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  Sunday, July 01, 2007

Barking Squirrel Restaurant

A new restaurant opened in Sunriver featuring "Eclectic Mediterranean Fare with a Twist", located in the site formerly occupied by Sushimoto's. By the way, I have to apologize: the reason there's a picture of a squirrel here is because I felt guilty for not taking pictures of the meal like the Bend Oregon Restaurants blog does. I forgot my camera.

I had a Sumac Lemon Garlic Chicken Kabob, which comes with rice, tabbouli and pita. It was the best chicken kebab I've ever had. Ever. It was juicy and tender, unlike many of the dry and/or chewy chicken yakitori / satay / kebabs I've had. Not only was it cooked to perfection, it must have been seasoned by an eleventh-level black belt kebab chef. It was so tasty it was like steak. Oh yeah, and the rice and tabbouli were great, too. The fancy plating was lovely, if you're into the square white plate sprinkled with green flakes type of thing. Service was good and friendly.

My lovely dining companion had Baba Ghanouj ("tangy open flame-roasted eggplant and tahini dip with pita"). LDC said it wasn't as good as Southern California's The Marrakesh, and her Falafel Sandwich ("ground garbanzo and fava beans with Middle Eastern spices, fried with tahini and parsley sauce, armenian picles and pickled turnips, wrapped in pita bread") wasn't as good as the falafel at Kebaba. But she loved her taste of my chicken. Next time, she's getting the chicken kebab and I'm trying the Herb Pomegranate Marinated Shaniko Lamb Kabob.

From their menu on Chef Ramsey Hamdan:

"Ramsey grew up in Beirut, Lebanon Dividing his time between the Big City, his Family's Produce Farms on the Southern Border and in the Olive and Pomegranate Groves of the Cloud Mountains. His mother Carolyn was originally from Grants Pass, Oregon so his culinary upbringing was a fusion of the Exotic Western Fare she brought to the Lebanese Dinner Table, to the Many Traditional Dishes of the Levant. Ramsey remained in Labanon through the Thick of the Civil War working with CNN as a Translator and Sound Man until he felt a change of Career and Country might Preserve his Hide. In Oregon he Missed the Lebanese Food he grew up with and through many Long Distance phone Calls to his Grandmother and a few close calls in the Kitchen he decided to attend Culinary School and do it right. In the Summer of '01, with his wife Juli and daughter Sadie, he came to Bend and started the Jackalope Grill. This Summer we are opening the Barking Squirrel in Sunriver bringing the Culinary Career full Circle."

Barking Squirrel
Building 4, Sunriver Mall
541-493-7736


Posted by Dave    Blog Tag: Reviews

2 Comments:

At 7/03/2007 10:45 AM, Blogger Bend Oregon Restaurants said...

Nice photo. No cell phone pics for you eh Dave?

 
At 7/03/2007 3:09 PM, Blogger dkgoodman said...

Neh. I am not liking the photos of cell phones. I'll try to remember my camera next time. :)

 

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