Dinner and Dessert

We really like Lebanese-style food:  Felafel, hummus, babaganoush, chicken shawarma, lula kebab and more. When we're craving this type of meal and we don't want to drive to Carnival in Sherman Oaks, we usually end up at either Zankou Chicken or Gaby's Express. There's a Zankou on Sunset near Fairfax and Gaby's is close by on Washington and La Cienega.  There have been an influx of Middle Eastern restaurants to our part of Los Angeles lately. We decided to try some place different. We drove a short distance to Beverly Boulevard and Curson, right across the street from the Pan Pacific parking lot to Urban Garden. They had recently located from North Fairfax Avenue.

Urban Garden, Interior

Urban Garden is a take-out with a few tables inside and out. It's a woodsy atmosphere with a very cool mural / collage on one wall, honoring the owner's mother. The kitchen is open, so you can watch your food being prepared. There are these large metal pots, turned upside down. They cook the flat bread on these pots!

Flat Bread cooking on hot metal orbs

We were pleasantly surprised by the food. Everything is extremely fresh and beautifully presented. I ordered a felafel wrap. It came with felafel patties topped with greens, tahini, sweet purple onions and tiny onion rings, served on that divine flat bread. Urban Garden does not have whole roasted chickens, but they do have chicken and lamb on one of those spiral spits. Larry had the chicken shawarma plate with cucumber/tomato salad and hummus. We also ordered a side of babaganoush and rosewater lemonade. Yum! We'll definitely return.

Perfectly placed, next door to Urban Garden is Sweet Rose Creamery, an upscale ice-cream shop. It was a hot summer night, on the early side. The place was filled with babies and kids. This did not deter me. After all that garlicky Middle Eastern food, a cool, smooth ice cream was just what we craved. Larry and I shared a cup of chocolate ice cream. Delicious.

 Next time, we'll go later in the evening, once the kids are home!