Living in LA has many privileges, especially when it comes to food. We are surrounded by restaurants serving amazing dishes from all over the world. In the next few weeks, I’ll be focusing the food portion of my blog on Middle Eastern cuisine. Today I share with you one of my favorite Israeli restaurants, Ta-eem Grill. Ta-eem Grill is located on famous Melrose Avenue, right in the middle of bustling shops, bars and restaurants. Specializing in Mediterranean and Kosher food, Ta-eem serves a variety of food to fancy your taste buds.
My favorite is their chicken shawarma plate… Marinated chicken in spices and cooked to perfection, served with the creamiest hummus, Israeli salad consisting of cucumbers and tomatoes, a side of cabbage, and of course their assortment of sides – including pickled carrots, their delicious red cabbage slaw, pickles, and don’t forget the hot sauce.
While the chicken shawarma is my usual standby, on my most recent trip there I tried their mergez – a spicy Moroccan hot dog, wrapped in a laffa (think a lavash or large tortilla). This was probably one of the best mergez sandwiches I’ve ever had. Make sure you order a side of french fries because who doesn’t want french fries to dip in their tahini sauce? I do and I love it!
They also have great options for vegetarians, including their falafel, which you can get either as a sandwich, wrap, or on a plate with their sides. Their sabich is another great vegetarian option, with hard boiled egg, eggplant, tahini, Israeli salad and parsley… best filled in a pita.
Lunch times at Taeem Grill are super busy, but well worth the wait – so be patient as you stand in line and see how expertly their cooks load up the plates and stuff the sandwiches. Cheers!
-Naz