Memorable Mediterranean Dining
Mediterranean Grill
160-24 Willets Point Blvd., Whitestone
(718) 281-4210
CUISINE: Mediterranean
DELIVERY: Yes
HOURS: Monday Closed, Tues-Fri 11:00 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Mediterranean food is invariably a good bet. Souvlaki, fish, hummus, pasta and a host of other staples make up a Mediterranean diet. At Whitestone’s Mediterranean Grill, great taste and a classic touch combine to make any dining experience memorable.
Though my long-time food reviewing companion, Craig, showed up late, the dining unfolded smoothly. Our gracious hosts recommended several dishes and I agreed, glad to be freed of the burden of picking my meal.
We opened up with pita bread and hummus. Though Craig and I split the pita bread, my appetite and overbearing eating manner ensured I would devour most of the hummus. I have been duped by many a weak hummus in my day, but this hummus was thick, fresh and roaring with flavor. A nice piece of lettuce lay beneath and I gladly used it to scoop up the last bits. Perhaps I looked like a ruffian to observers, but I was enjoying myself. That is all that matters.
With the hummus dispatched, and Craig shooting me one of his particularly intense yet dazed looks, we embarked on the fried calamari tossed in sweet chili glaze. Craig wished we were literally eating a giant octopus and I too mused about the feat of consuming a sea monster; we soon realized that the calamari was zesty and crunchy enough to make us forget about any fearsome octopi.
For entrees, I had the mushroom crusted salmon with parsnip puree, sautéed spinach and black truffle sauce. Craig was given the pan roasted pork loin stuffed with spinach, artichoke, red roasted peppers and mozzarella. The salmon’s flavor drenched my mouth, recalling the delectable salmon my mother cooks for me at home. In a world of mediocre-tasting salmon, Mediterranean Grill’s salmon stands above, occupying rarified air with my mother’s salmon.
As for Craig’s dish, it too pleased my palette. Usually I am not a pork enthusiast. Mediterranean Grill won me over. Each pork loin rocketed through me like the tastiest of spaceships. It was a brave new world for Mediterranean dining. Our hosts capped our meal with dessert. Since Craig’s meal had been partially devoured by yours truly, I, in my endless benevolence, allowed him the dessert pick. He chose the larger and more decadent of the desserts, ice cream topping a cinnamon roll, while I settled for classic cheesecake.
Luckily, I love cheesecake. Luckily, I was at Mediterranean Grill.
-Ross Barkan