MARCH 23, 2011
Presentation is everything, and I was delighted when Thamir Khadim placed an entree called Gyro (Shawirma) Beef before me at Babylon.
The Middle Eastern restaurant that opened at Christmastime in downtown Grand Forks is doing well, according to the owner. And it offers a chance to eat a different style of food. You find lamb and falafel on the menu, as well as stuffed grape leaves called dolma, which are made with rice and meat.
When I ordered the gyro beef dish, I had no idea what I was getting for $8.99. The menu said only, “Tender slices of beef and lamb in spices.” It was served on a square black plate with thinly sliced lean meat and hummus along with a light cucumber sauce, a tomato slice in one corner and cucumber slice in the other. There was a small cup of salad on the plate along with a pleasing cucumber sauce for dressing. The meat was tender and tasty, though a little too salty. The combination of tastes was nice.
It was a complete meal. With it, I had a cup of Arabic tea (99 cents) and, for dessert, a Ladies Arm, described as “curled dough with cream and pistachio.” On the menu, it says $7.50, but Thamir said that was a mistake. Well, whatever.
The Ladies Arm turned out to be three small rolls of very nice mild flavored pastry—not too sweet and not too much. I finished the meal thinking I would certainly go back. If for nothing else, I would go there for Arabic tea and Ladies Arm in the afternoon. The tea was exceptionally good and so inviting, served in an ornate teacup with a tiny sugar bowl on the side.
I was having lunch with Maggie McDermott (MM), who enjoyed gyro chicken ($6.99). And MM found the pressed, thinly sliced chicken to be some of the best ever. She ordered Arabic coffee (99 cents) and found it very good. We wondered where else you can find coffee at that price.
Babylon is a small family business run by Thamir and Waffa Khadim with help from some of their five children. It’s the same facility that has been the site of other restaurants in recent years—most recently Bella Vino. Some people remember the location as the lounge of the Dacotah Hotel.
There is a high back table with chairs down the center with three tables on one side and six roomy black wooden booths on the other side. The new owners have enriched the decor with artwork from their homeland.
The family, originally from Iraq, came here by way of Turkey two years ago with help from the United Nations. They have been learning English, and Thamir, who had graduated from college in Iraq, said his family feels safe in Grand Forks.
Babylon continues to operate, in a new location, in Grand Forks.