Restaurant Review: Oozi Corner Mediterranean Restaurant Bridgeview
By Ray Hanania
Oozi Corner Restaurant is a new eatery located at 91st and Harlem with a large dining area and a creative menu of some of the best Middle Eastern and Arab food available in the Chicagoland area.
Oozi or Ouzi is a Jordanian dish consisting of spiced chicken on a bed of saffron rice with thinly sliced almonds. It’s almost as popular as Mensaf, the lamb, rice and Jameed sauce dish that bedouins would enjoy under a dark canvas tent in the middle of a desert.
The new restaurant, which just opened in February 2019, doesn’t go overboard with Ottoman or Middle Eastern decor, but it does go over the top offering unique menu options including several cooked and served in clay pots, similar to the Tangine clay pots used to create the great Moroccan chicken dishes.
In addition to great tasting food fromt he menu, the food is served in appealing presentation.
The restaurant proudly describes itself in this way.
Located in the heart of Bridgeview, IL. Oozi Corner is a unique Mediterranean restaurant where you can taste the authentic Mediterranean cuisine and embark on a unique adventure through the sunny coasts, deep blue waters and delicious flavors of the Mediterranean.
Our traditional Mediterranean dishes are inspired by the centuries-old Syrian, Lebanese and Turkish cuisines, which perfectly encapsulate healthy eating.
We believe in offering every family the opportunity to taste the original Mediterranean recipes without having to travel to such countries. Our ingredients are always fresh and our professional chefs have years of experience in the Mediterranean cuisine.
My favorite menu option includes the lamb stew in a tomato-based sauce served in hot clay pots covered in thin pita bread that the waitress cuts open when served. There is nothing more appetizing than lamb stewed to perfect succulence.
The hummus is just perfect with the right amount of lemon taste. I’ve tried the grape leaves, which are very good. Tabouli salad which is more Palestinian and Jordanian than Lebanese (which means it has a little less diced parsley), and the kibbeh in several forms like small footballs or flattened filled saucers. The Lentil soup is a must order. It’s perfect.
The service is attentive but not annoying. The restaurant is clean. And the prices are well within reason.
I always love to sit in an Arab restaurant and sip the Turkish or Arabian coffee and when done, turn the cup upside down and stare into the grinds to see the future.
The music is subtle. But most importantly, is that Ozzi Corner Restaurant has more than 75 parking spots with a large parking lot in the side and back of the restaurant.
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Click here to visit their website.
Here are some photos from dining there this past week:
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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