Opa! in the "O"

Mediterranean Blue..

Greek on the go, that's what you'll find when you visit this quaint Greek establishment. I have become quite interested in Greek food this past year and I found out that it is a cuisine that tickles my taste buds. My favorite dishes are Greek style lamb chops, stuffed grape leaves, and spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese layered in buttery phyllo)..Um mm.

I came across Mediterranean Blue on the Orlando Sentinel website as a featured Greek dine in that is located on East Michigan street in Orlando. So of course this had to be added to Nique's "O" town Eats. I decided to study the menu online before I went, always a good idea. I was going to try for the first time an authentic Greek Gyro. The one featured that caught my eye was the Gyro King sandwich; sliced beef and lamb seasoned and roasted, served on a grilled pita with onion, tomato, and their house made tzatziki for $6.70, definitely a decent price that won't break your pockets for lunch.

I went on my lunch break and hoped I didn't run into the lunch time rush. As I entered I was welcomed by the cashier who was very cheerful. The little seating area was full and there was single seat high tops that were occupied for the most part. I didn't need to look at the menu which was high on the wall because I already knew what I was going to order. I did take a few minutes to look at the open deli case items that were featured, it was full of different Greek salads to order on the go in small, med, or large portions. What caught my eye were the grape leaves which was offered in a different showcase right of the cashier along with other hot selections such as spanakopita. This item was not on the menu but featured in the restaurant. They were 3 for $2.00 and they were stuffed with rice, herbs, spices and pine nuts. I quickly added them to my order.

My order came up to $9.27 not bad for a Greek lunch, I try to stay under my $10.00 threshold the best I can. After I ordered I started to study the deli case and noticed they had authentic Greek drinks and beer and wine to offer as well. Literally 5 minutes later my order was up I hadn't found a seat yet, so when the waitress came out with my order I followed her to a seat in the back that wasn't occupied. When my meal came I was ecstatic. My gyro was fuming hot and the feta and homemade tzatziki was oozing out ready for me to dig in. At first bite it was fantastic, the pita was grilled on the outside yet soft, the seasoned lamb and beef that seamed to be grounded and then sliced might have been a little too seasoned, as in 'salty' but the tzatziki took away the overpowering of seasoning. I haven't had grape leaves served hot yet so these were a special treat. The grape leaves were marinated perfectly and cooked in olive oil, the rice filling was fragrant with Greek herbs, and the pine nuts were a great touch. The grape leaves and Gyro definitely complimented each other and went down very nicely. Everyone around me seemed to be enjoying their meal and the staff was very helpful and quick on dishing out orders.

I will definitely be back to enjoy another Gyro but this time I will try the Chicken Souvlaki Gyro with spanakopita...Um mm. Nique's "O" town Eats gives Mediterranean Blue a big "O" for Opa!!!

Check out the website (currently under construction)

http://www.mediterraneanblue.net/