606276 Mon Mar 23 19:50:31 -0700 2009 7 6 Southwest 0 4532013 At the end of last year and despite the down turn in the economy, my co-worker Angelica decided to abandon us at my place of employment and go to nursing school. The nerve. And it is so in line with her personality as well. I mean, she is a tree-hugging vegetarian, for God’s sake, and she just can never join us for red meat and helping to increase global warming. It makes me sick. But for some reason, I like Angelica. She is a sweet woman who has a heart of gold and a passion for good, meat-free food. Since I hadn’t seen her since she left us stranded, we decided to meet up for lunch at a place that I had heard about a few times, but never really got to visit. It was in Tempe and served Mediterranean food. Since I am always up for that cuisine, we made plans to meet. I pulled into the parking lot at Byblos and waited for Angelica to arrive. There were only four or five spots in front of the place, but a big sign encouraged people to park in the back. Angelica didn’t get premium parking and did end up parking in the back and I met her half way, escorting her to the front of the restaurant and telling how she could have had premium parking if only she would have a steak once in a while. We entered into Byblos and it was charming. The place looked very comfortable with plenty of tables and booths and we waited a moment before a very pleasant woman showed us to one of the booths next to the front windows. We were handed menus and were very surprised by the offerings. The lunch menu was packed full of choices, but we were both stunned by the pricing. It was dirt cheap. We struggled to find anything above the $10.00 range, finally seeing some things in the “Byblos Entrees” section. Our server came over to take our drink order and we had two sodas ($1.95 each). We also ordered a side of hummus as an appetizer ($2.45). Our server said she would return with our drinks shortly while we reviewed the menu. Angelica and I took our time deciding and she opted for the Falafel Plate ($5.95) and I went with the Gyro Platter ($5.95). We sat back and chatted about how our lives were going as we waited for our hummus to arrive. http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c208/sethchadwick/bybloshummuspita.jpg The hummus was a perfect size to start our luncheon. It came with a basket of hot, fresh pita bread and we feasted on both parts. The bread was soft and somewhat chewy and had a touch of a buttery aftertaste. It even had occasional bits of char on the bottom which I loved but I know it pretty frowned upon by pita purists. The hummus itself was rich and creamy and we both were happy with the fact that it had a good garlic taste, but the garlic didn’t overwhelm the entire dish. I loved the texture and the balance between the chickpeas and the tahini. The olive oil on top was sufficient and the pickles and tomatoes also complimented the dip. We gobbled down the delicious paste in minutes. We waited about 10 minutes before our entrees arrived. Angelica’s Falafel plate was covered with plenty of food and was pretty appetizing. The fluffy balls of chickpea flour and spices looked really good from my vantage point. Angelica gave them a thumbs up. She said they weren’t the best falafel she had ever had, but were pretty good. She loved the salad and accouterments that came with the falafel and was very happy with the entire dish. The portion was quite large and Angelica couldn’t finish her meal. http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c208/sethchadwick/byblosgyros.jpg My Gyro Platter was excellent all the way around. The gyro meat was tender, moist, flavorful and not greasy, which can easily distinguish a good gyro from a bad one. The meat was thinly sliced and the strips of meat were stacked on my plate. I smeared on some of the tzatziki sauce that came with the gyro and it was a match made in heaven. The onions added a sweet and bitter dimension. The side of rice was light and fluffy with a subtle nutty taste. All in all it was a great presentation. We had another round of refills and chatted for a long time before deciding it was time to leave. We requested our bill and the total was a scant $19.76 including tax. We were somewhat dumbfounded. The quality and quantity of food along with the comfortable atmosphere really made this place a standout. It wasn’t the best Mediterranean restaurant I have eaten at, but the entire experience was very good. And in these horrible economic times, the final total on the bill was exceptionally easy on the wallet. We also enjoyed the friendly and somewhat motherly service from our server. We paid the bill and departed and I walked Angelica back to her car. I said my goodbyes and headed for my own car and kept thinking along the way what type of nurse Angelica would be. After a lot of thought, I realized that behind that sweet exterior is either a Nurse Ratchet or a Nurse Diesel. The money bet is on Nurse Diesel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FTWSlxQ4aE Byblos Restaurant 3332 South Mill Avenue Tempe, AZ 85282 Dress: Casual Hours: Tuesday through Saturday - 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM and 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM; Sunday - 4:00 PM to 9:30 PM; Closed Monday. Notes: Limited parking in front, but plenty of parking behind the restaurant. Alcohol: Full bar. Website: www.byblostempe.com Additional photos can be found at www.feastinginphoenix.com Mon Mar 23 19:50:31 -0700 2009 10633 Seth Chadwick 1 4532022 Good to have you back, Seth! Thanks for the review. Mon Mar 23 19:53:37 -0700 2009 4532013 65085 ejs1492 1 4532047 Thanks, Seth. Sounds like the Byblos I remember from my student days--solid neighborhood joint that just barely fit into my budget when I was surviving on my meager teaching assistant's stipend. Mon Mar 23 19:58:58 -0700 2009 4532013 86822 hohokam 2 4532066 I think that is a great description, hohokam. It certainly couldn't survive in that location if the prices were higher at lunch. It really is solid and a great value. Mon Mar 23 20:06:39 -0700 2009 4532047 10633 Seth Chadwick 3 4532076 Ditto for Haji Baba. I went back a couple weeks ago and it was like visiting an old college friend. Mon Mar 23 20:11:11 -0700 2009 4532066 67548 azhotdish 4 4532097 Thanks for the reminder, azhd. I always seem to forget about that place. Mon Mar 23 20:19:59 -0700 2009 4532076 10633 Seth Chadwick 1 4533510 it's like a walk down memory lane :) i used to love that place when i lived on the other side of town..thanks for the reminder :) Tue Mar 24 10:20:41 -0700 2009 4532013 60025 winedubar 1 4534122 Geez - I worked not a mile and half from Byblos for almost 6 years and could never find anyone who had ever eaten there to tell me if it was any good. The couple times I thought to venture there on my own they looked closed. Now I am miles away and know I missed out on a find! Bz Tue Mar 24 12:54:19 -0700 2009 4532013 14380 Bazel