Phipps Feeding Fiasco

The experience

Today Grace was working till around lunch so I packed up the kids once Benji finally decided to wake up and we headed towards downtown to meet up with Mommy as she got off work.  We were deciding between a crepe place or Fadi’s Mediterranean Grill.  We had been wanting to go to Fadi’s for some fabled Sunday brunch we had heard of for some time, so today would be it after we found the other choice rated $$$ online.

We arrived a few minutes ahead of Grace so I decided I should scope out the restaurant a bit.  I left Mina at the table with her coloring that she, once more, wisely thought to bring.  I wasn’t sure if the cafeteria style was supposed to be the brunch or if it was always like this.  After reading the menu and seeing no signs about any brunch it was clear there was no special brunch.  Still looked mighty tasty.  The man behind the counter recommended the Combo Platter if you’d never been before.  It was a little of every salad, dip, and veggie with a meat choice.  He said it would be enough for me to share with the kids.  

I knew Mina was starving, Benji was fussy, and Grace would want to try everything as well so I opted to go ahead and order it and get the kids started. Then when Grace came I could order another meat if we desired.  Besides, the sign said it took 10 minutes to cook the meat and I knew Grace would want lamb.  I added a Cheese Pie and a Meat Pie too. The Mango juice sounded good so I asked Mina if she wanted some.  She smiled and nodded.  I split it between her and Benji.  I used some to go styrofoam containers to give them each some of the items from the platter and they got started eating and playing.  The lamb arrived shortly and Grace walked in right on queue.  Still had to explain away why I was already eating, though.

Mina had made me a necklace this morning which also aroused some questions and strange looks from Grace.  She had to ask and take a picture.  After that, I also notice some of the other customers wondering what it was.

I went up and ordered some of the Balsamic Chicken over Rice and grabbed a few pita and a larger portion of Baba Ghanouge and Hummus.  I also grabbed a few more pies.  I asked Grace what kind of juice she wanted.  She opted for the 12 fruit Magic Juice.  Mina heard me mention they had Strawberry Juice and said she wanted that now instead of her mango juice.  I told her after she ate her food.  She seemed to enjoy the hummus and the red paprika-like hummus.  She said the two together tasted like Cheetos.  Benji wasn’t eating much still so we kind of let him roam a bit while we finished up.  The place filled up a bit and we had to sit him down.  I went and ordered some dessert.  I got a Pistachio Cookie for myself and a Cashew Pastry for Benji.  Benji decided he wasn’t a fan and started spitting it all over the place.

Mina and Grace don’t really dig on the Greek style desserts either.  Mina said she didn’t want any of the choices.  Grace opted to try some advertised dessert whose name slips my mind.  It was semolina on cheese with some honey sauce and pistachios crumbled on top.  Turns out Grace is still not a fan of Greek style desserts.  She gave a strange look once she had a bite.  To be fair she liked the semolina part but the cheese didn’t really fit in.

Benji was starting to act up so we packed up our things and headed home.

The food

They food here was very good.  It was definitely a unique experience and a good chance to eat a fresh, vegetable heavy meal with a ton of variety.

The combo platter had a portion of EVERY dip, salad and vegetable on the menu and a meat choice.  Great deal for $15.99.  All these vegetables were very tasty.  The cauliflower was excellent.  The Baba Ghanouge was excellent.  The salads were all very fresh.  The lamb was tender and flavorful.  The fresh baked pita was just slightly firm on the bottom and fluffy.

The pies were a fun treat.  Grace enjoyed the cheese pie but didn’t like the meat pie much.  I enjoyed them both.  They have a spinach pie that we didn’t try.  The chicken with balsamic sauce was very good atop rice, but I think that Grace enjoyed the lamb more.

The fresh mango juice was 100% mango puree which the kids liked.  I think they eventually thought it was too rich and Benji decided his Mommy’s Magic Juice was better.  Mina decided she wanted to try the strawberry juice which I let her order after she finished her meal.  The turkish coffee was rich and bold.  Very good but I definitely prefer the one at Cafe Izmir.

The desserts were OK.  I thought my pistachio cookie was great.  Benji did not enjoy the cashew cookie and Grace was divided on the dessert she ordered.  She liked the top of it but it was on some mysterious hard cheese that offered only prolonged chewing without adding flavor.

The service

This restaurant is cafeteria style but the staff is very helpful in selecting your choices.

The kids

While not quite in the kid friendly restaurants category, this could be a chance to find some vegetable your child might enjoy.  You can plan it safe with the meat and bread if all else fails.  The fresh juices were a hit with our kids.  The atmosphere was pretty relaxed and no one seemed to mind Benji moving about.  I bet this place can get crowded though, so that would probably not have happened if it weren’t open when we first got there.  It was crowding up when we left and we had to sit him back down.

The Rest

Anyone out there know anything about this mythical brunch that we had heard about? Liz G?  We didn’t use our Passbook coupon either, so we’re going to try it again one of these days (not for childsplate obviously).
Total Cost: ~$40.00 (one lost receipt)

Related Fiascos

• All Mediterranean All the Time at Ali Baba
• A Childsplate Dream: Dream Cafe
• Benji’s Asnore at Cafe Amore
• Its Way Too Late at Cafe Izmir
• Now it’s Doughy Joey’s Not Double Dave’s