A Savory Meal at Sabra Restaurant

After the amazing buffet I had last week, I decided to head back to Sabra Restaurant in Newton, MA to enjoy their dinner.  Their Mediterranean food is some of the best I've had and I love how they have a whole section devoted to vegetarians. Fortunately, unlike other cuisines, such as Thai and Mexican, I can count on it actually being vegetarian, devoid of any animal ingredients, such as fish sauce or chicken stock. Many of the dishes are already vegan, and the staff is very accommodating with any requests. 

While we decided on what to order, the waiter brought out some pita bread.

The bread was nice and toasty, having just come out of the oven. It was soft and chewy with the crust being slightly crisp. I just wish we had ordered some of Sabra's decadent hummus to dip it into. 

Since we were the only ones in the restaurant, our meals came out fairly quickly. I ordered the pumpkin kibbee: Two layers of pumpkin, stuffed with spinach, onion and Sabra spices. Served with salad.  My dining partner chose the Vegetarian Mousaka: Eggplant, onion, tomatoes, and chick peas. Seasoned with Sabra spices. Served with rice pilaf. Each entree cost $13. 

At first glance, the pumpkin kibbee resembled a big chunk of meat loaf. I have to admit I was a little nervous the waiter messed up the order. As I dug into it, I noticed the assortment of various vegetables all compiled to create a delicious, savory pie. 

The soft layers of pumpkin were sweet and luscious, contrasted by the spiced chickpeas and leafy spinach pieces. There were so many different flavors going on in just one piece. The seasonings prevented the dish from being too decadent and dessert-like as pumpkin dishes can so often be.  The salad accompanying it was very fresh and the dressing was light with a hint of vinegar.  I really enjoyed this dish and it's probably my favorite.

I sampled a bit of my dining partner's meal, the vegetarian moussaka. 

The dish was so savory and well seasoned.  The vegetables were soft from being soaked in oil. I do not usually like eggplant, but I still enjoyed this dish.  There was a very subtle sweetness from the tomatoes. The rice pilaf mixed really well and also had a hint of spice.

I really enjoyed the dinner, especially the pumpkin kibbee. It's so different from dishes I normally order at Mediterranean restaurants and I love that Sabra veganizes dishes that are traditionally composed of meat.  We used a $10 restaurant.com gift certificate, thus it came out to about $22 with tax and tip.  For such good quality and service, it's a really good deal. If you're looking for great vegan Mediterranean food in Boston, this is definitely a good choice.