Discovering True Mesopotamian Hospitality at Family Restaurant & Bakery in Northland
In food news, food trucks return to Columbus Commons, and Bridge Park welcomes a new desert-themed cocktail bar.
Our Visit to Family Restaurant & Bakery in Northland
By Andy Dehus
The name Family Restaurant & Bakery doesn’t offer the slightest hint to the Iraqi cuisine they specialize in, but to the extent that it suggests a warm reception, it’s spot on.
Upon entering, we found ourselves standing next to a flatbread production line with an old-school gas-fired hearth flickering at the other end. The smiling baker noticed our surprise at this unusual arrangement and responded by handing us a fresh, just-out-of-the-oven piece of samoon to try. He seemed genuinely pleased to share the bread’s warm, yeasty, sesame-topped goodness with us, and if there was a hint of pride in the gesture it was entirely earned.
The baker then shuffled behind the counter to take our order. Amidst our indecision, he slipped away only to return with a couple of bowls of enticingly fragrant lentil soup, offered on the house.
Upon placing our order, our hosts pointed out an airpot containing fresh hot tea. “Just serve yourself,” they said. As I spooned a bit of sugar into my cup, I tried (and failed) to think of a time when I had felt so thoroughly welcome as a stranger making my first visit to a restaurant.
Family Restaurant’s timeworn but clean environs are in keeping with Northland strip mall restaurant norms, and a pleasant enough place to reflect on how the edge was taken off of my hunger before I’d received anything we’d ordered.
The recommended kefta sandwich arrived quickly, its fresh samoon bread exterior opened like a pita and was filled with seasoned ground beef kabob, pickles, onions, parsley and a dusting of sumac. Its light saucing was a merciful break from the often excessively goopy pita sandwich usual, allowing the bright flavors of the ingredients to take center stage and shine. It’s a thoroughly satisfying deal at $9.99.
The restaurant’s lamb kabob entree is described as “lamb cubes served over saffron rice with hummus, salad and pickled veggies,” While all true, that description hardly captures the generosity of the spread. The notably plump long-grained rice was luxuriously buttery, the lamb nailed it on flavor and grilled char (though it could’ve been a bit more tender) and the unexpected bread was a welcome complement for a smoky, silky and also unmentioned baba ganouj that might just be my new favorite in the city. I’d gladly fork out $16.99 for this lamb entree anytime.
Or at least anytime I’m ravenously hungry, which we assuredly weren’t when the cheese manakish hit the table with a muffled thump. It was far easier to admire the craft that went into it—we could see it go into the oven from where we were seated—than to give it an honest evaluation on such full stomachs, but imagine a well-executed, Neapolitan-style mozzarella cheese pizza without the sauce and you won’t be far off. Other varieties include beef and zaatar topped options, with prices striking us as exceptionally reasonable from $4.50 to $7.99.
My experience at Family Restaurant & Bakery reminded me about the grumbling I’ve heard recently over both the cost and the increasingly impersonal nature of contemporary dining. If QR menus and online ordering, nickel-and-dime up-charges, perfunctory service and “paying for the ambience” are frustrations that resonate with you, then you’ll almost certainly find this Northland spot to be an absolute refuge from all that. Check them out!
Find It:
Family Restaurant & Bakery
2151 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Ste. #K
614-392-4422
Notes
Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene
Food truck options are in full swing again at Columbus Commons. The Commons’ Food Truck Food Court kicked off its season this week and takes place 11 a.m.-2 p.m. every Thursday through October. Meanwhile, Breakfast at the Commons takes place 8 a.m.-noon every Wednesday through October. Finally, Taco Tuesday will take place at the Commons the first Tuesday of each month from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tickets are still available for Columbus Food Adventures’ “Taste of Pakistan” dinner with Tandoori Grill owner Syed Abbas on Wednesday, May 7. Expect generous portions with some off-the-menu dishes that reflect the varied culinary geography that Pakistan offers. Dinner takes place at Tandoori Grill (808 Bethel Road) and starts at 6 p.m. Reserve your tickets here.
Palm Valley Cocktails, a new cocktail bar with a Palm Springs vibe, is set to open at 3 p.m. this Friday at 6770 Longshore St., Ste. 140 in Bridge Park. Gorilla Cinema Presents, the hospitality group behind the new bar, also owns Tokyo Kitty in Cleveland. You can check out the Palm Valley menu here.