While cleaning out my fraternity’s attic one fine “spring” day, I came across a pamphlet with all the local eateries in Troy. One name that seemed quite interesting was Ali Baba and after doing some minor research (asking a friend of mine to come along as well as looking at old issues of The Poly) we decided to do a review that would increase the outflow of students and faculty to the local restaurant.
If you were around in 2001, then you probably read the review from the September 26, 2001, issue of The Poly. After perusing through it, I had a basic idea of what kind of chow I should be expecting. To spice things up a notch, my friend was a full-blooded Armenian (FBA) and would attempt to steer me in the general direction of tried-and-true cuisine for all to enjoy.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, the décor was absolutely stunning. Dynamic woven rugs plastered one side of the restaurant and the photographs of old Troy still lingered on the wall while old fashioned ovens glowed merrily behind the counter.
The menu of Ali Baba was still “eclectic’’ with home-made photographs used to show what the grub would look like once it arrived. The theme is primarily Middle Eastern with gyros intermingled with lamb, ethnic pizzas, and the infamous kababs all having places of honor within the menu. The prices were all designed with the college kid budget in mind (especially when one goes to good ol’ RPI), and with a discount when you flash that RPI student card, we were more than happy to order something a little bit more extravagant.
With a large selection of various salads, we opted to go for the mixed platter that composed of several kinds on a single plate. These included marinated carrots with mayonnaise, kidney beans in a sweet sauce, eggplant, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, and roasted red peppers. Most of the salads were quite delicious, with FBA taking more than his fair share of peppers and carrots, but the stuffed grape leaves were quite different than ones I’ve had before. Stuffed with a cheesy rice mixture, they left an unpredicted composition of flavors that I was not too fond of.
Overall, there was a very nice contrast of flavors and colors and with the addition of a huge and literally deflatable bread (lavash), whetted our appetite for something more filling. While attempting to choose an entrée, I tried a Middle Eastern drink made of “yogurt and salt.” (I believe this was called kefir.) After tasting this concoction, it truly lived up to its description of watery yogurt and salt. Most interesting, to say the least, but FBA did agree that it tasted like kefir; just a bit more watery than he was used to.
In the end, both of us decided on the plain and simple gyro to satisfy FBA’s want of a meal and my ever-lasting search for new and delicious food. In the far back left of the kitchen hung an impressive quantity of sliced beef spinning ever so slowly and tantalizing upon a metal skewer. With this image dancing in my brain, as well as savory aromas swirling around us, waiting for our lunch was truly a test of endurance.
The gyros soon arrived on a whole piece of lavash bread in which was wrapped thinly sliced strips of beef as well as onions and some form of yogurt sauce. Although very large in proportion, the gyro itself was somewhat dry and tepid in temperature while the flavor was akin to munching on jerky.
All in all, Ali Baba was not the paramount of local eateries. I would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for somewhere cheap and distinctive, but otherwise come for the salad and bread but skip out on the gyro. Lunch for two including kefir, a large platter of various salads, and two gyros, came out to be $25 including tax and tip.
