Ramona Murr came to Alabama 20 years ago. She now feels that Mobile is her home. Thankfully, she brought her recipes and knowledge of Lebanese cooking with her. Now, in her first restaurant venture, she is putting that food heritage to work.
Murr opened a Mediterranean restaurant on June 24. It is the old location of the former “Mother Mary’s” in West Mobile. The name she chose describes the new cuisine – “Chickpeas Mediterranean Grill.”
Chickpeas is at 850 Blackburn Drive just off Airport Blvd on the north side of the road, about a mile west of the Mobile Regional Airport and west of Baker High School. The building is unassuming and just a bit hard to spot on your right as you come over a rise heading west on Airport Blvd.
For years, many Mobile retirees had come early to the former Mother Mary’s for an old-fashioned southern breakfast. It was a gathering place for coffee, breakfast and conversation. Murr decided to keep that tradition with her breakfast menu. She serves traditional southern breakfast dishes along with four Mediterranean breakfast offerings.
Eggs shwarma, manoushe, zataar-stuffed french toast and loaded avocado toast supplement an otherwise traditional southern breakfast menu.
Bacon, link sausage, pancetta, chicken breast and shawarma beef accompany eggs, pancakes, biscuits or toast. All with hashbrowns or grits.
A breakfast pita, white or wheat, is stuffed with scrambled egg, cheese and tomatoes.
A nod to the Alabama Gulf Coast is her shrimp and grits with an egg.
Heartier breakfasts are available: Chopped steak or steak and eggs.
Chickpeas is open seven days a week from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Breakfast can be ordered all day.
Lunch or early dinner (ending at 6 p.m.) turns almost full Mediterranean.
Appetizers are priced from $6.99 to $12.99 and include:
Falafel
Zataar Pita
Beef or Spinach Sambousek
Stuffed grape leaves
Kibbe rolls
Hummus
Taboule
Kafta
A sampler of the appetizers—the Chickpeas sampler—includes kibbe, hummus, stuffed grape leaves, meat pie and taboule for $17.99.
Entrees include:
Beef or Chicken Shawarma Platter
Lamb Chop Platter
Grilled Shrimp or Pesto Shrimp Platter
Salmon with Roasted Vegetables
All entrees come with salad or soup of the day. (Wouldn’t you know, I forgot to check the soups?)
Six renditions of salads naturally include Mediterranean items: Greek, Fattoush, Chickpeas, Lentils, Beets and Feta. Or a traditional Alabama house salad.
The sandwich menu also has a Mediterranean twist: beef or chicken shawarma and falafel. Traditional eaters can order an American burger and grilled or fried chicken sandwich.
A kids menu is available with grilled cheese pita, chicken tenders and kid shawarma sandwich, ranging from $6 to $8.99.
I never asked to be Lebanese. I just got lucky. - Lebanese Cook
Jim ‘Zig’ Zeigler’s beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama. He writes about Alabama people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at ZeiglerElderCare@yahoo.com.
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