New restaurant brings authentic taste of the Holy Land to Utah Valley
We heard it through the grapevine.
Lindon residents have been raving about a new restaurant that recently opened, bringing new food flavors to the area.
Galilee Grill & Bakery has centered its menu around foods from the Holy Land. The owner, Ehab Abunuwara, sought to share family recipes and experiences from Nazareth — his hometown — and Jerusalem with Utah Valley. He was particularly frustrated with the lack of decent pita bread here — I don’t blame him.
But alas, we no longer have to suffer stiff store-bought pita from the supermarket because Abunuwara is supplying fresh, homemade pita, after having a machine designed by his father in Israel and engineered in Lehi, in the restaurant.
This pita! While waiting for my abnormally large order to be served, I snatched my one pita bread offered with two flavors of olive oil or balsamic vinegar. While the selection of oils and vinegars was exciting and varied, I settled on sampling the Blood Orange Olive Oil and Pistachio Balsamic. Every bite was tasty; I could see diners making the trip to this restaurant solely to stock up on pita and delicious dipping sauces.
I tried Middle Eastern cuisine for the first time while studying in Israel several years ago. I believe the moment I became enamored was my first bite of fresh baklava — a pastry made of flaky layers often filled with nuts and syrup — that was served in a corner store in the evenings during Ramadan. It was sticky and sweet and covered in honey, and we proceeded to dine on it every night like it was our bread and butter instead of the dessert it was.
Since then, I’ve also dreamed of the seven shekel falafel sandwiches I’d grab in the Old City from my favorite vendor, and whenever I’ve stumbled upon a Middle Eastern restaurant in the U.S., I’d stop and pray the food would be authentic enough to take me back to those busy streets in Jerusalem filled with bustling people and narrow alleys perfumed with the smell of a dozen spices.
So, logically I ordered a falafel sandwich, among other plates from Galilee’s menu. The sandwich included falafel — fried balls typically made with ground chickpeas — with hummus, tahini sauce, various fresh and pickled vegetables and sauces wrapped in pita. I asked the worker for a little hot sauce on mine, and when I took my first bite and closed my eyes I could almost feel Jerusalem’s uneven stone streets beneath me; I’ve yet to find an American place that stuffed a falafel sandwich with french fries like my favorite Israel joint did. Nonetheless, I’ll be going back for the falafel.
And on my next trip, I’ll be coming back for the lamb as well. Those familiar with Middle Eastern cuisine will know lamb is just as much a staple and commonality as falafel, hummus and sesame seeds. In thinly sliced strips, the lamb in the Lamb Shwarma Plate was tender and tangy. Paired with the restaurant’s offering of Jasmine or Basmati Rice, it’s a rare delicacy in these parts that I hope and anticipate will be embraced.
Galilee’s special at the time featured Turkish Chicken with a side of rice, salad and hummus. The chicken was served as a juicy drumstick cooked with simple spices, a unique plate considering many restaurants forgo this part of the chicken nowadays.
The Kebab Plate came served with red onion and half a Roma tomato over tasty, yet standard rice. The blackened outside of the kebabs had a strong charred flavor, while the insides were juicy and well spiced, with a bit of a bite to the flavor without being too hot. The onion and tomato were also char grilled, which paired well with the meat.
The soup offerings stand out as perhaps the most traditional menu items; the hearty Red Lentil Soup will attract those well acquainted with this cuisine while first-comers might be better off starting with other popular menu items.
The homemade baklava, while not quite like my idealized memory of the desserts I ate in Jerusalem, was much better than the Greek versions of the dessert available at other local restaurants. Typical of Middle Eastern cuisine and desserts, it was topped and filled with finely chopped pistachios.
For those who love cheese and more savory treats, the fatayer (a pastry that can be stuffed with anything from spinach and meat to cheese) was cut and made like the baklava, except the fatayer toned down the sweetness and added cheese to the pastry along with chopped pistachios on top.
Lindon residents should consider themselves lucky to have this Middle Eastern jewel tucked in their shopping area by Oteo, Magleby’s Fresh and Big Island Sam’s. For those that haven’t made the 7,000-mile trip to the Holy Land, the 7 or so miles to Galilee Grill is one “foodcation” you can make frequently.
GALILEE GRILL & BAKERY
Where: 131 S. State St., Lindon
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Prices: $1-$10.99
Info: (801) 610-7813, galileegrill.com/