When I first heard of Kojak’s I naturally thought of Telly Savalas, but as it turns out Kojak’s in Houston, Texas is actually a fabulous café and deli. I knew that Kojak’s Café would be busy during lunchtime but I decided to take my chances anyway since I really didn’t feel like making my own lunch – hey, we’re all entitled to a break now and then. Each day they change their lunch and dinner specials so I decided to have a quick glance at their web site before I left.
I made the decision to go with the Mediterranean Fare but when I got there I was seriously tempted to get something else because it all looked so good. Kojak’s Café was crowded (as I had suspected) with people dining in and taking their orders to-go. Nonetheless, the staff was friendly, polite, and I didn’t have to wait too long for my food. I received a device (that lights up when your food is ready) and off I went to explore all that Kojak’s had to offer.
In the display case I noticed that Kojak’s Café had just about every soft drink you could think of; they even had Hank’s root beer – a Philadelphia treat and something you don’t often see in Texas. The deli case was loaded with a plethora of lunch items such as salads, sandwiches, pickles, dolmas, cake, and even baklava. I remember my husband being disappointed by a lunch-time establishment that only offered one type of potato chip; well, at Kojak’s Café he would have been standing there for 10 minutes trying to decide which chip to buy because Kojak’s Cafe had such a wide assortment.
I could tell my lunch was going to be a success by just looking at the food in the deli case; and then when I picked up my order I was blinded by one of their lunch specials: the parmesan crusted chicken. It looked so appetizing that I actually thought about stealing someone else’s meal. Instead I obeyed the law and took my Mediterranean Fare to my car where my dog, Euri, was waiting – with resentment in his eyes I might add. You drove me here to pick up your food and I get nothing?
When I got home I was anxious to eat – partly because I was starving and partly because I knew my food would be delicious. So what exactly is in the Mediterranean Fare? It contained hummus, tabouli, three dolmas, green and black olives, babaghannouj, three large falafels, and pita bread. The pita bread was warm so I ripped off a piece and dipped it into the hummus and babaghannouj. They somehow blended together in the container so I didn’t know which was which but that’s because of the way I held the bag when I was trying to get Euri out of the car. Both dips were delicious with a creamy consistency, and the serving size turned out to be enough for two people. I have a bottomless pit for a stomach but even I found the portion size to be too much to eat all at once. You certainly get your money’s worth though.
If the sound of babaghannouj, falafels, tabouli, and dolmas are intimidating you, let me explain.
Babaghannouj
Babaghannouj is a popular Middle Eastern dip made from eggplant, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and tahini (sesame seed paste – it tastes better than it sounds). It can be used as a dip for pita bread, potato chips, sliced vegetables or even tortilla chips.
Dolmas
Dolmas are stuffed grape leaves – kind of like the Mediterranean version of sushi. The fillings vary by region but often contain olive oil, minced onions, white rice, mint, pine nuts, dill, and seasonings. Sometimes they also contain minced lamb and currants. Generally, I’m not head-over-heels for dolmas but I ate every single one, so that has to tell you something about the way it was prepared at Kojak’s Cafe.
Falafels
Falafels can be shaped as patties or balls, and I’d say the ones from Kojak’s were a combination of the two. Falafels are similar to deep fried hush puppies but instead of cornmeal they contain mashed chickpeas with seasonings like garlic, onion, and parsley. The falafels at Kojak’s Café were crunchy and green inside so I imagine they used a lot of parsley. They were fantastic when dipped in hummus.
Tabouli
Tabouli was the one side dish that I was worried about because I’ve never been a fan of it in the past; that’s mostly because restaurants tend to make it too acidic. However, the chef at Kojak’s made the tabouli with just the right blend of parsley, lemon juice, garlic, onions, mint, bulgur, olive oil, and tomatoes. For this alone, I’m a fan of Kojak’s but when you add in everything else – including the fact that the olives were not too salty – it’s hard to curb my enthusiasm for this café and deli.
Kojak’s Café is just about perfect in my opinion; my only complaint is that they are not open on the weekends. If you’re lucky enough to live or work in the Heights, then be sure to stop by Kojak’s Café located at 1912 West 18th Street, Houston, Texas, 77008. Their phone number is 713-426-1800. Even if you don’t live in the area, Kojak’s is worth the trip.
Kojak’s Café is open Monday through Friday 7 AM – 8 PM. Please note: Kojak’s stops serving breakfast at 10 AM, and lunch ceases at 5 PM. Don’t forget to check out their daily lunch and dinner specials by visiting their web site: http://kojakscafe.com.
