All who wander...
                           ...no están perdidos
Site Search
  • mi vida
  • Palabra del Día
  • About

We are Lebanese if You Please

3/14/2013

3 Comments

 
It had been a long week. My body was drained from last Sunday's efforts in the 10K and my mind was exhausted after meticulously planning lessons, grading presentations, and correcting an overwhelming amount of essays, and I still wasn't caught up. So when Sunday rolled around, I was more than happy to put off my "get-up-and-grade" attitude and head and to the Hub service for a mental rewind. 
And, as occasionally happens after all the prayers are said and the coffee is drunk, a small crew of us attendees decided to head out for lunch. Apparently a new Lebanese restaurant had opened up, and it had already been pre-approved by Fabian and Ambar (both peace corp volunteers), who were excited to share their recent culinary discovery with the rest of us. 
Picture
Picture
Located in a tidy little space just perfect for lunch dates with friends, the first thing you'll see upon entering is a tempting display case full of Lebanese goodies: lamb kebabs, mint salads, hummus, baba ganoush. Whatever Lebanese style food you had your little heart set on, they had it. And to top it off, an array of sticky sweet, traditional Lebanese pastries made with almonds, honey, dates, and phyllo dough. 
Picture
Picture
And in typical Middle Eastern style, there was even a Hookah if you so desire.
Picture
If you are a bit unsure about what Lebanese fare consists of, the most popular and widely-known food is Shawarma....also commonly referred to in the U.S. as a Gyro. I highly recommend this as a starting point if its your first adventure with Lebanese cuisine. Although really, you couldn't go wrong with anything on the menu.
Three of us, myself included, went the Shwarma route. We had the options of choosing our meat: lamb, chicken, of beef; our bread: pan pita (thinner), or pan kebah (more traditional gyro style);  and our sauce: tahini, tatziki , or spicy. 
Picture
Picture
We all came up with different combinations, but were universally pleased with the final results. 
Picture
Picture
The others chose meal combinations with a little more variety, and happily passed around samples. 
Picture
The crowning joy of the whole meal though? Dessert of course. I had had my eyes on a honey almond cake since we first stepped through the door.  Dense and satisfying. I had absolutely no regrets.
Picture
Baklava was another popular and equally scrumptious choice. 
Also, my snap-happiness with the camera may have started a minor hand modeling competition. 
Just look at Jake's elegant positioning: the curve of the wrists, the arc of the knuckles.  A masterpiece I tell you. 
Picture
It could only possibly be out shone by Amber's refined, simplistic approach: the single finger. 
Picture
Picture
Modeling competition aside, the food was excellent: everything bright and fresh and bursting with flavor. The menu is a tad on the pricey side for a Dominican budget, but well worth the occasional splurge. 
Picture
I left lunch feeling rejuvenated, both body and soul (amazing how good food and good friends will do that for you), and ready to tackle the stack of Academic Writing essays that were still patiently awaiting the blur of my red pen. 

If you want to enjoy a little slice of Lebanon for yourself, they're located on the 27th de Febrero, right next to Pala Pizza. Or you can check them out here. 


3 Comments
Robbie Smalling link
3/16/2013 02:24:49 am

Hi, Mollly
I came across your blog and had a question about the DR. I'm leaving for 10 days of backpacking with my wife on March 21st. She's 5 months pregnant and can't ride horses SO if you had to hike to Salto El Limón, how would you do so / what would you wear/take? Also, any strong Jarabacoa recommendations other than the watersfalls (which we'll visit via motoconcho).
¡Gracias! -Robbie [email protected]

Reply
Molly link
3/17/2013 09:24:09 am

Hi Robbie! Glad you found me. Backpacking across the D.R. sounds awesome. It's going to be a great adventure for you!
As far as hiking up to Salto de Limón goes, I would say that its about a 1 1/2 to 2 miles depending on where you start from. Its a rough hike. Very rocky/muddy and pretty steep in some places. It kind of goes up and down a little and you´ll cross over the river a couple of times. A sturdy pair of tennis shoes are definitely a must, and long pants if you´re worried about mosquitos. Although you´ll have to take off the tennies and roll up your pant legs when you cross the river....unless you don´t mind wet tennies. Also if you want to swim at the falls when you arrive, have your swim suit on underneath.
My usual hiking attire consists of old tennis shoes that I don´t mind getting muddy, knee length running/yoga pants, and a t-shirt. Once again, I just want to warn you that this can be a pretty difficult hike. There is a reason why most people ride donkeys. Although if your idea of a vacation is backpacking across a foreign country, youre probably a seasoned hiker and won't have too many troubles :)
Oh and bring water! You will definitely need to drink more water here than in the U.S.!
As far as Jarabacoa goes, I've only been there to see the falls. The town is nice to wander around, but its like most Dominican town. I don't think there are really too many more attractions in that area. Although I do know that you can go white water rafting there if that strikes your fancy. If you are visiting the falls though, for sure visit Salto Biaguate...you can actually swim in the surrounding area.
Any more questions, just let me know! I'll be glad to help you out as best I can. Best of luck!! and congratulations to you and your wife!

Reply
Mark Long link
10/7/2013 04:42:53 pm

Hi, Molly your blog is very nice.ur hotel staff's are so very nice .i want to spent some time in this hotel .i came to the hotel with my family......
.it’s very informative and very much helpful for me it’s very nice...thankx for sharing the bolg on this site............

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Hola! My name is Molly and I was recently hired through the travel abroad company CIEE as an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher for the PUCMM, a university located in Santiago, Dominican Republic. Hopefully this blog will give future travelers an insight into teaching abroad, while also helping me log my adventures and stay in touch with friends back home. 

    blog expat

    Archives

    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012

    Categories

    All
    Culture/ Cultura
    Food/ Comida
    Musings/ Pensamientos
    Santiago Reviews/revisas
    Travel/ Viajes

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.