All Over Albany

Veg Out: Beirut Restaurant

Veg Out is short series about vegan dining options around the Capital Region.

No tour of vegetarian and vegan food would be complete without a foray into ethnic food options. Trying to veganize traditional American food tends to be an exercise in frustration. Dairy-heavy, meat-centered dishes like hot dogs, mac and cheese, and pizza are difficult to replicate with satisfaction. But when you widen your view, the vegan options multiply.

One of my favorite places for a more global meal is the little treasure of a Lebanese restaurant in Troy, Beirut.

If you're looking for a quiet, dimly-lit, fancy romantic experience, Beirut is not the place. The paper plates and plastic forks apparently offend some of Yelp's stuffier reviewers. But if you feel your life is missing a kindly Lebanese aunt and uncle to feed you the most amazing food when you visit, this is most definitely the place to be.

If you're up for a friendly chat with Elias, the owner and face of the restaurant, eating in is your best option. (Beirut doesn't serve alcohol, but diners are welcome to bring their own bottle.) Elias is, for the record, probably the friendliest restaurateur in the entire world. You'll learn about Lebanon, how the food is prepared, and likely how the family is doing. Introverts may be better suited to ordering take out. Even so, when calling in an order, you get the feeling that you're calling a relative to ask for a favorite dish to bring home.

Takeout order: That's moujadara on the left, mousakaa in the round container on the right.

"Can you give me 20 minutes?" Elias asks when I called in an order a few days ago. Of course it's his restaurant, so if he tells me it's going to take three hours there's not too much I can do about it, but the family vibe carries through every interaction with Beirut.

For the vegan and gluten-free crowd, there are plenty of options here. Online there's a separate menu with everything vegan clearly marked. And in person Elias is more than happy to explain what is vegan. The food is all prepared by Elias's wife and resident chef, Hala.

For my recent to-go order I picked my standby favorite, moujadara, and branched out a little to also try mousakaa. I ordered both as large plates and it was more than enough food for two people.

Moujadara is a lentil and rice dish that's topped with fried onions. The lentils and rice are mixed together and are a consistency similar to a risotto. They're not mushy, but cooked down enough so that the rice and lentils don't feel like separate grains in each spoonful. The flavor is mild and savory, with just a hint of onion.

On its own, the lentils and rice would be a solid option but nothing spectacular. The addition of the fried onion topping, however, sends it through the roof. They're crispy and sweet. The contrast of the soft rice and the crispy onions is a perfect combination, and the sweetness of the onions adds dimension to the flavors of the lentils and rice.

If you can resist eating the entire portion in one sitting, it heats up nicely and makes a great savory breakfast.

The moujadara is served with a side salad, which should not be discounted despite its modest appearance. Though it looks like a standard garden salad served at any halfway-decent catered event, the homemade lemon-garlic dressing is fantastic, bright and fresh.

Takeout plated up at home.

The other dish I tried from Beirut's menu was the mousakaa. This is a stew-like mixture of eggplant, chickpeas, and onions in a tomato-based sauce. I'm not a big fan of tomato sauces, so I had somewhat lower hopes for this dish. I'll admit it doesn't blow me away like the moujadara does, but I was pleasantly surprised how good the mousakaa is.

Eggplant can be mushy and flavorless depending on how it's prepared, but the version here is rich and savory. The sauce is acidic and maintains the tomato taste at its center but is balanced out with spices that make it more interesting than a typical tomato sauce. The texture of the mousakaa was a little too soft for my liking, so I piled it on a slice of pita and enjoyed it much more with the contrast of the chewy bread.

Some additional vegan options on the menu include lentil soup, stuffed grape leaves and of course, hummus. (Beirut's hummus is also served down the road at Psychedelicatessen as a bagel topping). For dessert, Beirut offers vegan baklava, which I have not tried yet, but have heard is very good.

Beirut is open Tuesday through Saturday 11 am to 8 pm and also shows up at the outdoor farmer's market in Troy.

Cristin Steding lives in Troy and spends most of her free time eating and driving to the High Peaks. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram

More Veg Out:
+ Veg Out: The Bier Abbey
+ Veg Out: The Ruck