Feed My Worried Mind

Leila Café

by David Snyder

Hyperbole makes me suspicious. So during my first visit to Leila Café, when Mohamad Kammoun explained to my table that he served "the best falafel not just in Philadelphia, but possibly the world," I was a bit skeptical.

After trying an array of his restaurant's Middle Eastern standards, though, it's clear he's got good reason to be confident.

Named after his daughter, the 24-seat corner spot that Kammoun runs with Al "Smiley" Chebab boasts an exposed brick interior, plentiful outdoor seating, a mirrored fresco and a battery of hookahs used to fire up fruity sheesha (double apple, pomegranate, watermelon, etc.). It's an alcohol-free eatery, so you can't BYOB, but you won't miss the booze thanks to beverages like iced tea spiked with mint, cinnamon and honey and a refreshing smoothie lineup (my fave was the banana strawberry).

That falafel Kammoun talked up — fava beans and chickpeas blended with cilantro, onions and garlic — arrived a tad overcooked. Turns out it's Leila's meat that's worthy of exaggerated praise. Each preparation is mixed in-house and seasoned with secret blends of between nine and 16 authentic Mediterranean spices. Thick, tender slices of shawarma (a lamb and beef mix here) are carved off a vertical spit and placed in a veggie-stuffed pita coated with homemade hummus. The beef gyro pita (also a lamb/beef mix) comes slathered with a refreshing scratch-made tzatziki. The couscous mixed in with the 100-percent-beef kibbie makes for a wonderfully textured patty.

The only real sour note here is the kitchen's heavy hand with fresh-squeezed lemon, particularly with the platters, where overbright acidity dominates accompaniments like basmati rice, tabouleh and hummus. The same problem dumbed down the smokiness of baba ghanoush.

Service here can take on a frantic air — on one visit, multiple servers checked to see whether we ordered (we had). But this seems to stem from an unwavering desire to please. Kammoun himself came out of the kitchen to serve the Turkish coffee that comes with the rental of a hookah. As I registered hints of cardamom and cinnamon in his version, Kammoun declared it the"best Turkish coffee, not just in Philadelphia, but possibly the world."

After all the satisfying eats, I was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)

Leila Café | 401 S. 13th St., 267-319-1903, leilacafe.com. Mon., 4 p.m.-2 a.m.; Tue.-Sun., noon-2 a.m. Appetizers and salads, $1.59-$5.59; sandwiches, $5.59-$6.59; platters, $8.79-$9.79; hookahs, $17. Alcohol-free environment.