Sinbad's

fauxpas - Nov 4 06

I went here for lunch at about 3:30 on a Saturday to avoid parking problems. A good strategy -- my companion and I found a spot on University just a few doors down from Geronimo Plaza, where Sinbad's is located.

A good portion of the menu was devoted to vegetarian entrees, and judging from the descriptions all or most of them might have been vegan.

I had a cup of lentil soup, which was pureed and reminded me of split-pea soup. It came with lemon wedges, which allowed me to control the amount of juice that I stirred into the soup. It was delicious.

For my entree I chose the hummos plate, which was exactly what it sounds like -- a plate with hummos spread on top of it, with a circular reservoir for ample olive oil. It was garnished with paprika, fresh parsley, and a few whole chickpeas. There was plenty of pita bread to scoop up the hummos.

I don't know what else I was expecting from this dish, but I was a little disappointed that the appetizer and entree left me still quite hungry. I wished that it had come with a salad or some veggies to dip into the hummos.

My companion ordered a falafel salad. I sampled some of the falafel with my hummos and pita, and it might have been the best falafel I'd ever had.

Our three items together cost about $15. Maybe that's not so bad, but we did feel like the portions were too small to justify the price. There was also a <I>lot</I> of oil -- my hummos had a ridiculous amount of olive oil poured on top of it, and my companion's salad bowl had oil about a centimeter deep when he was done with it.

Overall, I feel positive about this place. It seems like there are quite a few vegan items to choose from, and the food itself was delicious. Next time I visit, I'll have to keep in mind how small the portions are, and I'll also request that they cut down on the oil.