From The New Orleans Menu Daily By Tom Fitzmorris Revised August 2009 Cleopatra Middle Eastern. Harvey: 2701 Manhattan Blvd.. 504-361-1113 . Map. Lunch and dinner continuously seven days. Casual. AE DS MC V www.cleopatramediterraneancuisine.com   WHY IT'S ESSENTIAL   The best of the few Middle Eastern restaurants on the West Bank, Cleopatra's handsome dining room serves a menu that extends beyond the basics to include a number of dishes not often seen elsewhere. Some of them seem Egyptian to me. The restaurant doesn't serve alcoholic beverages, but you are allowed to bring in your own with no corkage fee.   WHY IT'S GOOD   The meats cooked here are strictly halal, following the Islamic code for butchering. This is a step that lends quality, and it shows up particularly in the lamb dishes. This is one of the few Middle Eastern restaurants in the New Orleans that makes a specialty of duck. They also make couscous, another rarity.And bake their own pita bread and pastries.   BACKSTORY   The restaurant opened in 2004 in a new Manhattan Boulevard strip mall on the other side of Lapalco, which was a new frontier for commercial development. It's a little off the main stream of traffic, so although the place does a large amount of take-out business (doctors from the nearby hospitals, many of whom look to be of Middle Eastern descent, are always picking up), the dining room is rarely busy.   DINING ROOM   The restaurant is in the back of an ordinary-looking strip mall. That makes the dining room, with its tablecloth-covered tables and chandeliers, a pleasant atmospheric surprise.   ESSENTIAL DISHES   Hummus. Falafel. Fried kibbe. Lentil soup. Greek salad. Chicken or beef shawarma. Kebabs of chicken, beef, lamb, or kofta. Filet mignon kebab. Roast duck. Couscous with lamb or vegetables. Fresh-baked pastries.   FOR BEST RESULTS   Mention that you appreciate the fresh-baked goods and the halal meats, and you'll see a warming of the service.   OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT   It would be nice to see a full house in here sometimes.   FACTORS OTHER THAN FOOD   Up to three points, positive or negative, for these characteristics. Absence of points denotes average performance in the matter. Dining Environment +1 Consistency +1 Service Value +2 Attitude Wine and Bar Hipness Local Color   SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES    Open Sunday lunch and dinner Open Monday lunch and dinner Open most holidays Open all afternoon Vegetarian dishes Unusually large servings Quick, good meal Good for children Easy, nearby parking Click here for an index to current reviews of the 200 Essential Restaurants, and others. Click here for an index of all restaurant reviews. © 2009 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com.