There aren’t many choices for Mediterranean cuisine nearby, so when we recently craved some of my grandmother’s cooking, I recalled someone pointing me to Ichabod’s Café. I was surprised I had never even noticed this place, since it is sited in a small strip mall on busy Route 2A, next to a pizza parlor and bicycle shop. The dining room was about half full on a Saturday evening, and the bar area was empty. Restaurants that appear quiet on a Saturday evening tend to arouse suspicion and doubt, but we proceeded in.
We were offered a choice of seating, and opted for the dining room. The décor was simple, casual, and comfortable. We ordered a couple of draft beers and reviewed the menu. The majority of the items would be categorized as Middle Eastern cuisine (including traditional favorites like feta spinach pie, baba ghanooj, and hummus), but there are a few more conventional choices (bruschetta, Caesar salad), as well as an entire entrée section that seemed somewhat out of place, consisting of such items as penne arrabiata, lobster ravioli, baked scrod, and bourbon steak tips. The back of the menu also offered some “signature sandwiches” (eggplant chicken, pesto chicken, and a garlic burger) and a children’s menu including pasta, chicken fingers, and grilled cheese.
We chose to fulfill the cravings that brought us here, and selected from the main menu. We started with the grape leaves appetizer ($5.95), three fairly tender leaves, stuffed with rice, herbs, and spices, served on a small salad of lettuce and tomatoes. They were lemony and moist, but the portion was somewhat small. I know the work involved in making this dish, from watching my mother and grandmother for so many years as a kid, so I appreciated them anyway. We also tried the Mediterranean eggplant ($9.95), consisting of lightly-breaded eggplant layered with ricotta cheese, greens, and tomatoes, and drizzled with a sharp, tangy pomegranate vinaigrette. The flavors in this dish really worked together, and every last bite was devoured.
For entrées we chose the falafel plate ($8.95) and the kibeh ($17.95). A generous portion of five crisp, two-bite falafel patties was accompanied by a salad of lettuce, tomato, parsley, and mint, along with some pickled turnip. The falafel was flavorful, just spicy enough, and topped with tahini sauce, although I would have preferred the sauce on the side. The kibeh consisted of ground beef, bulghur wheat, onions, and spices, baked, and served along with a simple cabbage salad tossed with lemon dressing. This dish was also quite tasty, although a side of cool, plain yogurt would have added a traditional, complementary touch, as well as some interesting color contrast to the plate. Both entrées were served with pita bread on the side.
In reviewing our bill, we were somewhat perplexed by the cost of the kibeh entrée. Only the lobster ravioli matched its price, and only one other entrée (the kebab combo of beef, chicken and kafta) was higher priced. Kibeh is a fairly simple dish—almost peasanty in nature—and equally simple to make, so, satisfying and flavorful as it was, it puzzled us why it held such rank on the menu.
We finished our meal with coffee and a wonderful piece of baklava ($3.25). The small, diamond-shaped piece had delicious, flaky pastry, not dripping with syrup like most, and nicely balanced pistachio filling. Ichabod’s also offers New York cheesecake and triple-layer chocolate cake for $7.50 each. Service was pleasant and prompt, with no major glitches. I would return again, but might stick to the more reliable, reasonably-priced menu selections.
We often wonder if our expectations for suburban cuisine are too high—can we find interesting, high-quality dining options, without paying what we tend to describe as Boston prices? I hope so. As always, I am open to your thoughts, rants, raves, and recommendations. E-mail Mark Mikitarian, the Food Whisperer, at foodwhisperer@charter.net.