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| - I was stoked to try this new authentic Lebanese restaurant in North Scottsdale! I haven't had good, let alone great, Lebanese food in eons since I left Pittsburgh, PA, in 1990! (Okay, just once in all that time, and it was in Montreal (the same folks who catered Celine Dion's wedding)! A little too far to visit on a regular basis.) Now, I have found my go-to place when I crave all my favorite Lebanese goodies - like hummus, babaganoush, stuffed grape leaves . . . and the choices go on!
Originally, we were just ordering take-out, but the owners, two of three brothers, were there and offered us some samples of their dishes. I was blown away by the smoky, flavorful babaganoush. It was not pureed to pieces so you could still enjoy the texture of the eggplant as well. My husband wolfed down the roasted red pepper hummus and was smacking his lips the entire time -- best he ever tasted. I am always up for trying something new, and we received a small dish of Majadara which is steamed lentils and cracked wheat mixed with onions, a Lebanese traditional dish that I never tried or even heard of before. Mmmm, it was delicious . . . lovely texture, seasoned just right . . . a perfect combination of protein and carbs . . . great as a meal on its own for lunch! We chatted for quite a while with owners Tater and Mohammed, asked about how they got into the restaurant business, how they arrived in Scottsdale, and learned more about their chef, who is also a butcher and does his own meat! They were all so friendly and really excited about bringing their family recipes and homemade Lebanese to Scottsdale.
Our take-out was ready! We ordered the original hummus, baba, fried eggplant, grape leaves with meat and rice, and the mixed grill. I was so full from the samplings, I had to wait a couple hours before I could begin to take a bite of the food we brought home! The hummus is creamy and no overwhelmed by the taste of tahini. A little bit of olive oil drizzled in the mix as they advised at the restaurant made it simply divine. I don't even need the pita . . . I could just eat this by the spoonful, along with the baba as noted above. The fried eggplant was a surprise. I guess I was expecting something like fried zucchini, with breading, but instead this was more like sauteed with lemon garlic sauce. Yum!
The grape leaves were tightly rolled, like little cigars, and served hot! I haven't had grape leaves with meat in them in a very long time . . . and maybe not ever in Scottsdale. They were the creme de la creme in my experience, just as I remembered those 20 years ago in Pittsburgh. It was quite funny because my husband only knows grape leaves as "dolmades" which is Greek. When he ordered, the self-proclaimed "white" girl behind the counter taking our order didn't have a clue what it was he was ordering. Anyway, no where on the menu was the word dolmades, only grape leaves . . . guess you had to be there for the looks on both their faces.
The Mixed Grill was a savory, well-seasoned, very tender mix of Kabob, Kafta and Tawook, served with various veggies over rice. It came with a side salad . . . which as of last night, we were both too tired and full to dig into, so maybe later.The Kafta was extraordinary! And I am not a meat eater by any means. My husband dug all the way in and polished off everything, except some of the rice which surely he will gobble up today!
Before we left the restaurant, Temar gave us a couple pieces of baklava to satisfy our sweet teeth! And as we were already out the door, the very friendly chef came running after us to give us a little taste of the kabob meat he just cooked up! Oh we were so happy . . . and in such a food coma! Tummy full, nap now!
Without a doubt, we will be back to The Mediterranean Grill. I only wish we lived close enough to take advantage of their 5-mile delivery option. Truly a very pleasant, satisfying foodie experience! Try it, you'll love it!
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