by MATHILDE RABBAT

I remember eating pomegranates in the bathtub once with a friend, fully clothed actually, because her mother complained that we were squirting the pods all over the flat. When the shower curtain began to look like Janet Leigh’s, we were relegated to the hallway, where signs of our pomegranate-popping fun remained till a fresh lick of paint came years later. I love the fruit—its colour, its structure, its taste. Apparently, so do the folks at De Damas à Baghdad, a somewhat recent addition to the row of eateries in Prince-Arthur’s pedestrian zone, serving Iraqi and Syrian cuisine.

Mezze is basically the Middle Eastern equivalent to tapas. Just like those tiny dishes, it’s a great way to sample a little bit of everything, perfect for non-committal types, like myself, who prefer not to let a single main dish tie you down. The joint’s menu features over a dozen selections, all served with long strips of warm pita. Just one will set you back $5, or you can mix and match them in bundles of three ($12) or 5 ($20).

Sweet meets nutty and spicy in the muhammara spread, as my favourite crimson fruit is reduced to a paste, incorporating walnuts and red pepper. Its fiery red hue foreshadows the spicy punch that kicks in once the sweetness fades. A definite thumbs-up in my book. The same can be said for the scrumptious zucchini dolma. This stuffed veggie, served cold, is chock full of surprise ingredients that may seem odd to the uninitiated, but are in fact so perfectly matched that no one would question filling a zucchini with rice, raisins, pine nuts, walnuts, parsley and dill. After these two tasty appetizers, or perhaps because of them, I somehow failed to fully appreciate the shanklish: soft white cheese akin to feta, olive oil, tomato and small shreds of green pepper, which came with a few too many shredded onions. As for mains ($11–$18), there are fatta dishes (alternating layers of crunchy pita and assorted veggies) priced between $8 and $12, as well as some good selections from the grill, most incorporating lamb.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Baghdad kabab. We’re talking two long, skewered cylinders of barbecued minced lamb spiked with onion. Something like what you’d be served in your Middle Eastern neighbours’ backyard. And, what Mid-East barbecue is complete without the requisite grilled veggies, like onion and tomato? Let’s also not forget the soft, warm, pita sponging up both meaty and veggie juices. This one was positively huge, surpassing the oval dish on which it rested. I was unable to finish the accompanying super thick baba ghanoush, which had lots of tahini blended in with the puréed eggplant, but I did lap up each fresh pomegranate aril garnishing the spread.

You get good value for your buck here if you opt for one of the daily specials, priced at an even $11. That’ll buy you a hearty main, a soup to start and tea to cap off the meal. Their lentil soup, with its lamb broth and buoyant fried pita wedges, really hits the spot. I found its taste to be directly related to the weather: The colder, windier and rainier it is outside, the more it satisfies. The bamia (tiny okra, dried fruits and lamb simmered in tomato sauce and pomegranate paste) was impressive with its slowly braised, tender lamb shank. It’s not something I can eat too much of though, as the allspice in the mix tends to lend some heaviness to the dish. A heap of attending, slightly dry basmati grains come to the rescue by helping to diffuse the more potent flavour of this spice typical of some Syrian dishes.

Though I have sampled beef tongue in the past, purely in the spirit of adventure of course, I wasn’t quite up to sampling either of the lsanat (lamb tongue) dishes on this particular visit. But, I dare you, the less squeamish, to try them for yourselves and tell me all about it.

De Damas à Baghdad
ADDRESS: 170 Prince-Arthur E.
PHONE: (514) 313-6911
HOURS: Sun–Thu 5:30–11 p.m.; Fri–Sat 5:30 p.m.–midnight
BEST FEATURES: Nice selection of well-executed mezze,
pomegranates galore, large assortment of lamb dishes.
ALCOHOL: Bring your own wine
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Not the washrooms
VEGETARIAN FRIENDLY: Limited
CREDIT CARDS: Debit only
PRICE: All-inclusive $20 per head
RATING: *** out of ****