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You can call America a “melting pot,” but I'm a food writer, so I go with “stew pot.” Korean barbecue tacos are the culinary mash-up of the moment, but we've also got jerk chicken pizza, curry burritos and sake-tinis. Here in Central Florida, I just found a place that hasn't mashed its two cultures into individual items (yet), but it's quite a menu – Chicago hot dogs and South Asian cuisine.
The outdoor signs still say “Noah's Red Hots,” but inside, menus read “Kabab Grill.” The family that took over the place about three months ago has supplemented the old menu of hot dogs and burgers and ice cream with new stuff – hot chai tea, lamb kababs and chicken tikka.
I originally came to Kebab Grill, located at 3050 Alafaya Trail in Oviedo, for a hot dog, so let's start there. Some places grill their dogs. Others steam. Kabab Grill will do either and adds a third choice you don't see much outside of New Jersey – deep-fried. Never having had an oil-boiled dog before, I kept it simple. A deep-fried wiener with mustard, relish, and onion is $2.99 (or $4.99 for a basket with fries and coleslaw or mac salad). Laid on a steamed poppy-seed bun, the fried dog casing is tight, but doesn't pop so much as tear. The dip in oil creates a slightly denser dog, but not overly chewy either.
A steamed Chicago dog ($3.49) is well-constructed with all the right ingredients (mustard, relish, onion, tomato, a thin sliver of pickle, tiny hot peppers and celery salt), but not overflowing or sloppy. The steak burger ($4.49 solo, $6.49 basket) is a pre-formed patty, which usually loses points with me, but it's cooked on a griddle, resulting in those tasty browned bits that you only get in a true short-order kitchen. Same for the gyro ($4.29). I usually stay away from pre-sliced gyro meat, but this one was griddled until the edges got crunchy, contrasting with the cold, creamy tzatziki.
Several burgers (and other items) on the menu are marked “halal,” meaning they're prepared according to Muslim dietary laws. Since pork is a no-no, the halal bacon cheeseburger ($5.49) had me mystified - until I noticed the Kabab Grill BLT ($3.69) is made with turkey bacon.
Most of the South Asian platter meals are between $7-$10, which is outside my $5 price limit, but there are a few $4.99 appetizers. Shami kabab are fried patties of ground beef, lentils, onions, herbs and spices, including some whole tiny red peppers. Served with more tzatziki, they're like spicy veggie burger patties – with meat.
Channa Chaat is a small plate of fried dough topped, in this case, with chickpeas and other ingredients including spicy masala and cool yogurt. It's kind of like Indian or Pakistani seven-layer dip. If you want it the way it's really supposed to be eaten, make sure the kitchen knows you want it hot. Even after saying I wanted it just the way they'd make it for anyone else, I still got the tamer “training wheels” recipe.
Dish: It's a little thing, but I really appreciated that the iced tea ($1.89 for a large) is fresh. In too many places – even big chains – it's bitter and funky like it's been sitting around for too long.
Damage: Hot dogs are always a cheap lunch when cash is low. Add fries and some slaw for $4.99, that's a pretty good deal. Sure you have to skip the drink, but you could always go for a dog and a snow cone instead.
Decision: Kabab Grill is proof that hot dogs and chickpeas can live side by side in perfect harmony. Maybe next comes the masala dog.
For more information on Kabab Grill, call 407-977-5505.
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