Karams for lunch: Kate calls it addictive.

If you haven't developed a taste for Middle Eastern food, you are missing a great deal. Some friends brought me to Karams when I first moved to Utica. That was 30 years ago and the restaurant remains the same and my favorite, a landmark offering great food and a lively meeting place. The above picture of Saturday's menu will give you an idea of the kind of food Karam's offers. It's largely vegetarian, consisting of soups, dips, meat pies, fresh-baked flat breads (Karam's is also a bakery), rice dishes, beans and wraps, but there is also plenty of chicken and some beef. And the food is filled with the tastes of lemon, garlic, tomato, oregano, onion and olives.

My daughter, Kate calls Karam's hommus "crack hommus." And small cup of Turkish coffee will grow hair on your chest.

Last Saturday I ordered peas and rice and asked them to add chicken. Peas and rice may sound pretty bland at first, but the dish is flavored with spices and tomato sauce, much like Karam's kidney beans or lentils with rice. And with the added chicken, it was a delicious, nourishing lunch.

Karams doesn't serve dinner and is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The address is: 137 Campbell Avenue/Yorkville.