I would like to apologize for the lack of updates to the blog over the past week and a half. I have been in the process of relocating my family from Minneapolis to Chicago. We moved into our new home in the far western suburbs late last week, and have been digging out from under boxes and debris ever since. And please forgive the barrage of postings set to trigger over the next few days. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do…

Despite launching the blog a mere few weeks back we continue to build readership. Our readership is growing week over week by a healthy margin. Thank you for spending a few minutes each day, checking in for news and opinion on the various bar exams across the United States.

Thanks again for your time, your attention and your trust – and if you have any suggestions for lunch spots in the loop, please leave them in the comments section!

If you find yourself in downtown Chicago and hungry for Middle Eastern food, there’s only one place to go: the Wabash Jewelry Mall. There’s something oddly satisfying about making your way through a crowded bazaar of gold chains and pinky rings to suddenly encounter a paradise full of shawarma, falafel, lentil soup and hummus.

Oasis Cafe has a steady lunchtime crowd of Loop workers who have been clued in to this hidden gem (now back in its original location after a stay around the corner). The menu focuses on Lebanese Moroccan dishes, all of which cost less than $7. Daily specials like couscous with grilled vegetables or Moroccan chicken may tempt some, but loyal Oasis customers trudge through the jewelry store for one thing only: the falafel sandwich ($4). Deep-fried ground chickpeas, tahini sauce, cucumbers and tomatoes wrapped in pita make the perfect picnic food. If you don’t feel like hanging with the jewelry vendors, take your grub down the block to Millennium Park and lunch in the sun. Save room for dessert; homemade baklava is prepared every Tuesday by owner Suleiman Ahmad.

Oasis Cafe

21 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago
Tel: (312) 558-1058

*Originally published in Centerstage Chicago.

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