Sahara

An oasis of flavor

by Margaret LeRoux

Sahara 143 Highland St. Worcester 798-2181 Hours Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sun. 1-8 p.m. Full bar Major credit cards Handicap accessible

Where should we go for lunch? Now that the election is finally over, this perennial topic can return as one of the most hotly debated issues among co-workers. After all, it's at the lunch table where you really get to know one another. After eating with your boss, who insists on ordering the same thing every time, it suddenly becomes clear why he has such difficulties with change. Then there's the stereotypical finance guy who insists on separate checks and pulls out his pocket calculator to figure out the tip. No wonder your expense account gets such close scrutiny.

Finding a lunch spot that appeals to everyone should be an adult exercise in the art of compromise, but in reality, the outcome is often sabotaged by whiners. Just like kids on the playground, we tend to give in -- OK, we'll go to their favorite pub -- just to shut them up. Personally, I'd rather eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at my desk than be crammed into a crowded booth in a noisy place where speed and quantity prevail over taste. So, when a couple of friends suggested we meet for lunch recently, I was all set to beg off. Until they mentioned Sahara. Its name conjures up images of the desert, but this restaurant is really an oasis. And the cuisine is a pleasant change from the standard sandwiches and salads served at most lunch spots. If you're tired of grilled chicken Caesar salads, this is the lunch spot for you. I've enjoyed Sahara's Middle Eastern specialties at dinner and appreciated the live jazz performances on Monday evenings. Its location on Highland Street is walking distance for college students, but not so far away to deter people who work downtown.

Crackling fires in the two gas fireplaces made us feel warmly welcomed on a chilly afternoon. The eclectic décor features a fanciful blue ceiling painted with clouds and ornate stuffed chairs. Our waitress quickly brought us an appetizer order of baba ghanoush ($3.75) with fresh pita bread. This purée of eggplant that is first roasted for a smoky flavor, then mixed with, garlic, lemon juice and tahini, is one of my favorite ways to eat garlic. If you have a big presentation to make in the afternoon, though, you might want to avoid it, or else bring some along and insist on sharing. Other appetizers we've enjoyed in the past include: falafel ($5.25) a blend of ground chick peas, parsley, onions and mint that's deep fried till crispy on the outside; stuffed grape leaves ($3.95) and tabbouleh ($3.95) a Middle Eastern salad of cracked wheat, parsley, tomatoes, lemon juice and olive oil.

Soups include lentil and spinach ($1.95 cup/$3.25 bowl) which has been better than the serving I received on this visit. Usually it's a smooth mixture with lemony undertones; this time it was not as tangy, served lukewarm, and the texture can only be described as gummy.

Sahara offers the same Middle Eastern specialties at lunch and dinner. These include: samke harrah ($12.95), baked filet of fish with tahini; mughrebeeye ($11.95), sautéed boneless chicken in a nutmeg sauce, which the menu notes is an "aromatic dish that never fails to please the most finicky guest"; kibbi be Seineeye ($9.95) is a mixture of ground beef, cracked wheat, and spices filled with another ground beef and pine nut mixture, baked in tomato sauce and served on rice.

There are lots of vegetarian options, including a make- your-own platter from appetizers such as foul -- fava bean, chick peas, onions, garlic and spices -- hummus; labneh, a yogurt cheese; and the aforementioned baba ghanoush and tabbouleh.

I chose shawarma ($4.25) from the sandwich selection, thin slices of beef roasted with spices--these can include cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves and allspice; I thought I could taste cumin in Sahara's version. My shawarma -- two fat servings, were served rolled in pita with tomatoes, lettuce and pickles. Toasted garlic pita chips were served on the side; all in all a hefty meal. Other sandwich versions of Sahara's entrées and appetizers include: shish kebab ($4.50), chicken kebab ($4.25), baba ghanoush, stuffed grape leaves and falafel, all $3.95.

One of my companions chose eggplant salad ($4.95), a healthy bed of greens topped with puréed eggplant similar to baba ghanoush without the tahini. The other remained true to his favorite salad, fattoush with feta cheese ($5.45). This is Sahara's version of a garden salad -- chopped tomatoes and cucumber mixed in with greens and toasted pita pieces. It's a generous serving, enough to share.

Desserts are displayed in a glass case. They include sour cream coffee cake ($1.95) crème caramel ($2.95) rice pudding ($1.95), cheesecake ($3.25) and a few Middle Eastern specialties like baklava ($.95). My companion and I shared one, a rich mixture of ground nuts and honey similar to Greek-style baklava, but with a crispy topping instead of flaky phyllo dough. With a round of ice tea, our bill totaled $28.72 including tax but not tip.

Margaret LeRoux can be reached at feedmefeedback@hotmail.com.