When my grandmother came to visit, family dinners were always the same. They always started with my dad yelling to me from the kitchen to grab the newspaper to place around the table as an indicator that dinner was very soon. I would scurry around the table, placing the newspaper, and wait for the food to arrive. My dad would come out with the first dish, followed by my mom and then my grandmother. As the food was placed on the table, I couldn’t help but dig into these traditional Middle Eastern dishes.

Being a Middle Eastern American has its advantages, particularly with the delicious food. Attending school in rural Johnson, Vermont, I never thought I was going to be able to experience my favorite Middle Eastern dishes that I had when I was growing up. This changed when I came home from college break and discovered a Turkish and Mediterranean style restaurant in the heart of Burlington Vermont called Istanbul Kebab House.

On the South end of Burlington’s Church Street, I stood outside the restaurant, initially hesitant about entering due to the windowless, dungeon-like wooden door. Steeling myself against disappointment, I entered into a small mud-room that had an exceptionally familiar red rug that I have seen since I was young. The rug is used by Muslims during daily prayer rituals, and immediately reduced any doubt that I was going to enjoy authentic Middle Eastern cuisine at this restaurant.

We were greeted by a very friendly father and son duo as soon as we parted the curtain leading to the main seating area. We were the only customers at the time we entered, as they had barely opened for business that day.

After selecting a booth and chair combination table, we were politely provided with menus and ice water. The menu was simple and easy to understand, with gluten free and vegan options available. The restaurant offered multiple dishes, including house specialties, Kebab wraps, soup and salad, their traditional Kebabs, hot and cold appetizers, casseroles, and even dessert.

While examining the menu, my eyes wandered around the room and I noticed the kitchen towards the back, hidden behind the small bar counter with local brews on tap along with authentic Turkish wine. The atmosphere was quiet except for the faint music in the background and occasional conversation that I can only assume was in Turkish.

The walls were carefully decorated with meticulously painted, decorative plates. The room was filled with the smells of typical Arabic spices, such as Aleppo pepper, Baharat seasoning, and spearmint leaves, which took me back to my grandmother’s kitchen. After discussion and advice to my companion of what I speculated to be good, we knew what we wanted to order just as the waiter approached the table.

Less than 15 minutes after ordering, the most beautifully arranged dishes we had ever seen were delivered to us. The kebabs were gracefully placed in the center of the plate, surrounded by delicious smelling grilled onions, small salad, purplish-red cabbage, and perfectly cupped rice, all garnished with parsley around the plate’s edges. I could not help but dig in right away, and I am glad I did.

The chicken shish kebab was absurdly tender and each bite was juicy, accompanied by grilled yellow and green sweet bell peppers. My initial bite into the chicken revealed spices familiar to my palate that I had deeply missed.

The rice went perfectly with the kebabs, moist and salted just the right amount. I have never been a fan of red cabbage, so I left that untouched, but my companion enjoyed his portion.

I was exceptionally happy to discover that this restaurant serves authentic Middle Eastern dishes, as there are more Americanized establishments nowadays. My companion had never had any Middle Eastern food prior to the visit, and he was very pleased with his beef tenderloin shish kebab.

“Never having tried traditional Middle Eastern food I wasn’t sure what to expect,” he said after the meal. “I was very surprised with the presentation of the food and how ridiculously juicy the tenderloin was.”

After finishing our meals, we were satisfied with not only the food and service but also the price, with the meal totaling up to $24.32.

I recommend that anyone who desires authentic, Middle Eastern cuisine drop in to Istanbul Kebab House. It is located on 175 Church Street in Burlington and is open Tuesday through Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Lunch is served until 3:00 p.m. everyday.