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| Ethnic Eats: Mediterranean by Suzanne Wright In the spirit of full editorial disclosure, I must admit I am 100 percent Mediterranean: half Turkish and half Greek. (Now’s the time to contemplate how two long-warring nations got together to produce a child). I’ve got a genetic proclivity and preference for food of the sun. The Mediterranean is a big area; correspondingly, Atlanta has many restaurants with owners from the region. These are my favorites. Oh, a note about spellings: although the regional specialties are often the same, each country may spell a dish in a slightly different way, just as preparations may vary slightly. I have used the same spellings in each review that are reflected on each restaurant’s menu. Olive Bistro Little Five Points’ Olive Bistro (there’s a second location in the Borders/Home Depot/Whole Foods shopping center across from City Hall East on Ponce de Leon) is unassuming with its plastic tables and checked vinyl tablecloths. Ah, but the food, the food. Simple, flavorful and affordable sum up the offerings such as smooth hummus and smoky, creamy baba ganoush, grape leaves stuffed with rice and pine nuts, and tender lamb kabobs. This is a great take-out alternative to the Farmers Market. Add a bottle of wine, and you’ve got a meal. Olive Bistro, 1099-1101 Euclid Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30307; (404) 582-0029. Mezza Swoon. That’s what my pal Minde and I did when we discovered and then hungrily devoured the first of several midday meals at Mezza. Located in a shopping center in tiny Oakdale, it draws a fair number of, shall we say, aging hippies. Pictures of old Lebanon add a bit of ambiance, but the food is the real attraction here. There are more than 70 items to choose from and everything I have tried has been uniformly yummy. Don’t miss the shawarma, thin, tender slices of beef tahini dressing. The platters, which come with several sides including parsley-heavy tabbouleh or lemon-spiked hummus, are a good value. There’s also a decent selection of wines by both glass and bottle and moist, decadent baklava for dessert. Mezza, A Lebanese Bistro, 2751 Lavista Rd, Decatur, GA 30033; (404) 633-8833. Byblos It’s not often, as an ITP resident, that I will drive OTP, but I make an exception for Byblos. Located — where else — in an unremarkable strip mall, Byblos serves healthful Lebanese food in a restaurant with an open kitchen, sunny walls and terracotta photomurals. Roomy booths provide the best seating options. Angle for a booth and let the hospitable owners (who double as servers) explain unfamiliar menu items. Although it’s rather pricey, start with the excellent combination platter of 10 hot and cold mezzas, which includes tabbouleh, hummus, spinach pie and falafel. If you ask nicely, the staff will even substitute items. The combination chicken and beef shwarma is flavorful, but dry, as is the whole fried tilapia; condiments or sesame sauce save both. If you have a sweet tooth, try katayef, a lick-your-lips, half-moon-shaped pastry stuffed with walnuts and glazed with honey, better than the more familiar baklava. Byblos Restaurant, 10684 Alpharetta Hwy, Roswell, GA 30075; (678) 352-0321. Istanbul Café Most Turkish men are charmers; Istanbul Café owner Mustafa is no exception. With a toothy grin, he will beckon you onto a pillow on the floor in front of a low-set coffee table (you can also dine at a conventional table). Kilims decorate the floor and walls, strains of Turkish disco music fill the air, and an assortment of trippy decorations including hookas, macrame hangings and blue evil eyes appear throughout the dark, romantic dining room. Lamb and eggplant dishes are standouts at this authentic but accessible Middle Eastern restaurant. Start with the mezze plate, an appetizer selection including hummus and tabouli and served with terrific made-to-order stone-baked flat bread (ask for the zatar). Aromatic choban kavurma is a delicious saute of herbed lamb chunks, onions and peppers. Vegetarian imam banildi is an eggplant and pepper mix with a nice smoky flavor; budemjune dolma -- eggplant stuffed with beef, rice and lentils — is a bit bland, but tavuk shish kebob is tender chicken grilled to perfection. Less adventurous types can order the pizza with lamb topping. Save room for sweet, syrupy baklava or kadanif (think very sweet shredded wheat). 1850 Lawrenceville Hwy Ste 100, Decatur, GA 30033; (404) 320-0054. Mediterranean Grill This humble storefront is almost a fast-food joint: gumball machines, laminated tables, a prominent soda machine and lots of orange, red and yellow accents. There’s no table service: you order at the counter, take a seat and wait until your number is called to pick up your food. But that’s where the similarities end. The Turkish/Arabic chef/owner is fresh from Chicago with a ready grin, and he doesn’t allow any canned or frozen food in his restaurant — everything is made fresh, from scratch. Savor the thrill of the grill and just about everything else. Beef kabobs are filet mignon and chicken kebobs are breast meat — both are tender and delicious. Don’t miss the combination feast, with yummy kufta kabobs — ground sirloin seasoned with herbs and spices. Smoky baba ganouj (eggplant dip) is addictive, as is fetoush salad, a garden salad tossed with toasted pita chips. Tabouli could use a squeeze more lemon and olive oil to counteract dryness. Top off your sumptuous meal with rich baklava and bracing Turkish coffee. Mediterranean Grill, 2126 N Decatur Rd, Decatur, GA 30033; (404) 320-0101. |
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