Here’s hoping that the lunch buffet does a booming business, because on a recent Tuesday night, we were the only patrons for dinner. Alas. More attention and good food for us! While the name reads Mediterranean, the food is mainly Persian, which means a lot of grilled meats and basmati rice, as well as vegetarian stew dishes, including one seasoned with walnuts and pomegranate juice. Middle Eastern appetizers such as baba ghanoush and falafel, plus a handful of Americanized items, such as burgers, round out the menu.
Hummus, served with a pool of olive oil and a dash of paprika, arrived with a sheet of pita so huge it hung off the plate. It had a lovely char from the grill. The portion of dolmas was equally generous, and the stuffed grape leaves, served warm, had a memorable rice stuffing. Continuing with the theme of enormous portions, lamb kebab, juicy and well-seasoned, came with a mound of basmati rice the size of Persia. A kebab kubideh “sandwich” was really just a kebab—minced meat, onions, and parsley—lying atop that same big-as-the-plate pita bread, with two broiled tomatoes and a sliced red onion. The size and crispness of the bread made it impossible to roll up and eat. Instead we treated it like a regular entree, as if the pita were a side item.
We stuffed ourselves and still had enough left over to fill two to-go containers. Dessert was out of the question, although we did chuckle to see “chocolate moose” on the list. Maybe next time.
Get contact information for Shandiz Mediterranean Grill and Market.
