Chef Youssef serves up new Mediterranean Grill
Review: Mediterranean Grill
Rating: Three and a half forks out of four
Where: 335 S. Armour, 316-651-5599
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays
Type of food: Mediterranean
Alcohol: Full bar
Reservations: Taken for parties of six or more
Chef Youssef Youssef isn't new to Wichita.
In the nearly 20 years since he moved here from Lebanon, he's had a hand in popular restaurants such as Le Monde and Mediterranean Cafe.
He's not even new to the building at 335 S. Armour where he opened his Mediterranean Grill in early July.
One of his other previous restaurants - the popular Marbella - operated in the space during the late 1990s.
When Youssef came back to Wichita earlier this year after a brief return to his native Beirut, he found the building for lease and quickly reclaimed it.
Now he's back in business, serving up the same Mediterranean specialties that helped build his Wichita reputation.
ON THE MENU: A variety of salads, Mediterranean-style sandwiches, kebabs and meat entrees make up Mediterranean Grill's offerings. Although the menu is not identical to those at Youssef's previous restaurants, it's quite similar - which is good news for fans of Youssef's fattouch salads and lamb shanks.
Through the end of October, Youssef is offering a free order of hummus with the purchase of two lunch or dinner entrees.
DON'T-MISS DISHES: We're fairly certain all our entrees were delicious when we visited Mediterranean Grill. But by the time we got to them, we were so stuffed on hummus and appetizers that it was hard to eat much more.
One of our favorite appetizers was a cheese boursin ($4.95), made with a combination of hot mozzarella, Parmesan, feta and goat cheeses piled in dollops over a bed of warm marinara and served with crispy pita chips. It was painfully rich but impossible to stop eating.
Another highlight was the lamb shank ($14.95), dramatic in its bone-in appearance and roasted until the meat literally fell off the bone. The shank was good, especially paired with the tomatoey broth and rice that accompanied it, though it did have a slight gamey flavor.
The delicious kafta kebab ($7.50) we tried was served off the skewer and prettily arranged around a fresh fattouch salad. The four meat patties were bursting with flavors of herbs and allspice.
Among the restaurant's inventive sandwich offerings was a generous toasted beef filet ($7.50), which featured two fat toasted pitas sandwiched around saucy beef and caramelized onions. The dish was as unusual as it was filling.
And although the special of the day - a peppercorn chicken dish ($8.50) -was a tad on the uninspired side, it was topped with a flavorful, zesty sauce that saved it.
AMBIENCE: Youssef has redesigned the restaurant into a cozy but elegant space featuring wooden booths and tables, a tile floor and warm light fixtures . The air in the small-ish dining room is laced with the exotic smell of Mediterranean spices.
PRICE RANGE: Entrees are typically between $7 and $12. Sandwiches and kebabs, served with a side dish, are around $8.
SERVICE: Good. On all of our visits, we noticed an abundance of waiters, and Youssef's personable manager Mustafa Sawli keeps a close watch on the floor.
This story was originally published October 12, 2007 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Chef Youssef serves up new Mediterranean Grill."