Seattle Kitchen recommends: Cafe Munir

Seattle Kitchen host Tom Douglas says Cafe Munir’s falafel balls are “perfect.” (Image courtesy Cafe Munir)

After being open only a month, Seattle Kitchen host Tom
Douglas said this week’s recommended restaurant prepares
one food item so well it beats a restaurant in Paris
famous for the dish.

Douglas calls the falafel at Ballard’s newest Lebanese
restaurant, Cafe Munir, “perfect.”

“Salty, creamy on the inside, really crusty on the
outside, they were just right on the money,” said Douglas.
“I just came back from a month in Paris. I ate at the
most famous falafel shop in Paris three times. Katie just
ate there (and) thought it was the best falafel she ever
had. This is better.”

Listen to Seattle Kitchen discussion of
Cafe Munir

Having never been to Lebanon, Douglas said he couldn’t
speak to the actual authenticity of the food, but it sure
seemed genuine to him.

“I really believed when I was there if I was in Lebanon,
this is what I would be eating,” said Douglas. “It just
struck me, there’s something about this food that feels
true and real to me, having never been to the country.”

Douglas was also pleased with Cafe Munir’s whiskey selection.

“Another nice surprise for me at this place, it has a full
bar. I’m a whiskey drinker. I love going out for a
whiskey.”

Cafe Munir offers a huge sampling of Scottish and American
whiskies. “Lebanese Food and Whiskies of the World,” says
the restaurant description at their blog page.

“I don’t know if there’s a lot of whiskey in Lebanon,”
said Douglas. “I don’t know if that’s traditional or
not.”

Douglas said his whole dining experience at Cafe Munir was
“really good.”

“I just felt from the beginning of my meal there that
everything had this little extra touch,” said Douglas.
“This place, I feel, is giving it their all.”

Seattle
Kitchen can be heard on the new 97.3 KIRO FM Weekend
on Saturday at 8 a.m, Sunday at 10 a.m, and anytime ON
DEMAND at MyNorthwest.com

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor