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Authentic Middle Eastern Dining at Sahara

Worcester Foodies #76 visiting Sahara on Highland Street in Worcester, MA

After 75 consecutive months of dining together in Worcester, it becomes quite difficult to continue our foodie journey without repeating restaurants, but we manage to persist. This month Giselle selected Sahara, a Middle Eastern restaurant on Highland Street that prides itself on gourmet Lebanese cuisine.

There were 16 of us in attendance and upon arrival, it seemed we all had one thing in mind: what would we be drinking? Although many of us couldn’t even pronounce the Lebanese wines at first, we asked for samples and found that we really enjoyed them. Dana ended up ordering the Lebanese Clos St. Thomas Gourmet Rouge which he described as dry with juicy fruit flavors. Luke also went for a Lebanese wine, Chateau Ksara, a red blend aged for 18 months in oak.

Chateau KsaraNext came the appetizers. The simplicity of Sahara’s grape leaves allowed the hummus to be the star. Everyone who tried the hummus really enjoyed it, especially Robyn who noted her love of Tahini. After quickly finishing the first course, our table came to an agreement that Sahara possesses one of the better hummuses in all of Worcester.

Between the 16 of us, surprisingly almost everyone ordered a different entrée. Some kept it simple with Fatoush Salads while others experimented with dishes such as Port Said Shrimp, Mughrebeeye, Stuffed Cabbage Leaves, Sheikh el Mishi, and various Shawarma plates.

Port Said Lamb paired with Chateau Ksara from Sahara on Highland Street in Worcester, MA
Port Said Lamb paired with Chateau Ksara from Sahara on Highland Street in Worcester, MA

Julie enjoyed her Port Said Shrimp over rice pilaf. The shrimp was sautéed in butter with lemon, mushrooms and a hint of garlic. The sauce was light but had a dominant lemon flavor which she felt enhanced the fresh seafood. Her one wish would be that for the price ($18) there was a little bit more rice.

The Mughrebeeye (huh?!) is a chicken dish that Sahara claims can please the most finicky guests. Lynndzie thought it was excellent and has plans to come back for it. Steve also enjoyed the Mughrebeeye.

Steve said, “The dish smelled amazing when it was served. The taste of nutmeg, and I believe, coriander and turmeric made me instantly think of having this dinner in front of a fire place on a cold snowy December evening.”

I ordered the Sheikh el Mishi ($19), which Sahara likes to call “The King of eggplant dishes!” I wouldn’t disagree with them on that, it was quite large and full of eggplant, ground beef, onions and various spices. My only complaint was that the thick tomato sauce made it a very heavy dish and it was very hot inside the restaurant. Like Steve, I would absolutely order this again on a chilly fall or winter night.

As a group, we agreed that the size of the restaurant was great for large parties but the inside could use a little love. It has an upscale look to it with the gold chandeliers, but the peeling paint on the walls and the dirty carpet were eye sores.

Sahara is open until 2 a.m. every night and offers free, live entertainment every Friday and Saturday evening. (I hear it gets packed on the weekends!) Whether you go for something exotic or an old staple, Sahara’s authentic Middle Eastern cuisine is sure to please even the pickiest eaters.

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Fall in Love with Levantine Cuisine

Chicken Shawarma Plate from Bay Side on Water Street in Worcester, MA

The Canal District, easily Worcester’s most actively developing area, is a great place to grab a coffee, a cocktail, watch a game, go on a date, go shopping, or just take a walk. On this weekends Sunday scroll I found myself getting hungry but craving something more satisfying than the typical burger or pizza that I usually go for. I stumbled into a real hidden Levantine gem that’s been in the heart of the Canal District before it was even cool, Baystate Shawarma.

Levantine cuisine is the traditional cuisine of the Levant, which covers a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean. Popular dishes include hummus and falafel, but there’s so much more that this cuisine, and Baystate Shawarma, has to offer. Step out of your comfort zone and fall in love with Manakeesh, a pizza-like flatbread garnished with minced meat, or Baba Ghanoush, a dip made from baked, mashed eggplant mixed with lemon, garlic, olive oil.

Chicken Shawarma Dinner Plate from Bay State on Water Street in Worcester, MAAnd an absolute legend, Shawarma. Shawarma, an Arabic word for “turning,” is a Levantine meat preparation, typically done with chicken, beef and lamb. It’s known to the Lebanese as an Arabic “fast food” although by no means can it be prepared fast.

Baystate Shawarma knows that the secret to great shawarma is marinating it properly. The perfect shawarma will be marinated and grilled on a spit for at least one day, preferably two, and can be served on a plate or as a pita wrap with fresh vegetables and Tahini. I think we can all agree we’d rather grab some shawarma on the go rather than making that dreaded pit stop at McDonalds for what we as Americans call “fast food.”

Let’s not get shawarma confused with gyros. Although very similar and both delicious, the main difference is that there is a lot more flexibility around cooking shawarma. A gyro will most always be lamb, tomato, onion and tzatziki served on a pita, while shawarma’s can come with all different types of meat, veggies, spices, sauces, and sometimes even French fries. The options are endless!

If you’re looking for authentic shawarma in the Worcester area you won’t regret popping into Baystate Shawarma. Located at 96 Water Street, this Middle Eastern gem offers a casual dining area, market and bakery and is open 7 days a week. Rated 4 stars on Yelp with almost 100 reviews, you can’t go wrong with one of their made-to-order shawarma plates. The chicken shawarma plate (only $7.99) includes chicken, rice, salad, pickles, radishes, a scoop of hummus and toum (garlic sauce), and pita, and can easily be split into 2 full meals. The chicken was moist, the rice was fluffy and the salad was zesty and fresh. Looking for something vegetarian? Grape leaves and Fatoush are both great options that are less than $5 each.

Whether you’re Middle Eastern or not, it’s hard not to fall in love with the made-to-order cuisine this Canal District staple offers.