Me Jana

I love tapas, mezze, small plates, whatever you want to call them.  Anything that lets me choose a variety of flavors and tastes in one meal.  Me Jana in Arlington's Court House neighborhood has attentive service and good Lebanese food.  http://www.me-jana.com/  I prefer ordering a few warm and cold mezze and sharing so I have not tried their main plates, and doubt I will, the mezze are that satisfying and filling.

Spinach pie ($7.50)

Chicken Shwarma ($8.00)

Falafel (7.00)

Fantastic. Crisp on the outside and a nice chickpea and fava bean mixture.

Seared Halloumi with pears and dates ($8.50).

The least favorite dish from the night.

Hummus ($6.00)

Creamy and went very well with the hot pita bread.

***

Next time I'd like to try a few other items like their grilled calamari, fatteh (fried eggplant with yogurt) and one of their salads.  

Z is for Zaytinya

Despite its former head chef Mike Isabella's less than enlightened view of his female competitors on Top Chef, I have liked Zaytinya since it opened in 2003. It's great for group dinners and solo outings. On an early summer afternoon, it was a fantastic place to sit outside and enjoy some small plates of Mediterranean food with a glass, or two, of wine.

Hommus with a pool of olive oil in the center and warm pita bread is my preferred way to start off.
Adana kebab with onions and sumac. Adana kebab is a Turkish specialty. A mixture of ground lamb seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes is formed around a skewer and grilled.
Kolokithokeftedes are pan-seared Greek zucchini and cheese patties.

Falafel (Lebanese), traditional chickpea fritters, are delicious wrapped in pita with h0mmus.

Lebanese shish taouk is grilled chicken with onions, sumac and garlic paste.