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Everything is fresh at top-notch Foody’s


By ALLAN ROSS
Three valuable lessons were gleaned in the production of this story. One: Arabic coffee is more powerful than espresso, and you should only drink it after 4 p.m. if you intend to stay up late. Two: you can’t eat a chicken schwarma sandwich and drive. And three: Lansing has a top-notch authentic Middle Eastern restaurant on the west side called Foody’s Best.
Foody’s Best Middle Eastern Cuisine & Grocery, 5451 W Saginaw Highway, has been delighting taste buds for about six months, when it moved in to the Target Plaza across from the Lansing Mall. Owner/operator Jamal Mubarakeh has over 15 years of Middle Eastern cooking experience, and has helped various local restaurants get started before he decided to try it himself.
“We have the best of everything here,” Mubarakeh says. “I’ve worked at a few Middle Eastern restaurants in the area, and I was eager to get out and open my own place.” He says that all the food is cooked fresh daily from scratch.“We don’t open any boxes or cans to prepare the food,” Mubarakeh says. “These are all fresh ingredients.”
I snacked on the chicken kabob, two different kinds of hummus, some stuffed cabbage and the juicy, messy chicken schwarma. For those unacquainted with schwarma, it is a wrap-style sandwich consisting of pita, chicken, vegetables and tahini sauce. Usually it’s a convenient on-the-go kind of snack, but Foody’s loads it with juice and fresh ingredients, and I wound up wearing some of it on the front of my jacket in my car as I drove . It was incredible. The chicken is tender and succulent, and has a wonderful spice without being overpowering. You can definitely taste the freshness.
The spicy hummus is dynamite. It has a wonderful jalapeno kick, and goes great with either the chicken or beef kabob. The stuffed cabbage is soft and chewy, and has a zesty lemon flavor to boot. The authenticity of the recipes oozes from each bite.
When you pop in, make sure to wave to the prep lady in the back. She’s Mubarakeh’s aunt, and one of the sweetest people you’re likely to meet.“Everyone loves Emzuzu,” says Sharice, Mubarekeh’s daughter and gracious hostess. “And she has a smile for everyone.” Hopefully she has a good method for getting food stains out of fleece.
Foody’s Best is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Call 321-1123 for catering, carry out or to find out what the daily special is.

By Allan Ross
Old Town Lansing’s slice of Havana – Café Cubano — is already up to its waist in its second Michigan winter, and owner/operator Sabina Texido is pulling out all the stops to make sure everyone continues to enjoy her unique tropical hospitality.
“We’ve got lots of new stuff lined up for the holiday season,” she says with a gleam in her eye. “There is definitely going to be something for anyone who likes to have fun and enjoys great food.”
Café Cubano radiates warmth. From the moment you walk in the door the tiny café’s charm envelops you like a hug from an old friend. Between the festive atmosphere and the delicious food, Café Cubano is an incomparable dining experience.
Rookie Menu Addition of the Season honors go to the vegetarian stew, which is the perfect remedy for those miserable Michigan sniffles. It’s hot, tasty — and there’s lots of it. The stew has plantains, potatoes, yucca, malanga (a type of root), turnips, butter squash, zucchini, onion and spinach.
“My mother used to make this when we were sick,” says Texido. “You’re not supposed to eat meat when you’re sick, so this is what we ate to get us well again.”
It has no oil or grease, but it does have one not-so-secret ingredient Texido is willing to share with her guests.
“Zesty, fiery Cuban love!”
Café Cubano is more than just food, however. Every Friday starting Dec. 20 (and lasting the rest of the winter), there will be a series of events designed to get you moving and thinking. Cuban dance classes start at 9 p.m., and there will be different Cuba-themed movies each week.
The Cuban Christmas Party, coming Dec. 20, will be a rocking twist on the traditional holiday festivities. Featuring an entrée of pineapple ham, rice, yucca, plantains and more, it’s a great way to spice up your yuletide palate.
Café Cubano, 311 E. Grand River Ave. in Old Town Lansing, is conveniently located along the CATA bus route (put those student passes to work, kids!). It offers a non-smoking, no-alcohol environment for revelers looking for a fun alternative to the smoky bar scene. For the next two weeks, regular hours will be Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. (or later, if the joint is hopping). The new hours start Dec. 20: Open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Call 482-2884 for carryout, to book mike time, or for more information about the upcoming events.


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