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| - Do you have a hankerin' for some hummus? Do you salivate over shawarma? When you're famished do your thoughts turn to falafel? If you answered yes to any of these questions I've got the place for you, my friend. Sittoo's (Grandma's in Lebanese) is home to some of the best Middle Eastern cookery this side of the fertile crescent and because it's close to home you won't have to risk deep vein thrombosis and multiple wandings to get there.
Just a short drive from Cleveland, past the Polish Village in Parma and tucked away on a cramped little corner, Sittoo's is just what the Ha'kim ordered. Over the last several years I've developed a bit of an obsession with cuisine of this ilk. I don't eat it all the time but when I've got a craving it hits me pretty hard. I love the spices, the use of cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cloves, chilis, the sauces dosed heavily with garlic, creamy yogurt and cucumber. I'm getting all Pavlov's dog over here.
The menu at Sittoo's has all of the standards like mujadara, shish kebab, kafta kebab, fattoush and falafel. Speaking of falafel, Sittoo's falafel is good. really good. Crispity, crunchity chickpea balls of goodness. World's best? Not sure, but I doubt you'll be disappointed. Anyway, if you're new to Middle Eastern eating the selection here reads a bit like a primer in the basics. And since everything's spelled out you don't have to worry about being surprised. They've taken all the guesswork out of it so you're free to explore.
The other thing I really liked about Sittoo's is their dining room. When you walk in the first thing you'll notice is how big the place is. It's been my experience with other places of this genre that they're more take-out than eat-in. Sittoo's has plenty of seating with both booth and table options. One thing to note, as other's have mentioned, it's pretty chilly inside. During our visit it definitely felt like the A/C was set at 11. Bring a jacket/sweater.
There is a bit of a process when it comes to eating here, so let me break it down for you noobs:
Step 1: Approach the counter. If unsure of what you want either ask for suggestions or take a gander at the menu that's placed strategically by the register.
Step 2: Place your order with very friendly, hair-net-wearing employee and remit payment immediately. She'll ask for your name and bring your food out to you when it's ready. BTW, if you're asked if you want the hot sauce and garlic sauce, say yes to both.
Step 3: Drinks and eating gear are to the right. Select a plastic cup, get your ice, or not, grab some utensils, napkins, etc. and make your way to a table.
Step 4: Eat until you're uncomfortably full.
Step 5: Clean up after your damn selves. This means bussing your own tables.
We arrived for our visit around 6pm on a Wednesday and the place was pretty empty. There was, however, a pretty regular stream of people stopping in for take-out orders. Here's the rundown:
Vegetarian Combo App - Perfect for sharing. Amazingly smooth hummus, incredibly garlicky baba ganoush, two falafel, two diwali and a generous helping of tabouli. I found the hummus to be a bit bland compared to the baba and the falafel were damn tasty. Not a huge fan of tabouli (basically a parsley salad) but when mixed with the other two made a decent condiment. And who knew that rice and chick peas wrapped in a grape leaf could be so good?
Sittoo's Combo - Also perfect for two this platter is a greatest hits on a plate. Shish Kabob (marinated, grilled beef cubes), Kafta Kabob (Middle Eastern ground beef cylinder), Chicken Shawarma, and Falafel. Served with rice pilaf, Lebanese salata and warm pita bread. I could have eaten twice the amount of meat that was included in this sampler, ut I was sharing, so there's that. The chicken was juicy, tender and perfectly spiced, and both the beef offerings were delicious. Once again, the salad was just OK and the rice, well, rice.
We had a great experience at Sittoo's. Friendly staff, delicious food, fantastic Arabic music piped through the sound system, clean dining room. It ticks all the boxes. Our total bill came to just about $20 (including a drink that we shared).
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