There are many great Middle Eastern restaurants in the United States, but one of the best is Zakia in Atlanta, Georgia, which truly epitomizes the Arab adage that Arabs eat food with the same passion they make love.
Ray Hanania
Originally published on Hanania.com on Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Arabs don’t just eat Middle Eastern food, they love it with the vigor and passion you’d expect from a beautiful relationship.
They bring food to their lips as if in a passionate kiss. Dipping bread into hummus or tasting kibbeh nayeh is the slow, sensual passion of love. Savoring every flavor. It is no surprise that Arabs are a passionate and emotional people.
Of course, it all helps when dining at a Middle Eastern restaurant if the chef there really knows how to turn a menu of dishes into a fantastic dinner experience.
There are so many amazing Middle Eastern restaurants with amazing recipes and menus, but when you find a restaurant that serves up an unusual combination of warm stuffed grape leaves and lamb, even if it’s just a small appetizer of five bread rolls, and a plate of perfectly seasoned, fresh kibbeh nayeh (Lebanese steak tartare), you’ve hit the culinary G-spot.
There’s a great restaurant in Orland Park, Chicagoland called Zwar, another that offers the same experience in Washington, DC called Lebanese Taverna, and recently discovered a third restaurant during a trip to Atlanta, Georgia to cover the presidential debates.
During my time in Atlanta, I had the pleasure of enjoying one of the best Middle Eastern restaurants in the South, Zakia (3699 Lenox Road).
The perfect combination of kibbeh nayeh, lamb stuffed grape leaves and hummus was like a G-spot on steroids: so delicious, it made me feel guilty, as if I’d cheated on my spouse.
My experience at Atlanta’s Middle Eastern restaurant Zakia (which means “delicious” in Arabic) was quite unusual. I rarely enjoy Middle Eastern food this much.
The restaurant itself is first class and it feels like you are dining in a Pharaoh’s galley – absolutely exquisite – nothing makes good food taste better than sitting at a table in an inspiring culinary environment.
The hummus with chickpeas and extra virgin olive oil was perfect, the pita bread was hot and fresh.
Just seeing kibbeh nayeh on a menu is a treat: five grape leaves tossed in a delicious diced-tomato dressing; you’ll want to double it and order 10; and a little dipping dish with oil, sesame seeds and za’atar, a spicy Levantine herb.
It’s the equivalent of a baseball player hitting a grand slam and pitching a no-hitter on the opposing team, or a hockey player scoring three goals in the same game to achieve a “hat trick.”
I actually savored that dinner and enjoyed every bite that reached my palate.
The kebabs were two 4oz filets cooked to perfection and BBQ vegetables, the rice was buttery with almond slices and excellent.
I’m not a smoker but after I finished I wanted to lie down and have a cigarette.
The restaurant also has a wide selection of red and white wines, including Lebanese, but as a baby boomer living on a high dose of 21st century medication, wine is one of those things I have to give up, so I avoid it.
But there’s one thing I never give up: the search for the best Middle Eastern restaurants when I travel to the United States, or even the Middle East or Europe.
It’s almost worth taking a weekend trip to Atlanta just to experience Zakia’s menu.
You can enjoy vegetarian meals, but that’s like having sex alone – so what’s the fun in that?
True Middle Eastern food is healthy and meaty. The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets in the world, and it doesn’t have to be a “diet” that blights your taste buds.
If you are in Atlanta or can afford to plan a trip to this beautiful city with the desire to experience this Middle Eastern culinary sensation, here are some more photos for you to try.
Satain, I say, there is an Arabic word for “two health,” which is a strange expression of wanting not just one health, but a higher level of health experience, and I reply with Ala al-bek, which means “in your heart.”
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Kibbe Naye (Steak tartare)
Grape leaves stuffed with lamb
Khums
Fillet Kebab
Zakia, 3699 Lenox Road, Atlanta, GA.
