Fattoush

Good Middle Eastern Comfort Food in San Francisco's Noe Valley - I wasn't even hungry when I got into the cab to go to Fattoush, but by the time we arrived, the driver had talked up their hummus and baklava so much that I was nearly starving! Modestly decorated inside with a lovely dining patio in the back, Fattoush makes for a pleasant casual dining experience. For dinner, they offer standard Middle Eastern comfort fare, and all dishes were served nearly simultaneously and piping hot. The servings are a bit on the larger side so if you get a bunch of appetizers sharing a main dish between two people works well. Highlights included the hummus (it had just the right amount of lemon juice and olive oil), khyar b'laban (yogurt cucumber salad with garlic and fresh dill), and mansaf (tender chunks of chicken cooked in this amazing yogurt sauce served atop a mound of fluffy rice, and sprinkled with roasted almond slivers... there was an abundance of yogurt sauce, so a few of us put it on most anything and everything. =) The falafel tabsi (falafel topped with a mild curry sauce with eggplant, onion, tomatoes, garlic, and lime) was a bit bland, but if you ask for some cucumber yogurt and mix it into the sauce, it makes for a pretty tasty dish. Service was a bit slow and borderline abrupt, but when they weren't taking orders or setting down dishes, the staff was very friendly and attentive. I'll definitely be back at some point to check out their brunch. Their corn flake french toast caught my eye...