We recently visited the Bay State Shawarma and Grill which is located on Water Street. I was immediately excited because I love the Canal District and adding a new restaurant is a plus! We entered into a cafeteria style setting with the food behind a viewing counter. I was excited to see they had an assortment of vegetarian options as well as many meat options, those too on display, some on rotisserie! I chose the following: Vegetarian Grape leaves, Baba Ghanouj, Loubieh and Mujadara. The grape leaves were delicious, the leaves were not stringy (which I find happens more often than not) and the rice had a wonderful assortment of herbs and spices. Next I tried the Loubieh, I had never had this dish before, green beans mixed in a tomato sauce with onions and spices, truly a delight, there was so much flavor considering the few ingredients, the beans were fresh and they mixed well with the tomato sauce and spices. I will definitely get that again. Another dish I had never tried, the Mujadara, a mix of lentils, fried onions and spices served over rice. Hands down this was my favorite dish, lentil dishes can be dry, not this one, a blend of strong but not overpowering spices and caramelized but not dried out onions, the rice was great though my only wish would be this dish was served a bit warmer, but that might be due to the fact that there were so many of us to serve. Lastly, was the Baba Ghanouj, I like mine a bit on the smokier side, and this hit the mark! Creamy and smoky, I was in heaven, their pita bread was large and fresh and perfect for dipping. As I was finishing my last bite I was already planning when I could return, not only is this the best Middle Eastern food I have had in this area it is also paired with a bakery! One stop shopping! I highly recommend for those who love great Middle Eastern food that does not lack in flavor!
