from Cape Cod Magazine October 2007:
Babe's Mediterranean Bistro
This little North Truro eatery will surprise you with its unique, and succulent, cuisine.
Anyone deciding where to dine based on a drive-by would most likely drive right on by Babe’s in North Truro. That would be unfortunate. The tiny little restaurant housed in an unassuming ranch house tucked behind overgrown shrubs offers some of the most authentic Mediterranean food I have ever had... Babe’s is a great experience, unpretentious and comfortable.
Just inside the front door is a short bar with a handful of stools and a few of the restaurant’s twelve tables set in front of the windows. To the right, in a small diningroom with classic knotty pine paneling, is the rest of the seating. All are covered, appropriately enough, with white linen cloths with a subtle olive branch print.
All of the staff, from the hostess who took our reservation and greeted us when we arrived, to our exceptionally pleasant waitperson, could not have been more, well, pleasant. Our waitperson knew the unusual menu well and answered questions easily with not even a hint of know-it-all attitude.
The menu isn’t huge - five or six soups and salads, four appetizers and then a selection of traditional Mediterranean spreads, and eight or so entrees. We started with the pear and arugula salad, Izmiri Kofte and Muhammara, one of the spreads. The pears in the salad were gently cooked, softened and flavorful but not mushy, and the salad was topped with walnuts and slivers of Kasseri cheese.
The Izmiri Kofte, Aegean-style meatballs with figs, pistachios, a spicy tomato sauce and garlic yogurt, was another hit with both of us. The meatballs were soft and flavorful, but the tomato sauce was totally unique and the yogurt accompaniment was awesome. The blend of flavors, so unexpected and yet so appealing, made this dish a standout.
The Muhammara spread was just an inexpensive little side order, but it merits mentioning because it was that good. It’s a blend of walnuts, roasted red pepper, cumin seed and pomegranate. A trip to Babe’s without trying this would be, quite simply, a travesty. It would be tough to pick a favorite from our first course, but if we had to, this would have been it.
Some foodie friends had specifically recommended the tagine, so that’s what I ordered. My husband went with a Tuna Kebab. Once again, we were wowed.
I find the word succulent to be overused in the world of food, because it’s rare that food measures up. Their chicken tagine, however, is succulent, with tender chunks of chicken smothered with kalamata olives that somehow didn’t overpower it and a rich, yet light sauce with fresh herbs and preserved lemon. Seasoned couscous and roasted vegetables accompanied the chicken right in the [tagine it was served in].
The tuna was marinated with lemon, coriander and mint, and fire-grilled. The fresh herbs gave the tuna a clean and uncluttered taste. You could taste the herbs, but it still tasted very much like tuna. It was accompanied by Tarator sauce, a traditional Middle Eastern recipe of tahini and fresh lemon not to be confused with tartar sauce.
We both love restaurants where the food is great, but you don’t feel like you have to sit up straight and watch your manners (sorry, Mom). This place is just that.
