OK, I'm at work, and should be productive, doing newsy thing, but I just got back from dinner break here, and MUST take 5 minutes write a review, I'm so thrilled.
Zeitourni Grill opened in July, but it's tucked away in the Earth Fare shopping center in Ballantyne, next to the Dippin' Dots, so it's easily overlooked. (This was the former location for Quizno's).
When I walked in, a super cute woman was at the counter, and helped me make some suggestions on what to try.
I went with the kofta skewer and chicken platter, which I chose to have with babaganoush, and Mediterranean salad. Added a side of falafel. My dining partner had the kibbie.
Can I just say, my Middle Eastern (this cuisine is Lebanese to be exact) experiences in Charlotte have now reached a fever pitch with Kabob Grill being pretty good...then La Shish Kabob being excellent, and now ZG, my all-time fave in the city.
The chicken is so tender, so well seasoned...the kofta isn't dried out like most places and crusty, it's springy and moist. The kibbie, I'm told is new and improved with more spice and is worth trying if you've never had it before. Falafel side...two nice pieces, crispy fried, and drizzled with tahini and comes with pickled vegetables.
Platters come with dessert too, so we had two small baklava-esque pastry...extra crisp and flaky, fresh and sprinkles with pistachios. The perfect two-bite size to end a meal.
The atmosphere is not shady like La Shish (of course it's not, it's in a spankin' new looking Ballantyne shopping center) and the inside is immaculate. The owner was super sweet, seemed like an older man you want to sit down with and learn his life story.
Overall, it's a great casual eatery (order at the counter, wait for food type of joint) where the prices are pretty good. (Our platters were $9.99 each, including the dessert.) I'll go back for sure when the craving hits!