Mediterranean cozy eatery
December 10, 2008
Tucked away on chaotic Lancaster Avenue, across from popular places like The Grog and Sushi Land, lies Mediterranean Grill. Although it’s in a hectic Bryn Mawr location, the restaurant is anything but disorderly.
Mediterranean Grill grasps the cozy, comfortable dining experience that many restaurants lack. Most of the tables are set for two or four people, creating an intimate setting.
Inside, warm lighting fills the room. Decorative oriental rugs complement the wooden floor. The dark orange walls are an unusual color, yet perfect for the restaurant’s calming vibe. Paintings of European scenery brighten the room. Instrumental music gently plays as background tunes, immersing people in the Mediterranean environment.
“I studied in Greece one summer, and eating there always brings me back,” senior Noel Mangan says about the restaurant’s atmosphere.
The atmosphere is not the only unique quality of Mediterranean Grill. The menu is filled with unusual options, all of which sound and taste delicious.
Lauren Minni, a waitress and hostess at Mediterranean Grill, recommends the marinated shrimp skewers, lamb kebob or soltani 1, all favorites on the menu. “The soltani 1 is probably the most typical Persian meal,” Minni says about the popular dish. Mediterranean Grill’s phenomenal soltani 1 is a combination of ground sirloin and slices of filet mignon with rice.
If meat isn’t what you’re craving, the wild mushroom ravioli topped with grilled shrimp is delicious. It is served in a delectable creamy saffron sauce.
In addition to its tasty entrees, Mediterranean Grill offers a wide variety of appetizers. Minni suggests ordering the tahdeg, saying that everyone who tries it falls in love with it. Tahdeg is described on the menu as meaning “bottom of the rice pot,” with crispy rice and pita.
Topping the tahdeg with fesenjan, a Persian meatball and gravy sauce, is a restaurant favorite.
For dessert, the traditional baklava pastry is always popular. Many customers rave about the Persian tea as well. Sugary and warm, the tea adds to the cozy environment and is a great way to end the meal.
Mediterranean Grill is a great place for an inexpensive yet tasty dinner, but it also hosts a daily lunch menu. The lunch menu consists of almost everything included on the dinner menu, and it is rarely crowded during the afternoon.
This restaurant encompasses the essentials of a pleasant dining experience: delicious food, reasonable prices, friendly service and a relaxing atmosphere.
It is a great BYOB restaurant for meals with friends, dinners with family, intimate dates or just any time you’d like to get a delicious taste of the Mediterranean.