Baba's (Mediterranean) Kitchen

ALASKA, SEP 2024

Last night I had dinner at Maydan in DC with my good friends Kin and Billy. It was unequivocally some of the best Middle Eastern food I’ve ever had. Ever. This is from a guy pretty stingy praising Arabic restaurant food 😊. Shout out to our hostess and proprietor Rose, who was lovely.

Amsterdam, completing my Tour ‘64

Celebrating 64 hiking in Norway, post-Baba’s 😊

Canyonlands. Arches. Lake Powell. Antelope Canyon. Great Sand Dunes (make sure you zoom in on the little people in the last picture). National Parks that make the US a great place to explore.

In a wine bar in Pagosa Springs, Utah. I love this.

Zion National Park in Utah. Words can’t describe.

Baba's take's a trip to California 🙂

Visiting my friends and former staff at Cafe Campli, Best Italian Restaurant Award winner: Ryan, Karris and Paul. The food, as always, was impeccable.

Visiting São Paolo, Brazil, post Baba’s 😊

My recent trip to São Paolo 😊

Baba’s reunion get-together: with Karris, Candice, Alyssa L, Ryan, Trevor, George, Archie, Billy, Melvin, Rose et al.

I’m happy to announce today’s soft opening of La Cosette, a French pastry shop in the space Baba’s going to be. I was apprehensive about who would be moving in there, and was happy to find La Cosette is owned and operated by a really kind and caring Tunisian family of five, including (Momma) Chef Ahlem, Rafik and Faouzi Kechrid (they all live locally). The pastries are exceptional, and they have the best (homemade) Croissant in Baltimore. They're open 7-7 Thur-Sundays. When you can, please welcome them to the neighborhood and show your support!

Our own Ryan Scalfari has been nominated for BEST CHEF, as has the restaurant he and two other Baba’s veterans (Karris McGee and Candice Chestnut) are running for Best Italian restaurant: Cafe Campli.

If you’ve appreciated Ryan’s culinary expertise, enjoyed foods at Cafe Campli or just want to support the Baba’s team, vote today!

Farid
Chief Falafel Officer
😊🍉

Best Restaurants Readers’ Poll 2024 Honor Baltimore’s exceptional restaurants by casting your vote now.

Last night I had an amazing dinner at Cafe Campli with my good friend Brad O’Brien, and prepared by my (and Baba’s Kitchen’s) former staff: Executive Chef Ryan Scalfari, Candice Chestnut and Karris McGee.

My 71 day trip to Portugal and Spain comes to a close, which included enjoying some of the best foods of the region

The Camino: Galicia in Spain, known for it, had some of the best seafood (meat, coffee...) I’ve ever had.

Two days in Porto as George joins me for THE CAMINO!

Post Baba’s multi-month holiday in Portugal. I miss being at Baba’s, but this isn’t a bad second option 😊.

Post-closing outing with the team that made Baba’s Kitchen what it was: at Ministry Brewing and the impressive La Barrita Restobar. So fortunate to have worked with such fine people. -The CFO

Baba’s at a 6 course pre-fixe menu with beer pairings in Warwick NY

After-Baba’s celebratory dinner with a team that has been together for years. This group is one of the many reasons Baba’s was so special, and I was fortunate to have worked with such impressive individuals.

-Farid

After-Baba’s celebratory dinner with a team that has been together for years. This group is one of the many reasons Baba’s was so special, and I was fortunate to have worked with such impressive individuals. -Farid

Friends:

Today is the last day Baba’s will be open, and it’s bittersweet. I’ve loved our patrons and the relationships we’ve had. My awesome staff and of course this great food that we all have enjoyed. But this chapter had to end so that new ones could begin. Ryan at Cafe Campli and Billy at EAT Locust Point. And for me to rest some and discover my next path.

Today we will have a buffet (we will NOT be taking any orders) as a celebration of our 14-1/2 years. I’ve included a picture of me with MD State Delegate Luke Clippinger and Councilman Eric T. Costello, who were kind enough to provide us with a recognition award for 14 years of community service.

We know it’s Mother’s Day, but if you could swing by just so I can offer my thanks personally I would enjoy it. If not, please accept my heartfelt thanks. Your involvement with Baba’s has made so many terrific memories for my staff, me and hopefully for you, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Warmly,

Farid
CFO (Chief Falafel Officer)
Baba’s Kitchen

Friends:

Today is the last day Baba’s will be open, and it’s bittersweet. I’ve loved our patrons and the relationships we’ve had. My awesome staff and of course this great food that we all have enjoyed. But this chapter had to end so that new ones could begin. Ryan at Cafe Campli and Billy at EAT . And for me to rest some and discover my next path.

Today we will have a buffet (we will NOT be taking any orders) as a celebration of our 14-1/2 years. I’ve included a picture of me with MD State Delegate Luke Clippinger and Councilman Eric T. Costello, who were kind enough to provide us with a recognition award for 14 years of community service.

We know it’s Mother’s Day, but if you could swing by just so I can offer my thanks personally I would enjoy it. If not, please accept my heartfelt thanks. Your involvement with Baba’s has made so many terrific memories for my staff, me and hopefully for you, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Warmly,

Farid
CFO (Chief Falafel Officer)
Baba’s Kitchen

Hi Everyone:

In 1970 my father (Baba) had a Carvel Ice Cream Store in Syracuse, NY. Back then, Carvel was bigger than Baskin-Robbins, and was the premier go-to ice cream store. On one specific day that year Carvel held a nation-wide program called "Old Fashioned Day" where we dressed up in old fashioned garb and sold single ice cream cones for 5 cents each.

Really.

Sundaes were 35 cents and milkshakes were 50 cents. As you can imagine, the line was out the door.

It's heartwarming to me and my staff that we're receiving that level of a reception, not because of 5 cent cones but because of the quality of our food and our relationship with our patrons. Thank you for embracing Baba's as much as you do. It means the world to us.

Also for those that have visited, and those that are about to this week, thank you for your patience. We've built a business around providing good food with good customer service, And while we'd never compromise the quality of the food, please be prepared as the wait times could get to 30-45 minutes.

THIS WEEK:

Sadly, this week we will be running out of ALL of our food items EXCEPT those that we will be carrying through to Sunday.

Sunday May 14, will be a last day, 12-5 BUFFET-ONLY celebratory party. We will not be doing any takeout but will still have chicken, falafel, rice, hummus, Greek salad and pita chips until we run out.

Cookbooks should still be available on Sunday. They're otherwise on Amazon, but if you'd like me to send you one after we close (signed or otherwise) send me a note 🙂

Thank you again for all your support and kind words through the years. After 14-1/2 years it dawns on me only now that the thing I mostly wanted for Baba's was for it to be relevant to the community, and I can only hope that it has been.

Warmly,

Farid

Chief Falafel Officer, Baba’s Kitchen

Hi Everyone:

Thank you SO MUCH your expressions of appreciation in the past few weeks for our food, my staff, and Baba’s Kitchen. Your embracing Baba’s the last few weeks has been heartwarming and so generous, and our reflections together make me starkly appreciate how powerful a force good food is to life’s enjoyment and the relationships we build as a result of it.

Thanks for liking my cookbook, too! I wanted to create a relevant keepsake of Baba’s, and give you an opportunity to bring our dishes into your own homes. If you haven’t picked one up: while I prefer you get it from Baba’s, it’s now available on Amazon. But I’ve built an inventory just so that we can hand you one (or two, or three…) AT BABA’S. If we run out, Amazon will always be there. If we have remaining copies, I’d be happy to send them to you directly. Even a signed copy, if you’d like! 😊

One of our long time patrons brought to my attention the fact that I didn’t include the Lamburger recipe. I’m including it as part of a “cookbook insert”, along with the preparation method for the Rosemary Beef!

We have special themes for the next two Sundays, May 7 & 14:

Sunday, May 7: is a customer appreciation day, and is set up if you can’t join us on the Last (Mother’s) Day. We’ll have:

- “Friends don’t let Friends eat store-bought Hummus t-shirts” ($15)

- Discounted cookbooks ($12)

- 2 oz packets of Cardamom coffee ($1)

- Free baklava until we run out

Sadly, to get to May 14, this coming weekend will also be the last day that everything on our menu will be fully available. We WILL have chicken, falafel, rice, hummus, baba Ghannouge, Greek salad and pita chips, up to and on our last day.

Sunday, May 14: our last day.

- That Sunday will be a buffet-only celebratory party (for lasting 14-1/2 years 😊) and we will not be taking orders for takeout.

I hope to see you over the coming two weeks 😊

Farid

Chief Falafel Officer, Baba’s Kitchen