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| - Alzohour Market is a prime example of the recommendation not to judge a book by its cover. It has the (rightful) appearance of a store, where you could buy Halal meats, canned goods and clothing, but there is really nothing to suggest it being a restaurant except for the few tables and chairs. While the store is quite large, the amount of space dedicated to the dining area isn't and this is a shame.
Alzohour Market is a "mom-n-pop" shop, the husband being from Morocco; the wife being Syrian (I asked, because there was a fairly wide selection of Bosnian items on the shelves -- as is the case in several Middle Eastern shops in the Valley -- and also, because there was at least one Bosnian dish on the menu). Their respective heritages are readily reflected in the food, which, at times, may be somewhat different than what you're used to in Middle Eastern food.
We started out with the hummus and babaganoush as appetizers. For the prices they charge, the portions were more than acceptable. While neither was typical of similar dishes we've had in the Valley (the hummus came with a variety of vegetables garnishing it and the babaganoush had onions and was somewhat 'gelatinous'), both were very tasty and neither of us had any complaints about either (except a difference of opinion as to which was tastier).
My partner then had an order of cheese pie and one of meat. While the wife part of the team (part chef; part waiter; and part marathon runner) stated the cheese pie would be like a "burek", it really wasn't (but that's irrelevant). At $2.99 each, the sizes of each were good and could easily have sufficed as either an appetizer or even a meal in itself (in fact, after splitting the hummus and babaganoush, and then having these two pies, my partner was -- amazingly -- full ... no mean accomplishment, if you've read my other reviews and know how much of a glutton we both are. That nevertheless did not stop him from helping me polish off my entree and half a dessert). The cheese in the cheese pie is a bit salty, so if you're not a fan of salty foods, be advised. The meat pie looks like a flat, pita-pizza and, in itself, is not very substantial.
I had the lamb tangine for my main entree and was pleasantly surprised ... especially as its no easy feat to find variety in a Middle Eastern restaurant out here. The lamb was succulent and almost fell off the bone. The stewed prunes and toasted almonds complimented the lamb splendidly and the sauce was finger-lickin' good (yes, I had washed my hands beforehand). Like most Middle Eastern restaurants, the lamb was served with way too much saffron rice, which, while very good, is something no diabetic should be tempted with! :-)
Though we were quite full -- and glad we had hit the gym prior to coming here -- the owner recommended the Kunafa for dessert ... and it was a wise recommendation. We've had this before in another restaurant in the Valley. It was served cold there and I was not particularly impressed. This time, it was served quite hot and the crushed pistachios and orange-blossom water really contributed to its wonderful taste.
In my opinion, were the owners to shut down the store part of this place, do some decorating and hire some waitstaff, this place could easily become a very decent Middle Eastern restaurant in its own right and provide some much welcome competition to other places in the Valley. The minor discomforts of eating in a store, where the restaurant is not the main draw, should be overlooked this time. It's quite worth it.
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