At Kabobi in Albany Park, grilling an everyday affair
CHICAGO (WLS) -- You know what you're in for at a place called "Kabobi Grill," and this Albany Park Persian restaurant is fairly proud of its skewers.
"Could be chicken, could be meat, could be fish. Anything on the grill we call kabob," said Kabobi's owner, Joseph Toulabi.
Most diners tend to start off with a salad or dip, like the excellent hummus, tabouli or baba gannoush - an eggplant spread that's been claimed by pretty much every Mediterranean country.
"It could be Israeli, it could be Persian, it could be Lebanese, so everybody claim it," he said.
But there are also Persian starters, like a spinachy bowl of ghormeh zabzi, laced with kidney beans and lemon juice. Or, a mashed and roasted eggplant spread of kashkeh bodemjan - with carmelized onions, whey, garlic and mint.
But it's the kebabs they're known for, and everything is solid. From the juicy, tender chicken pieces - either boneless or on-the-bone - to the long, slender ground lamb versions. Even the beef is of high-quality.
"For the shish kebab, the pieces, we use filet mignon, so that's why you cannot grind the filet mignon," he said.
Platters come with grilled tomatoes and red onions, served over a choice of either plain basmati rice or rice with dill (or half and half). One thing worth noting: each silver platter is lined with a warm flatbread at the bottom, beneath the rice.
"That's a Persian tradition. That bread under the kebab it gets tasty and moist and we really enjoy that part of it," said Toulabi.
The menu is definitely a hybrid of Persian and Mediterranean. The Mediterranean side being the very familiar Lebanese/Jordanian food you'd see all over the city - hummus, baba gannoush, tabbouli, that sort of thing - but the Persian side of the menu is all about the kebab.
Kabobi Grill
4748 N. Kedzie Ave.
773-583-1400
