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__________________________________________________________________________
 Basil Wraps is not easy to
find, especially if all you have is an address (I realized later
that I should have called - they welcome advance phone calls for
fast pickup) - it's in an old shopping center on Canton Rd at
the intersection of Canton and Piedmont (Piedmont turns into
Barrett Pkwy heading west), not far from 575 and 75 (not a hip
intown location, decidedly, but for those of us finding
ourselves living cheaper just outside the Perimeter, it's nice
to have an authentic Middle Eastern restaurant near home and/or
work).
In the same shopping center is a Driver's License Office (as
stated on Basil Wraps' takeout menu) and what appears to be a
driving school, but tucked in on the short end of the "L" shape
is a little storefront and a few tables on the sidewalk just
outside the restaurant. Since I wasted time driving around
Canton Rd trying to find the place, I was happy to be inside,
and welcomed heartily by the Palestinian woman who owns the
restaurant, Nadia.
Nadia was all alone that day, cleaning tables, cooking food, and
at lunch, not a customer was in sight. I had her all to myself,
and she became my new best friend, offering me up vegetarian
specialties, working with me to provide a combination not quite
on the menu, but that would satisfy my cravings.
The price for the Jerusalem salad I'd tried at KSU and loved so
much (basically a Tabouli without the grain - "chopped parsley,
diced tomatoes, diced onions, dressed with spices, lemon juice
and olive oil") was a bit steep: $4.99 for a small bowl, but
Nadia sold me an even smaller bowl. There is a regular "Mixed
Plate" of 4 Falafel Patties, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush and Warm
Pita, for $6.49, but I think we worked around my dislike of the
Ghanoush, instead taking away some Dolmatas (Middle Eastern
cousins to the Greek Dolmas, or Dolmades).
After chatting with Nadia while she cooked my Falafel, heated my
Pita bread, and prepared everything for me in containers to take
back to work for lunch, and finding out she's only been in that
location for a year, and is already looking to move (go for some
food soon, and call ahead to make sure she's still there!), I
felt all warm and happy for making the drive to find her, and
came back to my office to eat, making my "Mmmmmmm..." and happy
humming sounds all the while.
I have since put together my own version of her Jerusalem salad
at home (not too hard to make), but I will definitely be going
back soon (assuming she's still there!) to get more lunch (they
are open for dinner too though - hours 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.),
and hopefully I can drag some coworkers with me.
Either before or after you visit the restaurant, pay a visit to
the Basil Wraps web site to see pictures of the food (plenty of
Kababs, Lamb & Beef & Chicken, Gyros, etc. for you meat lovers -
as the site proclaims: "Mediterranean & American Food"
"Vegetarians Friendly Menu" "Eat In or Take Out") and pictures
of plenty of customers enjoying the food (yes, there is a photo
gallery of people with happy stomachs). In my own perusal of
their site to aid in writing this review, I noticed it appears
in the photos that they may sell hookahs too - so there's that.
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