So where do you go for your last LA meal? We wanted delicious food, of course, but we also wanted a place where a large group could talk, a place that wasn't too expensive, a place that would be fun.
Adana, in Glendale, Jonathan decided, would be perfect.
And it was. Except that before we were done the six foot long table was covered with dishes and the food just kept coming. We were piling them on top of one another, laughing, eating for hours. You see here the merest fraction....
The problem? I wanted to eat everything.
The tabbouli above -more parsley than grain - and the finest I've ever eaten
Eggplant is done in a dozen different ways. This murtabagh, smoky and creamy, was my favorite.
Or did I like this one better? Kashk e bademjan: sliced eggplant topped with labnah and crisp, fragrant, frizzles of caramelized onion.
And then there was this, an Armenian version with tomatoes, garlic and peppers called igra,
The cheese platter came with a condiment that was a tangle of salty olives, slick oil and spices. Completely irresistible.
The meats were all beautifully cooked, but the tender, juicy chicken took my breath away. When was the last time you had chicken kebabs that weren't dry? The lamb chops - just a few fine bites apeice - were excellent, as was the filet. You order the ground spiced beef, koobideh kabo for the pure pleasure of saying the words, and then you enjoy the somersault of flavors: this is minced meat to reckon with.
Two platters of basmati rice. One with sour cherries, the other with candied orange peel. Each is so seductive that trying to choose one over the other is a fruitless task.
I have to admit that at a certain point I gave into the food, stopped taking pictures and simply enjoyed it. There was too much, and it was all too tasty. So you'll have to take my word for the fact that the mint tea - a pure infusion - is the perfect ending, along with the dry and peculiarly appealing "honey cake."
Leaving LA isn't easy. This meal -shared with people I love - didn't make it any easier.
But on Wednesday I'll be in Detroit. And I'm looking forward to that.