Food truck finds permanent home
Tarek Albast is one of many local operators who put his food truck in park after he pulled up to a brick-andmortar home.
Albast’s restaurant, Mr. Hummus Grill, is just a few months shy of its second anniversary date of serving Lebanese fare at its Bethel Road location.
As with many Mediterranean-style restaurants, vegetarians and vegans have an abundance of choices.
The batata harra ($7.95) offers cubed potatoes that are quickly baked, then cooked in a pan with ingredients such as crushed red pepper, garlic and cilantro.
The secret to the dish: The potatoes are soaked in water overnight to make them plump and soft.
“It’s very light,” Albast said.
Fried cauliflower ($7.95) retains its firmness, getting a dip in pomegranate molasses and lemon juice, and served with tahini on the side.
A food-truck holdover, the falafel tacos ($13.95) are served on a tortilla with hummus, tahini, cucumber, tomatoes, onions and pickled vegetables.
Lamb shoulder ($24.95) is marinated for six hours and cooked for six hours with vegetables. As with all entrees, patrons can choose two of four sides: mashed potatoes, rice, fries or a salad.
The beef shish kebab uses steakhousequality tenderloin that is simply marinated
with salt, pepper and olive oil before being chargrilled. The chicken tavook ($14.95), which uses the poultry tenderloin, is similarly prepared.
Among the restaurant’s signature choices is the grilled branzini ($24.95, or market price), a type of European bass, which gets a dash of Lebanese spices and is cooked whole over lava rocks.
“They don’t get as hot and it takes a little bit longer to grill the fish,” Albast said, “but it has a smoky flavor.”