Babylon Cafe
Rating: 2 of 4 stars
Food: authentic Iraqi cuisine
Service: friendly, but sometimes understaffed for peak hours
Best dishes: Samak Masquf, addis, bamia
Vegetarian selections: all mezzas and sides, and many entrees
Price range: $-$$
Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover
Hours: noon-11 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays, noon-midnight Fridays-Saturdays, noon-10 p.m. Sundays
Children: if well behaved, but not ideal for kids
Parking: very tight parking lot, but spillover spots available in the shopping center next door
Reservations: yes
Wheelchair access: yes
Smoking: only hookahs
Noise level: quiet
Patio: yes
Takeout: yes
Address, phone: 2257 Lenox Road, Atlanta. 404-329-1007
Website: babyloncafeatl.com
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Here in the South, we like to think of our food culture as being a long and storied tradition, handed down from generation to generation. But if you think your great-great-grandma’s sweet potato casserole recipe is old, wait until you check out Babylon Cafe on Lenox Road.
A meal at Babylon Cafe, opened back in the spring, is a history lesson in Sumerian cuisine, a culinary tradition dating back thousands of years.
Owners Saad Marwad, an Iraqi native who moved to the U.S. in 2001, and Kelly Rafia, his wife, honor this long and storied culinary history with the dishes they serve at Babylon. Rafia spent the past seven years researching and perfecting authentic, traditional Iraqi cuisine.
Both share chef duties, but these are Rafia’s recipes, the same they serve in their own home. Everything, from the breads to the sauces, is made in-house from scratch. Don’t expect to see modernized versions of Iraqi cuisine here, and that certainly isn’t a bad thing.
The space, at the corner of Cheshire Bridge and Lenox Road, is as traditional as the cuisine. The bright blue and gold façade out front pays homage to the famous Ishtar Gate from the inner city of Babylon, painted with stunning replicas of the aurochs and mushussu displayed on the ancient landmark. Inside, the feel is that of a bazaar, draped with bright blue linens. To make the experience complete, there are numerous authentic Middle Eastern hookahs available for you to enjoy with your meal.
A quick history lesson: Sumer encompassed the historical region of Mesopotamia that primarily included what is modern day Iraq. One of the first civilizations to transition to an agriculture-based society, Sumer was home to one of the oldest known cohesive cuisines, possibly as early as 6,000 BC. While there is some debate among scholars, many credit the region as being home to the oldest known written recipe.
If you have never eaten at an Iraqi restaurant, but are familiar with Mediterranean or Middle Eastern food, much of the menu here should feel very familiar. Given its geographical location along major trade routes, ancient Iraq was a cultural crossroads, drawing influence from and contributing to Greek, Persian, Syrian and North African civilizations. And there are few areas where this is more recognizable than in the food. The cuisine of Iraq ties together the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, Middle East, India and parts of Africa.
Many of the dishes at Babylon Cafe prominently feature Rafia’s closely guarded secret baharat, a blend of 25 spices that form the base for many of the marinades and rubs. Think flavors like cumin, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. The aromatic blend is a nice combination of sweet and smoky, with no discernible heat.
A beautiful example of the baharat in action is the Samak Masquf ($20), a whole bone-in tilapia, split lengthwise and grilled. The baharat goes into a marinade of house-made pomegranate syrup, onions, garlic and lemon, making a paste and leaving a grilled-on crust bursting with flavor. Served with grilled tomatoes, onions and cauliflower, the moist and flavorful fish is a delight. I can see why this is the de facto national dish of Iraq.
Like every entree on the menu, this comes with a cup of addis, a gut-warming traditional lentil soup that is easily one of my favorite items Babylon serves. This is the kind of soup that the soul requires on a cold, dreary day.
If you are with a group, you should start things off with a mezza platter (four for $16, three for $12, or $5 a la cart). Don’t miss the fresh house-made hummus, creamy babaganush, or the crispy fried falafel. The hummus is as good as any I’ve had, and the falafel is worth doubling up on. Wash all of this down with a surprisingly refreshing sip of the lightly flavored cardamom water served at every table.
The Sumerians also were quite fond of stews, and Babylon pays homage to this tradition quite well. I’m immensely impressed by the rich tomato- and okra-based oxtail bamia ($18). This comes with a side of royal basmati rice, which I largely ignored to leave more room for the fork-tender hunks of oxtail I stripped from the large bone in the center of the bowl. Fragrant and herbaceous, the robust tomato flavors were uplifted, instead of overwhelmed, by the blend of herbs and spices.
Unfortunately, there are still some issues with execution on a few dishes, and they all come down to the same problem — moisture. A few of our dishes, like the beef shawarma ($18) and the chicken bryani ($14), arrived packed with flavor, but with disappointingly dry meat. And while good flavor makes up for a lot of missteps, I wound up grazing mostly on the delicious grilled vegetables served with my kutfa kabob ($14), leaving the overly dry meat pushed to the side. I still plan to try those dishes again in the hope it was just bad luck.
In all, Babylon Cafe is a fantastic addition to the Atlanta landscape, offering a traditional cuisine that many diners will love, even if they have not been exposed to it before. If you are in that camp, I encourage you to broaden your horizons and give Babylon Cafe a try.
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