Mediterranean Restaurants – Page 6

Pastalini- good food. Interesting concept.

September 1, 2009 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, Pizza, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! The Blog. About food. Written by some friends, mostly Kirk, sometimes ed (from Yuma) and sometime Cathy. Yet another sometime day.

Hi. I was driving along Miramar Road and saw a sign at the Taco Bell/KFC parking lot and drove to the back.

So I stopped, walked in, ordered and paid. The Mister met me for dinner.

Neat, clean, efficient. You choose a type of pasta ( 6 shapes, or whole wheat for $1 more or tortellini for $1.50 more), a sauce( alfredo, pesto, marinara, vodka, mushroom tomato, sundried tomato, tequila lime cream or Romescu), a meat (chicken, shrimp, fish or meatball) and 2 veggie toppings (mushrooms, zucchini, tri colored bell peppers, broccoli, corn, peas, garlic, jalapeño, tomato, onion,spinach, beets or carrot). Then all is mixed and heated through. Standard price is $5.95. There are also pizzas and salads (also $5.95, with the larger pizza being $10.95). The pizza and salads are pretty much combinations of the above ingredients, with the addition of blackened tofu and various cheeses…there are a variety of salad dressings.

The website shows this is the only location, but seems it is trying to franchise out. I like the concept. Three televisions, each on a different channel, free wifi. www.pastalini.net

I ordered a small side salad ($1.99), which comes with mixed spring greens, tomatoes and onions and a vinaigrette, but I asked for no onions and was told I could get any other topping, so I chose olives. This was quite a large, filling salad. Of course, I ate all the olives, since The Mister won't. But I would have eaten all of the onions also, and I know he would have mentioned the onion juice residue on the lettuce…

Oh. The salad came with these nifty, fresh baked, garlicy bread knots.

The Mister and I used to eat baked pastas all the time. When I saw it was offered, I *had to* order it. ($6.49)

Al dente rigatoni with a fresh marinara, topped with ricotta and mozzarella and baked. *Really* good.

We shared this. All the pastas come in this size pan with a variety of sauces, meats, salmon or pomegranate meatballs or blackened tofu. Quite enough food.

Really. We finished it.

But, you know, I also ordered a small (10 inch) goat cheese and olive pizza ($5.95)…

Fresh, thin crust. Mozzarella. Goat Cheese. Olives. Olive oil. Wonderful.

We will go back to try the other items on the menu.

PASTALINI 7190 Miramar Road San Diego 92121

Across from the West gate Entrance to MCAS Miramar. Behind the Taco Bell/KFC

website

Sultan Schawarma-Excellent Eating Downtown

May 14, 2008 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog, written by Kirk and a few friends. Today, Cathy has a post about a great place she found downtown.

Greetings and I hope all of you are having a nice day.

One day late last year I was walking on Market Street downtown and decided to go South on Fourth Avenue, to see if anything new had shown up. I saw this:

Literally a hole in the wall in the middle of a bunch of many (and more expensive) restaurants… It looks like this through the front window. When it is open, the spits on your right are filled with cones of layers of beef and chicken schawarma, which were marinated overnight in yogurt, lemon juice and garlic (along with salt, pepper and I believe some sort of red pepper or pepper sauce) topped with a large whole onion and tomato… As you can see, the menu is short, simple and straightforward. Oh, the food here is great. Always fresh. I come here kind of regularly and so took some surreptitious photos of a few items. There are three tables out front and seating for 14 inside. People rearrange the tables in the back to suit the situation.

The beef schawarma sandwich. ($5.95-as are all of the sandwiches)(the side of fries is $1.95). Juicy, tender deeply flavored, thinly sliced beef that was cooked on the spit in front a direct heat source (in other countries, the meat is cooked on the spit in front of an open flame. San Diego has all sorts of ‘laws’ disallowing such craziness inside of buildings) for hours. Served simply on freshly warmed flat bread, with lettuce, raw onion and tomato… and all the sandwiches are served with the optional add-ins of sliced pickle, banana pepper, pickled turnip and two olives. I have particular cravings for the chicken schawarma as of late. The chicken is always plentiful and very juicy and has just the right spices for my taste. The kefta kabob is sometimes on my craving list also and is a delightful mix of ground beef and spices (parsley, cilantro,onion, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper). If you get the kebab later in the day, though, sometimes it is dry…so I ask for a side of hummus (1.95-fresh made and comes with flat bread) to complete this sandwich…(and instead of fries, of course). I must say the sandwiches here do not *need* any sauce added- when the meat is sliced off the spit, it falls into the juices that were rendered and that flavor, along with the tenderness the juice gives to the meat, is perfect.

If you happen to come here when the soup of the Day is lentil, get it. It is *absolutely* the most wonderful homemade soup *ever*…it does cost $3.50 and is worth it. Oh, and get the hot tea ($1.25) as your beverage- ask for it to be made strong-the flavor absolutely matches the food…the only other beverages offered are in cans and bottles.

The place is owned and run by a very nice Iraqi family, who seem a bit guarded in keeping things private- in that , they bring you the food and then don’t ask you “how are you doing?” and stuff like that. If you need something, you do have to ask. Just know they are willing to accommodate you and are very nice. If you are just walking on the sidewalk, you might miss it. Here is what it looks like up close.

The hours on the door state they are open until 3 a.m., but that is usually when there is an event downtown, or the Padres are playing…I have seen it closed at 10 p.m….and since I believe the Padres are mathematically eliminated, the Fair Weather Fans who usually would hang around late are not hanging around downtown. Come here early in the day. You will like it.

Sultan Schawarma 543 Fourth Avenue San Diego 92101 Ph (619)231-1824 Fax (619) 231-1859 Open 7 days 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. at least…sometimes later.

Ali Baba Kebab House Family Restaurant- in El Cajon

April 6, 2008 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog, with the main role of Blogger played by Kirk, however while He and His Missus are on vacation, the part of Kirk will be played by Cathy.

Hi. Cathy again. I wanted to share this wonderful restaurant with you. On the corner of Main and Avocado in El Cajon, near the Courthouse, for about three years now, Ali Baba has been in business.

It used to be Top Sirloin, which had great food, but a very, very tacky ‘decor’. The interior has been transformed to look like the interior of an Arabian King’s tent. Fabric on the ceiling and walls. Rich, deep colors.

Then there is the food. Wonderful and fresh.

We started this meal with hot tea ($1) and "Ali Baba Blood Juice" ($1.50) , because, you know, we had to. The ‘blood juice’ is a sweet (corn syrup added) iced tea fruit (maybe pomegranate?) blend mix. It is refreshing in the summer especially. I like the minty hot tea myself. We started out with the small Hommus appetizer ($5), served with two pieces of *large* (about 10 inches in diameter- this perception view is slightly askew) fresh, hot baked bread. The hommus is made fresh and the portion size is quite large (the plate is deep). The large size ($8) is served on a platter and is a wonderful portion to share.

We also got the small Ali Baba salad($5), which came out looking like this,

with the chickpeas, olives and tomatoes

on top, along with the lemon (vinegar and olive oil was on the table)

But as you can see, the rest of the salad was Persian cucumbers, which are seen more in this photo, on the bottom of the plate. It is very refreshing and is more like the salads I grew up eating-no lettuce.

I ordered a shawarma sandwich ($6). This photo doesn’t do the size of it justice- I could only finish half. As wide as a soda pop can and much larger than one with the sandwich uncut. Those are pickled turnips on the side and inside the sandwich. The beef is *excellent*, moist and fully flavored. The bread is, again, fresh made.

The Mister ordered a lamb kebab plate ($9.95) ground lamb mixed with onions and spices and grilled over charcoal. It is served with tomatoes, parsley, pickled turnips, onions and fresh baked bread. More than enough food. Wonderful, fresh food!

All the prices are $1 less if you get the food "to go" instead of eating inside. The service is friendly and helpful and there are always large family groups eating inside.

If you live in or are near the East County, you should try it. You will like it.

Ali Baba Kabab House 421 East Main Street El Cajon, CA 92020 (619)442-3622 website

Pat and Oscar’s-and what Cathy always orders

April 5, 2008 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Chains, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Pat and Oscar's has closed most of their locations. They will be missed.

mmm-yoso!!! is the blog about food. Today, Cathy is back with a short post.

Hello once more. I'm still here blogging and Kirk and His Missus are still enjoying their adventures in Vietnam. I did get an email from him when he was going to be away from the internet for a few days. They are enjoying their vacation immensely and you'll get to see all about it in due time. SO ANYHOW…There is a local "chain" here in San Diego, called "Pat and Oscars". It is semi self serve in that you order, pay, grab plates/silverware/napkins, seat yourself and then have the food delivered to your table. You can put together a bunch of tables for a large gathering and the prices are reasonable, especially for groups. You can see their menu on line at www.Breadstick.com. They make a variety of items, yet after trying everything from the menu over the years, The Mister and I end up ordering the same thing. Always.

The chicken meal for two ($16.99). It includes a choice of a Cesar or Greek salad. I always choose Greek. You can see it has onions, beets, green pepper slices, feta and olives. I really crave this salad.

The meal also includes an order of 12 breadsticks- fresh made, topped with olive oil and a touch of garlic flavor. {The website address is breadstick.com: Pat and Oscar's are *known* for their breadsticks. Sometimes if the line to order is long, they are passing out samples to those waiting: sometimes they had out breadsticks to people in front of the restaurant…it is *the* reason a lot of people eat here. }

Of course, included is a whole rotissiere cooked chicken- either Lemon or BBQ.

Always the Lemon.

The items are always good, fresh, hot and taste great.

You can see The Mister makes open faced sandwiches with his breadsticks and chicken and I eat my salad with breadsticks and enjoy the chicken by itself.

Seriously, we have tried the pizza, ribs, sandwiches, pasta, soups and the BBQ chicken and they are not as tasty as this particular combination. {If the pizza dough were made from the breadstick dough, then *maybe* I would like the pizza here. It isn't}

When you go to the website, sign up for the promotional emails and you occasionally get a coupon for $5 off of $15, and this meal fits in that category.

Hope you all have a nice, uneventful weekend.

Babylon Cafe

March 3, 2008 mmm-yoso Greek Food, Mediterranean Restaurants

*** Babylon Cafe has closed.

Got home late tonight, so just a quick post…….

When I saw the sign for Babylon Cafe on one of my trips to Ba Ren, I was intrigued.

Just what would be served at this little restaurant. I was pretty sure it would be Middle Eastern, but just what, exactly….would it be Babylonian-Assyrian inspired food? So a few months ago, I decided to check it out.

As I walked up to the door the Kronos Gyros poster gave it away. Babylon Cafe, was a neighborhood Kabob Shop. The menu a simple mix of the standards: Gyros, Kabobs, Greek Salads, and the like.

Trying to hide my slight disappointment, I quickly took in the positives, the restaurant was well lit, clean, and the folks very nice. The prices, especially for the "sandwiches" weren't bad at all….all under 5 bucks. Unfortunately, there was no lamb on the menu…..

So I just decided to have the Beef Gyros Sandwich($4.59):

The meat was cut fresh from the spit, and was moist, the amount was on the generous side. I'm thinking that this is decent pre-fab Kronos meat. Some tomato and onion finished up the sandwich, and no lettuce filler. The pita was nice and warm.

One thing I didn't care for was the Tzatziki, it is runny, and lacks flavor. Hummus, which was on the pasty-bland side, and even more pita was provided to complete the meal.

This is pretty much the equivalent to "casual-fast" food, think Daphne's. The Gyros Sandwich is easily worth the $4.59, and provides some variety in the area. As mentioned earlier, the folks running the place seemed very nice, and I think they are related to the folks running the liquor store next door. Entrees run from $8.59-$10.99, Sandwiches $4.59-$4.99, salads come in 2 sizes, small($3.99 – $5.59 for a chicken salad), and large ($5.99 -$7.59). Probably not worth going out of your way for, but if you're in the area and need something quick and cheap, that's not chain fast food, or a taco shop…….

Babylon Cafe
4937 Diane Ave
San Diego, CA 92117

Al Salam Halal Meat and Restaurant

June 16, 2007 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Al Salam has closed.

Hi. Its a Saturday night and mmm-yoso is tired. This is a short post on a favorite place Cathy and The Mister like to go to when they want something healthy and tasty. Kirk isn't posting anything tonight anyhow.

Hi. This will be short; I don't have a photo of the menu- it is one piece of paper kept at the cash register. Also, the camera died…well, the batteries did, anyhow.

Joseph E. asked me about my favorite place or two when I responded to a question about Mediterranean foods on a Forum earlier today. I pretty much have kept this one to myself for a very long time. They have good business mostly from the same local families and walk ins. There are many Mediterranean places in El Cajon, due to the large Chaldean population (when Iraq was having elections, one of the four places in the USA to vote was right down the street from this restaurant on Main Street in El Cajon). There were a lot more places on Main Street, seemingly one on top of another, but they have now spread out over the City of El Cajon. Nonetheless there are many small markets that are very ethnic and I saw a few that are both Arabic and Mexican in inventory on Main Street. (Main Produce Market as 1255 East Main, near Second has a "Coming Soon" sign and writing in Arabic and Spanish).

So, this little place…Most people come in here and get food to go, or just buy some Halal meats from the one refrigerator case, filled with Halal meats (I think the easiest way to describe Halal is "Muslim Kosher".) The menu is mostly written in Arabic with two columns for prices- it is less expensive to get something to go than to 'have service' as the owner says. Nevertheless, we are willing to pay the extra dollar or two per item and sit down at one of the 8 tables.

The building used to be a Doctor's office.

If the lady is working, she speaks good English, if it is all men in there (as it was on Saturday night), be patient. They speak broken English but they cook very well. They have a hard time explaining things if you ask a question-(we tried asking about the ingredients in the salads)- so order something simple (hummus appetizer, lamb kabob, Greek salad) or point and say "yes, I want that". It will be good.

It is clean inside, no air conditioning. They will bring you a pitcher of ice water.

The menu has appetizers, salads, main courses and kabob sandwiches.

We ordered the Shawarma (lamb/beef cooked on a spit with spices, shredded . The taste and texture is a little different than Gyros) and a Greek salad and one hot tea. The hot tea is served in a small glass and there is no refill; it is nice mint flavor and goes well with the food.

You get this GIANT piece of bread- round and hollow like pita, whole grain in texture. A good 12 inches plus in diameter, toasty warm and cooked on one side and folded into a basket.

The condiments on the table are salt, pepper, sugar, olive oil and sumac. (Sumac is a powdered spice, kind of lemony/tart in flavor so it sort of also substitutes for salt). You know my camera died, don't you?

Here is the photo of the Shawarma plate. $8. A good pound of shredded, cooked, nicely flavored and still lightly game-y tasting lamb/beef served with sliced raw onion, tomato, parsley and pickled turnips.

The Greek salad was $6- chopped tomatoes, sweet Persian cucumbers, lettuce and a good amount of a very nice salty, fresh Feta cheese. The dressing is a red vinaigrette. Nice and thick, but not too much; you can toss it more so it spreads over the ingredients. I sprinkled sumac on everything- the salad, my pieces of bread…

The Mister gave me a lot of his lamb to put onto the salad, made himself lots of little bites on top of pieces of the torn bread and I had a lot of the bread also and there was still some leftover. Total bill was $15.70

The men were all there tonight and did not interfere with our meal, even to ask how it was going. When we were leaving, all of them asked us how we liked it and when were we coming back…so, don't be offended if you go and they seem to be staring at you. They are more used to the 'to go' orders, and having the lady working there.

Down the same block two stores West is the El Cajon International Foods Market. They sell cooked kabobs inside the store. You could get a kabob at Al Salam and then one at the Market to compare…

Al Salam Halal Meat and Restaurant 550 East Main Street El Cajon 92021 (619)585-5374

Grillions Homestyle Grilling-Healthy, Mediterranean or American Style- your choice!

May 21, 2007 Cathy American/New American Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

Grillions has closed.

mmm-yoso: the name of the blog. Kirk: the main guy who writes here. Cathy: one of the friends who helps out when Kirk is on vacation, or just doesn't want to write or writes when she has something to say. Today: Cathy writing because Kirk is on vacation…but she also has something to say.

Good day, and short week before the Memorial Day weekend. Hope all is going well for you. I'm fine and have a new place to tell you about. This place has only been open a week as of today, as a matter of fact. It's called "Grillions" and we like it! Saturday, when The Mister and I were having a late lunch at Wired, we walked out and saw a "Grand Opening" sign on what used to be Daily's, the heart-healthy restaurant at Renaissance Towne Centre Mall, just southeast of UTC .

Daily's had been around more than ten years, started by a UCSD Cardiologist, to give his patients and friends tasty, heart healthy meals and it was quite popular. I am not sure what happened, but it is gone, and Grillions is now here. The Mister went in, grabbed a menu and said it wasn't very crowded. Next door, Le Peep was overcrowded with large tables of people using the over-saturated Le Peep coupons for their Saturday brunches. We saw a few curious people looking into Grillions but not eating there.

So- the menu:

BBQ chicken and ribs, BBQ'd burgers, grilled veggies, chicken fish, kebabs…whoa! and side dishes that could be various single grilled veggies (tomatoes, home style potato wedges, baked potato, corn), grilled home style potatoes, home style beans, coleslaw, rice… well, heck, we could do grilled or BBQ'd chicken and/or ribs with slaw and baked beans OR have a burger, OR have a kebab served with rice, pita and grilled vegetables…the combinations are endless!..and yet seemingly quite healthy.

We went back on Sunday, the next day. It still was not busy and Le Peep and Wired were. But that was OK. We asked. They had opened last Monday. Word hasn't gotten out. I hope you are reading this. It is *good*. You walk in, pay and wait for your number to be called. They grill it up right there under that menu. We ordered simply: I got the beef kabob plate($8.95)

It is served with rice, grilled veggies topped with a tzatziki-yogurt based sauce, pita bread and served with a sauce on the side that is vinegar-garlic-cilantro and goes quite well with the beef- and on top of the rice later.

The beef was plentiful, juicy, excellent flavored, and grilled, of course. The vegetables were delightful with the grilled bits to them- broccoli, cauliflower, onions, red and green peppers. The rice was more basmati/not sticky, but fresh and good.

The Mister tried the stuffed grilled chicken breast ($8.49) that comes with two sides- he chose the Home Style beans and Garlic Grilled Tomato: Grillions_004

The garlic grilled tomato was wonderful tasting and I wish we had more. I am going to have to try to duplicate this one at home. The beans are *excellent*, very much home made- the skin on the beans was strong, not mushy, meaning this stuff was definitely not from a can, made with a nice spicy sauce. The chicken, oh the chicken! A good sized breast, stuffed with goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil and grilled. So moist, tender, tasty! Quite unexpectedly good.

We were quit full, but again, knowing I was blogging and 'taking one' for all of you, well, there it was on the menu- a grilled banana split ($3.50). One of my most favorite desserts. I once got a banana split cake (not an ice cream cake, mind you, just banana cake with thick chocolate frosting, strawberries and pineapple in the frosting with whipped cream and nuts and a cherry on top) for my birthday and the *only* thing I get at Dairy Queen is the Banana Split Blizzard… um, sorry, digressing again…

This is made with frozen yogurt that does not taste like yogurt- it is creamy, vanilla without any 'tang' of yogurt. The banana is so *so* very nice when grilled…not with butter, so not quite a Banana Foster taste, but yet, that burnt carmelization…mmm-yoso good! The nice lady brought it to our table and asked if that was enough chocolate sauce! It was perfect (since I am not a choco-holic and all).

The Mediterranean foods are not quite Greek or Persian (no lamb or gyros or hummus on the menu) but are excellent, fresh and by being grilled, healthy. Next time, I will try the BBQ ribs and chicken, which we saw someone else getting, along with the cole slaw and beans, which I think would make a great combination.

Do try it. The photos on the menu correspond to the numbered menu items. The wraps look large, as do the salads. As of yesterday, the only people working were family members, although someone walked in and asked and I heard one of the owners tell the person they had retained some of the Daily's staff who were available to work .

Grillions 8915 Towne Centre Drive San Diego 92122 Phone(858) 457-1204 Fax (858)457-1179 Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.-6 p.m. website

Mediterranean Cafe on Washington Street-walk on in!

May 16, 2007 Cathy Mediterranean Restaurants, Sandwiches, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is the blog. It’s Cathy’s turn today. Kirk is on vacation.

Hi, it’s me again. The Mister and I were driving about Little Italy about noon on Saturday because we so enjoy trying to find a parking space and then walking many blocks. We did not feel like waiting in lines with lots of tourists, but were hungry and decided to head up Washington Street and probably going for a slice of pizza. Bronx Pizza is really close by.

Being the ever vigilant blogger, I knew that Bronx would kind of be a redundant post; a ‘wasted meal’ in a sense, and that it would probably just provide fodder for the vocal anti-Bronx crowd out there. The Mister and I both like it, and that is that. It is good pizza.

Ah, where have we also gone that we liked but I have not yet blogged about? Oh sure, Kirk did, but like a long time ago, in September of 2005. Kitty corner from Bronx-

Mediterranean Cafe! Yes, we went here about 2 years ago, -when the line for Bronx was out the door- and we *really* liked it. Besides, I sort of wanted some sort of greens and Bronx is only pizza.

Here is the menu. Pretty much standard Mediterranean fare, with a lot of vegetarian options.

There are nine small tables inside. It seems most people were getting "To Go" orders, although at all times there were at least two tables with ‘eat in’ people, even at 2 p.m. on a Saturday. You can walk up and order and pay, or sit at a table and someone will take your order and bring the food out to you.

I wanted to try the Gyros and hummus combo plate ($8.75).

Gyros, hot pita, a lot of mixed greens salad with shredded carrot, tomato, olives, feta.

In store made fresh hummus. Herbed rice (the herb was dill) with green beans mixed in. (Option of rice, fries or more salad was given). The rice is not the sticky kind, but was fresh and tasty.

The gyros meat was plentiful and good. Not the best I have ever had, but not bad. The hummus was wonderful. The side of tzatziki was also fresh and nicely sour. You make your own salad dressing with the condiments provided on the table.

The Mister, still craving pizza, tried the Cheese pizza, small (8 inch) served with a side of Greek salad ($5.95).

This was a *lot* of cheese, melted properly (i.e., some burned cheese)on top of a pocketless pita and had a mild tomato/garlic/olive oil sauce. Wow! It was heavy with cheese and we can only imagine how much they put on top of the ‘large’ (11 inch) pita bread. Excellent.

Even though we weren’t that hungry, I was curious about the sign "we proudly make our own Key Lime Pie" at the counter and decided we must try a slice.

Wow, again. Real whipped cream topping-not from a can- and the lime flavor was subtle, not sweet, texture creamy and the crust was a good crispy graham cracker crust. Definitely home made. It costs $2.50 a slice or $18 for the whole pie. Once again, I strongly urge everyone to be certain to have their children study math. {This slice is not 1/8 or even 1/7 of the whole pie-the profit margin on the whole versus sliced pie is quite high}{This phenomenon shall hereafter be dubbed the "inverse Costco effect": thanks, Hao}

I am thinking that it is even busier in here during the week, with this great deal on sandwiches that is available. (click and it will enlarge) I am trying to think of how I would be able to have the tzatziki sauce on a sandwich with any of those meats, but suppose I could just do a cheese sandwich and all the veggies and then it would work.

Anyhow, try this place; it’s been in the same location for a long time and it’s good.

Mediterranean Cafe 112 West Washington (corner of 1st and Washington) San Diego 92102 (619)98-7738 Fax (619) 298-7739

Fairouz Restaurant & Gallery

November 26, 2006 mmm-yoso Buffets, Lebanese Restaurants, Mediterranean Restaurants, Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants

Okay, I know it…I got some nerve doing a post on a Buffet right after Thanksgiving! Guilty as charged. And admittedly, I’m not quite the expert on Buffets and Brunches as Jim the Brunchmaster, who should probably write a "Brunches and Buffets for Dummies" book. But I’ve had photos of Fairouz just taking up space on my hard drive, so…….

Fairouz has a regular menu, but we’ve mostly stuck to the buffet, which is $8.99 for lunch and $12.99 for dinner. And in the realm of the Hometown Buffets and various Chinese Buffets, I think that Fairouz is a nice change of pace. Though the sign says "Greek Buffet", I’d say that there are almost as many, or more Lebanese and Mediterranean buffet items.

On this visit to Fairouz, I noticed that the interior had been painted, and some additional lighting added, giving Fairouz a brighter cleaner looking interior. It had obviously been a while since my last visit.

If you think the interior slightly resembles an Art Gallery, you wouldn’t be too far from the truth. The Owner of Fairouz, Ibrahim Al Nashashibi, is quite an artist, and his acrylics and water colors adorn the walls of Fairouz.

As for the buffet, there is a nice variety of items, with slight changes everyday. One thing I always notice are the description cards for the buffet items are not always placed correctly…for instance, on this day the Moussaka was labeled as Okra. For some reason I always find humor in this.

And though there are several meat items, like the Kofta Meatballs and Roasted Chicken pictured above, I usually end up enjoying the various starches and vegetable dishes more than the protein items. As you head for the buffet warm toasted pita magically appears on your table.

Okay, two types of potato, and saffron rice…do you think I got enough starch? I should practice what I preach, the Gyros meat was the only item that I really didn’t care for. I enjoyed the Fava and Garbanzo beans, the Okra, and the Eggplant dishes.

Though my favorite dishes at Fairouz are the cold Garlic Potatoes, a vinegary, salty, and slightly garlicky "salad", and the various pickled cabbages.

I also enjoy the Rice Pudding with Rosewater as a refreshing end to my meal.

What’s that red thingy? It had a sweet, fruity flavor, with a touch of rose water flavoring. I had to ask….it’s Fruit Punch Jello! The yellow version is licorice flavored jello……

As buffets go, I think Fairouz is pretty good, and Al Nashashibi is a very mellow and nice Guy. So if you have a group of people, with vegetarians in tow, Fairouz may not be a bad option.

Fairouz Restaurant & Gallery
3166 Midway Dr
San Diego, CA 92110

(619) 225-0308

Greek Style Chicken-mmm!

November 5, 2006 Cathy Greek Food, Mediterranean Restaurants, What Cathy Eats!

mmm-yoso is NOT on vacation. Cathy is merely blogging about food while Kirk has a day off. You tuned in to see what was new, didn’t you? Here it is.

Hi, again.

So, say you are driving north on Highway 67…hmmm, most likely the reason would be to go see Autumn colors in Julian, or perhaps you are really going to a casino. Whatever your reason, on the south end of 67, close to Interstate 8, you see this sign at that first exit, Bradley.

I know you’ve asked yourself.."Self, I wonder if that place is any good?…" and you kept driving. You really should stop.

This used to be the Fosters Freeze next to the DMV (hey, if you live in East County, you’ve been to the DMV), so it still has the drive though lane (yes, if people can drive through Starbucks for a beverage, they could also drive though for soft serve ice cream).

This place took over the Fosters Freeze about four years ago now and makes the best flavored Greek Style foods, served in great sized portions in the East county.

You order, pay at the front counter, sit down, wait for your number to be called and pick it up to take back to your table. You don’t have to buss your table at the end.

This is the gyros sandwich ($4.25) and I bought a small side of zucchini sticks ($1.75)…yes, that is the "small" order. The zucchini is cut like french fries then breaded with cornmeal and fried. You can see some of the zucchini skin in the photo and the cut is just thick enough you do taste the vegetable. The gyros is tender, well seasoned, served an a remarkable fresh textured/tasting bread with tomatoes, onions and the tzatziki sauce is on the side, also very fresh made with cucumber. The zucchini is breaded with a *very* light crust that has a light herb seasoning to it and is served with a quite large container of ranch dressing. I cannot convey enough the breading is light and crispy.

This is the #6 Combination: 1/4 of a chicken, with a beef kabob and a side of onion rings as well as a quartered pita bread. ($8.55)

The chicken is so nicely marinated with Greek herbs and lemon. It is cooked so the skin is wonderfully crispy and the meat also has the flavor of the lemon and herbs. The kabob is placed on the skewer interspersed with thin sliced onions and is marinated before cooking just enough for the meat to cook but remain very juicy. Oh those onion rings… fresh made, thick sliced with that light crispy slightly seasoned crust. Delightful!

The Greek chicken salad is always a favorite($7.45).It is really the Greek salad-with onions, cucumbers, feta and topped with warm, herb infused chicken meat..a *lot* of chicken..I swear, this bowl weighs close to a pound. Yes, this is the small side of onion rings, again…($1.75)..fresh made, lightly corn meal breaded and wonderfully not greasy.

This is the fish and chips plate ($6.25) with the zucchini fries substituted for the "chips" part (no extra charge)(ALL of that stuff under the 3 pieces of fish is zucchini; I think that is what the "large" side order consists of, but I have never been that hungry to order it) ..and a banana shake: vanilla soft serve blended with a fresh banana ($2.25). The fish is cod, but it isn’t the preformed, frozen with batter on it stuff; its made for you, with a very light egg and herb infused batter…very nice..and also served with garlic bread.

Next time you are on Highway 67, take that exit and stop in. The portions are huge and the food is quality.

Greek Style Chicken 1468 Graves Avenue (at Bradley) El Cajon, CA 92021 (619) 401-0700

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 7 days