Oh my goodness, Sarma.

This is a popular restaurant in Somerville known for small plates of Mediterranean food.








The menu is large, and I wanted to order everything.

And between the three of us, we may have.

Plus, they bring around delicious freshly made options to your table.

I think I ended up ordering five or six, plus nibbling on things from Josh & Kaitlynn.

But here are some of the ones I remember.






Pork belly biscuits jalapeño-whipped feta, cider

Sinbad's Pizza & Mediterranean Food is located in Kanawha City and dishes out unique pizzas, gyros, shish kabob, falafel, kibbeh and more.



There are just two tables inside, so most of the orders are takeout. I wasn't sure what I wanted, so I waited til I got to the restaurant to look over the whole menu first.



One thing that isn't on the menu - and was my main motivation for checking this place out - is a halal beef pepperoni roll.  A friend told me I had to try it, so I asked for one and the owner was happy to make one for me.

The word "halal" means "permissible" in Arabic, and when it comes to food, it means nourishment that follows Islamic law, according to BBC News. Under Islamic law, meat must come from an animal that was killed according to specific practices. The animal must have been alive and healthy when it was slaughtered, and the kill must come from a cut to the jugular, carotid artery and the windpipe, BBC News reports. (Huffington Post)

And, I got a gyro for later.



It was not on the thicker pita I'm used to for a gyro, but the thinner flour tortilla you would see on shawarma. It was stuffed with lamb meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, feta and cucumber sauce.



What's your favorite item?

Aladdin Restaurant is an old-school favorite in Charleston that serves up Mediterranean food.



You can seat yourself, and most locals seemed to have dedicated tables.



Hey, look, it's Todd Gunter!









Pita



Vegetarian platter - falafel, hummus, baba ghanouj, grape leaf rolls, tabbouleh



Chicken & filet kabobs with green beans and rice



Little candy chocolates to finish the meal.

Have you been?

Grano, located in South Charleston, serves up Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.






Lamb gyro with lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese, lettuce and tzatziki with battered fries

A few new restaurants have popped up in Charleston recently, with Olive Tree Cafe receiving the most praise. This Mediterranean meets American restaurant features everything from shawarma and falafel to Philly cheesesteaks and hot dogs.


The cafe is charming. It has a good bit of seating, a deli with fresh meats and cheeses, a Pepsi Spire machine (!!) and other packaged goods for purchase.

Up at the counter, I ordered the Olive Tree Shawarma because it's one of their signature sandwiches: marinated, slow roasted steak with garlic sauce, shredded pickles, onion, tomato and tahini in a pita. I also got a side of the Olive Tree Pasta Salad.

After a short wait, my meal was delivered. The shawarma wasn't so much wrapped, as it was reliant upon the paper to keep it together, which proved problematic when I need to peel it away. And although there was too much lettuce, the flavors of both the tender meat and the garlic sauce was pretty tasty. A few grizzly bits, but overall - pretty good.

The pasta salad was billed as: Al dente cavatappi topped with the perfect blend of veggies and spices with a little bite. I found it a bit underwhelming, unfortunately. Not bad, just not a ton of flavor and lacking the veggies and spices I was looking forward to.

So, overall I think this place is fine. I liked my shawarma, but I wasn't blown away. I think the pasta salad was fine. I like the little space, and I'm not sure how I feel about it seeming to have a bit of a mixed vision. But, I think I'll just have to try some more to see.

Grade: B