant would have one of the best meals out I’ve had in a long time? My friends and I had dinner at Taste of Lebanon in Chicago before seeing our friend Don play Tom Cruise in a reenactment of Legend at the Neo-Futurists Theatre and were treated to a dirt cheap meal with so much flavor that it had me craving more for the better part of a week.

My falafel (made with  Near East brand falafel mix), really, can hardly hold a candle to theirs, but it was mighty tasty. I actually prefer Casbah brand for flavor and texture.

It was also my first time making Maftoul, middle eastern couscous. It’s an interesting grain that was really delicious. To the broth I cooked it in I added the remaining water from the roasted red peppers, which added a great sweetness to the dish that reminded me of the couscous from my favorite lunch place when I worked in downtown Chicago, Roti. I wish I’d had some mandarin oranges to add to the side dish like they do there, but the carrots and roasted corn were great too. I look forward to making a cold salad like Roti’s with the Maftoul for my next potluck.