It was an evening of first tastes at the 19th annual Lebanese Food Festival held at Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Lewisville, Texas. Parking and admission were free but the eats, well that was a different story. Coupons were $1 each, items were between 2-14 coupons, not horribly expensive, but not horribly inexpensive either. The family friendly weekend long event featured kids’ activities, authentic Lebanese art work and live music, and while those things were just smashing, this article is about the food.

Tickets for the taking
Tickets for the taking

My bites began with the stuffed grape leaves. I’ve often seen stuffed grape leaves at grocery stores in the olive bar. They always reminded me of cooked and folded collard greens. Turns out, they taste absolutely nothing like that. The slippery and oily leaves have a slick texture. Though they are oily, they aren’t heavy. Biting down, I tasted the nuptials of spices, rice and meat. After quickly scarfing down 5 of those babies, I went for the garlic chicken sandwich. Now, when they say garlic, they absolutely mean it. Large strips of white meat chicken breast were bathed in garlic and a creamy, yogurt like sauce, and then they got all cozily wrapped up together. Simple, and very filling.

Finally got my hands on some grape leaves. Yayyy life!
Finally got my hands on some grape leaves. Yayyy life!

Sure, I was full, but you don’t go to a food festival without bringing a second stomach. After another

bite of my friend’s garlicky chicken sandwich, I decided it was time to tempt my tongue with something sweet. Baklava was there for the having. I had it. I’ve had baklava before, and I must say it was not my favorite version of the dessert. I prefer a little more of the rose flavor and crushed pistachios. This baklava was good, but it was filled with walnuts and the honey was absolutely present. I also gave the Lebanese macaroon a go. The dessert was heavy, syrupy sweet, deep fried thing. It was extremely rich, and after eating the baklava, I couldn’t complete the task of finishing the rich pastry. After washing down my sugar rush with a tiny cup of black Lebanese coffee I decided to go back for something a little more savory.

Super sweet treats. Deep fried macaroon and baklava.
Super sweet treats. Deep fried macaroon and baklava.
Up close and personal
Up close and personal

Though my hunger homie was just as full, we decided to enjoy a final gobble down. Going full stomach ahead we got the combo plate which included kafta on rice, tabouli, and hummus, grape leaves with meat and a couple of pieces of pita. Of all my Lebanese eats, the kafta and tabouli were my two favorite devouring’s. The kafta was a ground beef patty made with onion, parsley and plenty of other salivating spices. For those clueless souls like myself, tabouli is a cold salad with a mix of finely chopped parsley, tomato, onion, mint, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. Though the parsley is sharp, the tartness of the lemon juice help to maintain a beautiful balance in the traditional dish. All in all, the Lebanese Food Festival gave my palate an unforgettable experience with plenty of exuberant flavors to behold. And while I did not get a chance to try everything during the event, I found some scrumptious new delights. Best of all I learned parsley has a place beyond garnishment. Txmb