Beast Blog

Truly Mediterranean now The Mediterranean

18 months ago, I wrote about Truly Mediterranean, my favorite SF shawarma joint, opening a branch in Berkeley. About 6 weeks ago, Truly Med turned into The Mediterranean.

It has pretty much the same menu, though there have definitely been changes in the recipes.

My old standby, the lamb shawarma, was much saucier than back in the Truly Med days. It was almost like eating a stew in a lavash, whereas Truly Med was simply about seasonings. That said, it was still quite good, and definitely filling.

Cafe Baguette -- Good Mediterranean near Campus

On the recommendation of a Beast Blog reader, a bunch of us headed to Cafe Baguette (2510 Channing, just off of Telegraph Ave., in Berkeley) last night for a Mediterranean meal. Here is what she wrote in:

Basically, it's this tiny place that opened up a coupla weeks ago, called Cafe Baguette, on 2510 Channing (just south of campus). It's all-organic, and the food is *amazing,* not to mention dirt cheap. I think the owners must be a Tunisian family, because they have a bunch of Tunisian stuff on the menu (including lamb couscous and veggie stews), but they also have your traditional falafel and shawarma,
which kick the butts of those at Truly Med and Bongo Burger. I've been looking forever for a place that does this stuff at a price that I (as a student) can handle, and that meets my standards (my parents are Middle Eastern). And oh my God, this so fits the bill; I've eatern there four times in the past week, since I discovered it.

Anyway, so I highly recommend you check it out. I almost feel obliged to go advertise for them everywhere, since they haven't been getting many customers since they opened, and I would die if they went out of business so soon after opening, since they're so damn good. God forbid another independent-run place shuts down to be replaced by another Subway.

Pretty much everyone ended up with a Mediterranean platter. I got lamb. Others got chicken. The lamb one looked like this:

Though less blurry. The lamb people were much happier than the chicken people. The lamb tasted... lamby. Meaty. Juicy. And spicy. It was quite good. As was the hummus. The baba ghanoush was the most eggplant-y I'd ever had (it's up to you to determine if that's a good thing or not). The falafel were the only disappointment -- dry and kind of chewy.

Shattuck and University - Middle Eastern Delights!

Last night a friend and I tried out Zatar, the middle eastern restaurant reputed for its exemplary ingredients. The short of it: very yummy. We opted to share a bunch of mezza (small plates, akin to tapas), and since my friend is on an acupuncture diet (no flesh but fish), we tried a variety of vegetarian options, plus one meat dish for me. The meal begins with a plate of zatar (a collection of herbs/spices) drizzled in olive oil -- an excellent pita dip. The Mohamara (a red pepper spread) was good (not great), the falafel were divine little balls of fried goodness, and the fennel and orange salad was surprisingly satisfying -- sprinklings of cinnamon will do wonders. I also got the lamb dolmas, which I could eat until the end of time. Dessert was the pistachio baklava -- good, not too sweet, with big hunks of nut in them. The service was very friendly -- we were waited on by both the friendly waitress, and a chef. They made sure we knew what we were eating, kept our water glasses full, and were generally pleasant. Oh, I also had the pomegranate sangria -- YUM. I'd get a carafe of that when I return. The only drawback -- it's kinda spendy (particularly the entrees). Go when you're feeling kind of flush.

If you're feeling not so flush, you can't go wrong with the Berkeley branch of Truly Mediterranean, right across the street. Their shawarma with hummus and hot sauce -- swoon!

What Is Wrong With You People?

About a few months ago, Truly Mediterranean opened on Shattuck, near University. Every time I go by it, it's pretty much empty.

Do you people not realize what a joyous bounty has been placed in our midst? As a former San Francisco Mission dweller, Truly Mediterranean once formed a core part of my diet, and when I moved to the Beast, it was a sad thing I had to leave behind. Now it has arrived, and it retains all the goodness of forbears. Their lamb shawerma (get it with hummus!) is *the bomb* - spicy tangy juicy flavorful.

Do yourself a favor: go. Don't trust just me: gaze at the happy people here.