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.  

Samos Restaurant in Baltimore's Greek Town

On our way to see a Japanese band named Envy in Baltimore, my boyfriend and I stopped by a Greek place recommended by a friend.  We both love Mediterranean flavors, so we had to try out Samos after my friend raved about the food.  http://www.samosrestaurant.com/menu.htm

I didn't even know that Baltimore had a Greek Town, but judging by the lines of people waiting for a table at 6 pm on a Saturday, this is a popular spot.  It is cash-only, but there is an ATM near the restrooms.

Trio of Homemade Greek Spreads $9.75

Olive tapenade, roasted red pepper hummus, Melitzanosalata (roasted eggplant with garlic, lemon and olive oil).  My favorite was the eggplant but my better half loved the hummus. 

 Hot pita wedges.  So good with all of the spreads.

 Small Greek Salad $6.50.  (There's a large size, but this was perfect to share.)

The famous salad dressing comes on the side in a bottle.

Spanikopita $5.75

The flaky phyllo dough encased a nice mixture of spinach and feta cheese. 

Gyro Pita Wrap with everything $5.50.

***

Samos is closed Sundays, has carryout and is BYOB.  They do not take reservations, and they do become busy, but the Greek food is worth the wait.

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.