Author: Gary Nager

Next month, Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill, located near the intersection of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd., will celebrate one year in business. It’s been a good year for owner Bilal Saleh and his wife Abida, who created the recipes used at New Tampa’s most authentic Mediterranean restaurant.

Even so, Bilal admits, “Some people still don’t know we’re even here. I know if they do find us, they’ll keep coming back.”

It’s hard to argue with Bilal’s logic, as Zaytoun (which literally means “olive tree” in Arabic) already has a loyal following of people who enjoy authentic dishes of Syria, Lebanon and Greece prepared with the best and freshest ingredients, and with so many people eating healthier these days, “We have so many vegetarian and gluten-free choices here we know you’ll keep coming back.”

In fact, Bilal and Abida, who also runs two other local businesses (Florida Aesthetics and the Neuro Center), agree that although Zaytoun has attracted many of the Muslim people who live in New Tampa (the mosque the Salehs belong to is 1/3 of a mile north of Zaytoun on Morris Bridge Rd.), “most of our customers are not from the Middle East. They just like good food.”

A Few Of The Favorites…

Of course, I always try to tell you about my favorite dishes at any of the restaurants I review, and I have quite a few at Zaytoun.

My favorite starters are the fattoush salad — which features romaine, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, mint, sumac and extra virgin olive oil, topped with toasted pita chips — and the traditional Greek salad. You can add chicken, shrimp beef or kufta kabobs to any salad for $2.99-$3.99 and the salads themselves are only $4.99-$8.99.

I will say that Zaytoun’s homemade hummus might just be the best I’ve tasted, although I’m not usually the biggest fan. I’m also not usually the biggest fan of grape leaves, falafel, tabbouleh or baba ghanouj, but many of my Zaytoun-loving friends rave about all of them. There’s also two appetizer platters on the menu, one which combines salad, falafel, grape leaves, hummus, baba ghanouj, muhammara and tabbouleh (for $12.99) and the Zaytoun Sampler Platter ($16.99), which has yogurt salad, tabbouleh, grape leaves, hummus, fried kebbeh, muhammara and baba ghanouj.

There’s also two homemade soups on the menu — lentil soup and freekeh, which is an aromatic soup made with tender chicken, smoked green wheat and spices.

Zaytoun’s grilled entrées are definitely my favorites, especially the perfectly seasoned grilled lamb chops — which are soaked in lemon, garlic and extra virgin olive oil marinade and served with veggies and rice —and the Zaytoun mixed grill, which features grilled kufta (spiced ground beef and lamb) and tender beef and chicken shish kabobs.

I also enjoy the chicken shawarma platter (the kabobs and shawarma are all available as sandwiches, too, rolled in fresh, warm pitas straight from the oven and served with Zaytoun’s special garlic sauce).

And, although I can’t eat the shrimp kabobs on the menu because of my shellfish allergy, Bilal says he has many customers asking for them — and for more seafood.

“We do have a wild-caught salmon special sometimes, when we get salmon we like,” says Bilal. “But, we’re very picky.”

Speaking of picky, Abida promises that although she isn’t at Zaytoun every day, she does go into the kitchen and sample different dishes every time she does come in, “just to make sure the quality is what we and our customers expect,” she says.

In addition to the puffy pitas, Zaytoun’s hand-crafted brick oven also creates some wonderful entrée pies. My favorite is the spinach pie, although I did also enjoy the sfeeha, or ground beef pie. I’ve yet to sample the feta cheese or zaatar (thyme) pies, but they look and smell wonderful as they go by at Zaytoun, and you can get a single piece of each baked pie in Zaytoun’s Pie Sampler for only $9.99.

Before we get to the decadent desserts, let me not forget to mention that Zaytoun also is known for its fresh mint lemonade — it’s like a mojito without the alcohol, since no alcohol is served at the restaurant.

I also really love Zaytoun’s hot tea and Nespresso-brand espresso drinks, especially the cappuccinos and lattes.

But, I really hope you’ll plan to save room for dessert at Zaytoun. The signature dessert is called knafeh, which is shredded dough which bakes up extra crisp, filled with a thick (and not overly sweet), homemade cream filling, sprinkled with chopped pistachios and drizzled with orange blossom syrup. Whatever you think it sounds like, to me, the knafeh is decadent, like the crispiest hash browns you ever had, but for dessert, stuffed with a cannoli-style cream. Awesome.

Please note that the knafeh takes 25-30 minutes to bake, so the servers all suggest ordering it when you order your meal, so it will be perfect when you’re ready for it.

I also rave about Zaytoun’s homemade baklava and the sticky, smooth cheese roll with cream also is very tasty.

So, stop in at Zaytoun and try a few of these great menu items. You may just end up letting them cater your next party or event.

For more information about Zaytoun Mediterranean Grill (10970 Cross Creek Blvd., behind Dunkin’ Donuts), call 345-2515, visit Zaytoun-Grill.com, or see the ad in our latest issue for some great coupon values. Zaytoun is open Mon.-Thur., 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m., 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on Fri. & Sat. and noon-9 p.m. on Sun.

If you love great food at very fair prices and you haven’t yet visited the new Tarek’s Café & Grill, located actually at our former address in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, it’s definitely worth a visit no matter which meal of the day you’re eating.

Although his restaurant is a newcomer to the Tampa Palms dining scene, Tarek is no stranger to a lot of New Tampa residents — his original Tarek’s Café has been a fixture on the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus, just south of Fletcher Ave. off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., for 25 years.

“I’ve actually been in this business 40 years,” says Tarek Elsayed, the owner of the two local Tarek’s Cafés, which are two totally different types of places.

The USF Café is geared to busy college students and faculty members, but Tarek warns that it is still “much more than just a sandwich shop.”

Even so, the Tampa Palms Tarek’s is spacious, with room for 140-150 seats (there’s a little more than 100 inside right now) and attractive wood booths.

But, the menu is significantly more geared towards the sit-down audience — local residents who want a truly delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner in a casual setting.

“We have all of the local proms and graduations happening now,” Tarek says. “Bring those parties over here. We want and can handle your group.”

I’ve only enjoyed breakfast at the Tampa Palms Tarek’s twice so far, but I didn’t post a pic of my favorite breakfast to date — the cinnamon French toast with crusty white bread — because I didn’t think my pics did it justice. Tarek says that virtually everyone who has tried his corned beef hash has raved about it.

“I hear it’s the best in this area…anywhere…all the time,” Tarek says proudly. “If it’s not, I’ll finish it for you.”

As for lunch and dinner, my favorite dishes so far are the braised (“for seven hours,” Tarek says) beef short ribs and smashed potatoes, the “Ooey-Gooey Ragout” (ask Tarek to describe it for you), the blackened (or grilled) grouper with buttery rice and perfect French-style green beans, the uniquely spicy Israeli-style couscous (available as a side), the turkey bacon cheeseburger, and the totally decadent, indescribable Oreo “balls” covered with rich white chocolate. They’re like the chewiest, most delicious brownie bites ever.

I also love the mini-baklavas Tarek is holding in the picture above and he usually has other great desserts,too.

There’s no alcohol served at Tarek’s Cafe (15345 Amberly Dr.), but it is open Tues.-Sat., 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and 7 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday. Call 252-3238 or visit
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