We like garlic, which was a good thing when we went to Ali Baba, the longtime Middle Eastern restaurant that's become somewhat of an institution in Tucson. They use garlic - a lot. Their garlic dip ($3.95 as an appetizer, also featured as a side dish in some combos) is pungent with the fragrant bulb. You need to scoop only a little onto a hunk of pita bread - made fresh at the restaurant, although we got a pre-made package in our takeout order - to capture the full garlic essence. The garlic dip was almost overpowering in the Alibaba's Special Combo ($24.95, enough for two), a liberal sampling of regional dishes. If you want a mini-tour of Middle Eastern cuisine, this is the route to take. The special includes a skewer of boneless chicken breast marinated in fresh herbs; classic shish kabob, with tender, grilled hunks of lamb; and the kafta kabob, Lebanon's answer to American meatloaf. Side dishes include two thick falafel patties made from ground fava beans, onions, parsley and fresh herbs you can taste in every bite. (Dip these in the hummus or garlic dip for an added dimension.) The baba ghannouge was rich with garlic, while the lubieh bizzeyt - green beans stewed in tomatoes and fresh herbal tomato sauce - was surprisingly fresh tasting, given the green beans tasted canned. Fresh mint kissed the rolled grape leaves and the tabbouleh, a heavenly fresh salad of chopped parsley, fine-diced tomatoes, scallions and cracked wheat bathed in a lemon juice and olive oil dressing. Dessert includes the baklava ($1.25), which wasn't nearly as rich and ooey-gooey as we would've liked. The walnut baklava dusted with ground pistachio tasted a tad stale.