A more lighted view of the kebab/kabob dish

Cedars of Lebanon

152 E 200 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 364-4096

www.cedarsoflebanonrestaurant.com

$$

These past few months, I’ve been reinvigorated with an appreciation of lamb.( I’ll be doing a separate picture post of some recipes I’ve tinkered with).  I have mostly my friends Rachel and Tony to thank for this. Rachel has been instrumental in opening up my palate to Indian cuisine and the use of lamb in kabobs and the most incredible curries. Tony has fueled this passion for lamb and its buttery, succulent flavor by showing me the way lamb is made in Irish and Mediterranean cuisine.  As a result, I’ve experimented with a number of lamb kabob, shanks, and even stir fry recipes to bring out the young and flavorful offerings of lamb.

In this quest I’ve visited a few locales which offer lamb as a specialty dish – among them, Cedars of Lebanon. Offering Lebanese and Moroccan food, Cedars of Lebanon has many of the Mediterranean flavors and dishes you’d expect. These include items such as Tabouleh and Baba Ganooj, as well as an assortment of kabobs and rice dishes. While I absolutely loved Mazza, Cedars is my new favorite spot. It combines quality Mediterranean food, warm atmosphere, and good prices.  For those unfamiliar with this type of cuisine, expect three things: kebabs/lamb, many dips that have olive oil, lemon juice and vegetables (it’s a vegetarian/vegan’s dream), and an aromatic dining experience.

My first Cedars’ visit happened by chance. Out in Salt Lake for a boy’s night out, my party ended up around Cedars. The choice of where to eat was between Vinto and Cedars – Cedars won by majority vote. As we walked in, we were greeted with the gyrating motions of a belly dancer.  She had us speechless not because of her revealing outfit but because she seemed to float from table to table towards patrons of all ages who weren’t as bashful as we were. As she swayed her way into the next room, the owner of the establishment quickly greeted us and our adventure soon began. What would soon follow was a warm dining experience capped by quality food and a fun evening.

We started off with Hummus – Hummus is not a complicated dish but when well done is a great precursor to the meal. I love the fresh and vibrant flavors and it was executed nicely. I enjoy two things with Med cuisine, the cooling sensation of their dips and for more Middle Eastern and Indian fare – yogurt/cucumber sauces.We also had Tabboule (Tabouleh) which is another dip consisting of bulgur wheat with parsley, tomatoes, scallions, lemon juice and olive oil. The dip was at the suggestion of our waitress and while I enjoyed it, it had a distinct flavor more akin to a Southwestern-Mexican flavor than Mediterranean.  For the main entree, our group kept it simple, we had the Lamb Shish Kebabs, Gyro, and Lamb Shanks.

The Shish Kebabs were full of flavor but not overpowering as to mask the sweet lamb flavor. They had a full bodied flavor and were still medium inside (signs of a good lamb dish – either braised or pink in the middle). They were a bit tough but that’s how I like my kebabs, it’s similar to the texture and toughness of Korean ribs and beef bulgogi – enough of a bite to keep you entertained while eating.  The Gyro was good – nothing exceptional – but tasty.  My friend who isn’t a fan of this type of food gobbled his gyro up quickly..  Two lamb shanks came with the meal on a bed of rice pilaf and steamed vegetables.  (A better value and flavor than the single lamb shank meals you’ll find at  MacCools) While the sides were plain, the lamb had been slow cooked and had been braised to a fall-off-the bone tenderness. The owner shared her secret that the lamb was extremely fresh and cooked for at least 3 hours. It did require a little salt to match my salty palate but the young shanks were full of meat and my favorite, marrow!

Friday and Saturday there is belly dancing, so be prepared for fun (clean) and be sure to tip well. My friends and I had a good laugh at the stuttering hand movements of our friend who failed miserably at placing a nice tip.  He was obviously new to the experience though I think our belly dancer made it more difficult 🙂 with every hip shake. I’m sure Elvis would have been proud . There is also a Casbah room set up like a Moroccan tent. It’s basically a private dining room. When we were there, a large group entertained a number of guests which included what I believe were some hookahs.

I also went back to Cedars for their lunch buffet. The buffet had a moderate sized selections of dishes but the standouts were easily the curry-type chicken and rice with beef. I don’t usually rate buffets but if you’re looking for a taste of what this place has to offer during the day – try lunch.

All in all, I’m very happy with my visits to Cedars, one return visit the service was a bit slow but I was in now rush. I returned almost 2 months later and the owner remembered me and my guest and even thanked me for coming back. I hope to come back more often.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Friend Meter: Rachel, Tony, Mediterranean cuisine fans.