Siedos Mediterranean Grill
I am not really dedicated to any specific cuisine, but I am most attracted to dishes that are full of flavor and have a variety of spices. Being from New Orleans my taste buds were on point in-vitro. My mother’s carvings for spicy crawfish, pizza and chitlin’s had me marinating for 9 months in a cornucopia of spices. I think she ate chitlins in excess because I will not touch them today!!!
When I dine out I love to try restaurants when they first open. Trust me; you get the best service, freshest food and most exciting environment. The test of a good restaurant (in my opinion) is maintaining that consistency of good, fresh food and outstanding customer service. Last week I ate at a restaurant I am hoping will be able to stand the test of time.
Sideos Mediterranean Grill in Grand Prairie, Texas is a cute and cozy restaurant off the beaten path. Sideos sits behind a Popeye’s Fried Chicken off of Carrier Parkway. Trust me, if you’re not looking for it, you’ll go right past it. It is worth looking for.
I was greeted by Israh, the lovely daughter to owner Saad Sharif. Israh and staff were gracious and accommodating to me. Israh patiently answered my questions about Spanokopita and Souvlaki, even though Siedos style of cooking did not include those items. I had confused their Mediterranean (Turkish) style cuisine with my Greek favorites.
These (Turkish) Mediterranean delights are more vegetable and grain based. Where as my favored Greek dishes have lamb and cheese. I was intrigued and in a hurry so I decided to get a carry out of the spinach pie and the falafel dinner.
While I waited I enjoyed a cup of Turkish coffee. Israh told me she prefers it sweet; whereas most patrons prefer it plain. She knowing more about Turkish coffee prompted me to take her suggestion.
This Turkish coffee was served espresso style. I was envisioning my hair standing on end when I drank it; mainly because most foreign coffees are incredibly strong.
What a delight! Not only was it not too strong, it was very smooth with just the right amount of sweetness. It also did not have that bite I tend to find in most cups of espresso. The real pleasure was that it was 8:30 PM and I was not wired or jittery after drinking coffee late at night.
As I waited for my meal other wait staff members, without stopping their duties, made eye contact with me, smiled and said hello. Again, this type of personalized service goes hand in hand with a new restaurant, but I felt a degree of sincerity with this staff. Plus the ambiance of this place is remarkable. The rich red walls are adorned by native art work. You’ll dine amidst soft, cheery background music in this well lit setting. Most important, they have Hookah’s!
What the heck is a Hookah? I’m glad you asked because you know I had to ask for myself.
A Hookah is a large pipe used for smoking flavored tobacco. No, I have not had the Hookah experience and I’m not really certain what the purpose of a Hookah is to people who don’t smoke. Even though smoking laws are changing, Hookah’s are becoming very popular amongst the trendy set.
When my meal arrived I really wanted to eat it there in order to get the full experience of the atmosphere. Unfortunately I had to leave, but felt obligated to try the spinach pie in the car.
These warm triangle shaped pastries filled with spinach, onion seasoning and spices were yummy. The spices were not over powering and the dough was soft and puffy. Not at all like the flaky fillo dough of Spanakopita, but just as tasty.
By the time I made it home the Falafel was still warm; not at all what I expected. Until the moment I took my first bite of Falafel these little chick pea balls were just something I had heard of on television. For a fried food I found them to be light and perfect for a late night meal.
Siedos is open Sunday through Thursday from 6 AM to 10 PM (Friday’s 6 AM to 11 PM). They are located at 3758 S. Carrier Parkway, Suite 10 in Grand Prairie, TX. They are the last suite in the complex behind the Steak & Shake and Popeye’s. Siedos has an impressive menu of Mediterranean delights which include Kibbeh, Hummus, Beef Shish Kabob and Lamb Shank. They also serve a traditional American breakfast. If you’re in a hurry and know what you want, you may call your order into 972.642.4400.
Now that I know the difference between Mediterranean cuisines I can honestly say I enjoyed the Turkish style. Seeing that various European, African and Asian states border the Mediterranean Sea I feel as if I must seek out other culinary delights offered from this region. In the meantime, try Siedos for a change of pace. Especially if you can’t afford the trip across the Atlantic.
