Mediterranean Grill

Mediterranean Grill
10 School Street
Freeport, Maine
(Visit their website and check out the full menu!)

This is the best restaurant in Freeport. Go to L. L. Bean or wherever you want in this shopping paradise but be sure not to scarf down too much of the Ben & Jerry’s ice cream because you’re going to miss out on a real treat. Whenever I’m in the area, I just have to drop by the Mediterranean Grill. The owners are really friendly and I think they also own the famous “China Rose” restaurants in both Freeport and Brunswick. This expansion into Mediterranean cuisine allows them to demonstrate a whole new range of tastes for the hungry shopper.

Definitely start your meal off with the Sigara Borek. This is a terrific dish with meat, cheese, and parsley wrapped in fillo dough and fried to perfection. It is served with a Caesar dressing-like sauce that compliments the dish. Flakey and crunchy, the Sigara Borek is so good you’ll want it to be your main dish. But there are better treats in store.

My all-time favorite is the Shepard Sautéed. Tender, bite-sized chunks of lamb stir fried with mixed vegetables including zucchini and potatoes served over some buttered rice just make the meal complete. Though the portion is pretty large and you’ll probably have leftovers, you end up wishing you could eat more and more of this delicious meal. I highly recommend it.

The specials vary but these guys know how to do lamb just right so you probably can’t go wrong with any of their dishes if you just want to spin the wheel and see what special treats the chefs have come up with that day.

End the meal with a wonderful custard and some Turkish tea. The custard is a favorite of mine but it’s always a race to see if there is any left by the time I’m done with the main course. Reserve a slice early on and you might just be lucky enough to have this wonderful, tender, and not too sweet custard as your dessert (topped with chocolate sauce!). The tea comes in cute little glass cups and finishes off the meal perfectly. I can’t praise this restaurant enough. Well worth the price and, with a cozy and stylish atmosphere, this place is just a great place to dine.

(Images by AG)