Hummus, check, kebabs, check, spirit apparition server, check. With the corpse of Bistro Corlise still warm, and its cherished memory fresh in my mind, I figured I’d instantly and probably unfairly compare, contrast and ultimately find fault with whatever took its place. That was before I heard about Joolz. The latest from Ramsey and Juli Hamdan, owners of the Jackalope Grill until 2005 and more recently Barking Squirrel Kitchen and Catering, Joolz couldn’t be further from the classic French cuisine of its predecessor. The menu, tagged “Where Mezze Meets the Mesa,” features traditional Middle Eastern flavors and recipes (Ramsey is of Lebanese extraction) with Southwestern accents and a nod to local ingredients and preparations. Being a recovering big city gal, constantly craving the many and varied ethnic foods of my former life, they had me at halloumi-and hummus and kafta and kebabs.
The room, while largely retaining the layout and the core fixtures from the old space, has been thoroughly beJoolzed with assorted pieces of Middle Eastern flare like hanging metal lamps, hookas, camels and bright shocks of cloth to complement the orange and brown drapery. Mesa touches, most notably a series of stylized mounted horns from various ungulates, are interspersed in keeping with the concept. The result is a comfortable, festive dining room with great lighting and a large and lively bar area that’s ripe for the happy hour scheduled to begin in the next week or so.
The menu is faithful to the mezze theme with a long list of small
plates and an interesting cocktail menu (try the Scarlet Mary-as
they’ll tell you, the not-so-secret secret ingredient is steak sauce),
but also offers several salads and entrees, both Middle Eastern and
Americanized, for those who prefer a more conventional meal. Prices are
very reasonable across the board, making Joolz a great option for
anything from a drink and a snack to a feast. Among the mezze, my
favorite was the Oven Roasted Cauliflower ($6). A dish that I’ve had
many times before, the Joolz version avoided the usual pitfalls of
being too greasy, soggy or bland. The lemon tahini sauce that
accompanied it was absolutely perfect. A close second was the Hummus on
the Range ($11), a classic, well-executed hummus topped with chunks of
elk meat, pan-seared with garlic, lemon, sumac and parsley served with
triangles of fresh, toasted pita. The only slight disappointment was
the kafta meatballs ($8), made with ground beef, parsley and garlic in
a Mediterranean tomato sauce. Just a hair overcooked and a dash
under-seasoned, they may have escaped criticism were it not for the
quality of everything else.
Entrees range from a $10 burger to a
$27 rib-eye steak, but most come in closer to the lower end. The
falafel ($10) served with tahini, pita and Armenian pickles had a good,
traditional flavor and was crisp and light. Mixed Seafood Cazuela
($24), a stew of prawns, fish, clams, mussels and fingerling potatoes
simmered in a spiced tomato broth and gremolata was perfect for sharing
and quickly devoured by my table, as was the lamb kebab ($16),
marinated in herbs, pomegranate and garlic. I also highly recommend the
Chermoula seasonal fish, which was halibut in my case, spice rubbed and
oven roasted served with braised swiss chard and rice pilaf with a
tomato-based sauce that was so good I could have used double the amount.
As
much as it came in the wake of the untimely demise of one of my most
beloved spots, Joolz couldn’t be a more welcome addition to the
downtown dining scene. I fully intend to become a regular. Now if
someone would just open a Korean restaurant, I might never go back to
the big city again.
Joolz
916 NW Wall St., 388-5094
Dinner daily, 5 p.m.-close (lunch and happy hour coming soon)
This article appears in Jun 11-17, 2009.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Ate at Joolz a few nights ago. We went with high hopes and were disappointed in all respects. Service was barely adequate. We sat for fifteen minutes ater being seated until I stopped a waitress and she muttered, ” guess you must be my table.” I had the lamb burger, dry meat on an even dryer bun, covered in tahini. You guessed it-dry. No one asked how our meal was so I couldn’t say-dry.
No second chances. My guess is they’ll be gone by winter.
blogs about taj palace all the time, wonder why he hated joolz???
we don’t put tahini on our incredibly juicy shaniko lamburger. and thank you for the thoughtful prediction on our fate. it really doesn’t sound like you came to joolz with high hopes, more like a bug in your arse. even the greatest critics give any place a second chance; i guess you are more astute than most. sorry you had such a dry time. we’re having great responses, and we ask every table-because we are brand new and want to last through the tough season ahead, we must have missed yours.
I have been here several times and have loved it each time! The only time I was disappointed was also with the Kafta Meatballs. They were very bland and had an odd texture. I would advise changing this recipe a little. I love this place. Too bad one of your bartenders is known around town as a tool and asshole to women. Kinda ruins the otherwise wonderful atmosphere.