The Other Critics

Bruno Feels Welcome at Dawali; Chicago Gluttons Gorge on Leopold

Mussels at Leopold.
Mussels at Leopold. Photo: Huge Galdones/Galdones Photography

Pat Bruno finds a warm welcome at Dawali Mediterranean Kitchen on North Halsted Street, which also has a sibling in the Arab neighborhood in Albany Park. He praises the falafel— “a nice, crunchy, golden crust that gave way to the elegantly seasoned and softly textured ground chickpeas underneath.” And he likes the portion size: “The marinated and charbroiled lamb kebab was a generous portion (about eight chunks of tender lamb). And a beef/lamb shawerma combo was quite a feast.” He sums it up: “This new and pleasing Middle Eastern restaurant has it together right from the start.” [Sun-Times]

It’s amusing to think of Leopold’s creamy, sophisticated-comfy interior even playing host to Chicago Gluttons, let alone provoking comments like this one about the poutine: “Fried potatoes smothered in baby sheep gravy and cheese turds. My gods, this was really intense. It was meaty, it was cheesy, it was fried. It was the chili cheese fries satan would use to trick you into selling your soul (dummy). I would eat this off a hobo. A dead hobo. A dead, naked hobo. How about some mussels? How about a wheelbarrow full of mussels covered in ‘white wine, petite herbs, butter, onion aioli or wittekerke, bratwurst + onions, onion aioli?’” After gorging on the lush, beer-friendly food, all they can say is “Belgians everywhere can hold their berets (?) proudly high.” [Chicago Gluttons]

Bruno Feels Welcome at Dawali; Chicago Gluttons Gorge on Leopold