Restaurant Review: Gregg Mediterranean

GREGG MEDITERRANEAN

220 Lakeland Drive, Sherwood Park | greggexpress.com

Instagram: @greggmediterranean

Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

Gregg Mediterranean is a restaurant that focuses on the flavours of the east Mediterranean - think shawarma and kabob. However, their menu offers a whole lot more and their dine-in experience is elevated beyond an express donair wrap. The Edmonton Journal named Gregg Mediterranean as the Best Mediterranean Restaurant 2020 and I was excited to head out to Sherwood Park to taste their cuisine. Located specifically in the Millennium Ridge Retail Centre, it's a nice shopping plaza with a courtyard area. I can imagine that the summertime would be especially lovely with patios spilling out into the common areas and string lights illuminating the evenings. The inside of the restaurant is very spacious with two large dining areas and a bar. The decor is simple but I was impressed at the easy elegance. The rich, jewel-toned green velvet-wrapped chairs with gold accents caught my eye immediately. Tall hookah pipes were being ported around, their sweet scent filling the air. The vibe is easygoing but there are hints of style and good taste. The staff was all very friendly and happy to answer questions and make suggestions. I could tell that Gregg Mediterranean is a family-run business and they treat their customers very warmly. It wasn't long before many of the tables in the restaurant were occupied with patrons in the mood for a mediterranean feast! Upon getting settled and cozy, the first thing that I did was look to the beverage menu for something interesting to drink. Sadly, there was almost nothing of note. The best drink was a Lebanese Coffee, which is exactly the sort of thing that I was looking for, however I wasn't in the mood for a coffee so late in the day. Apart from that there was only pop and not much else. I decided to forgo the beverages altogether and opted for water. The food menu is a nice size with lots of options but simultaneously doesn't overdo it. There are many appetizers to choose from which gave me the feeling of meze, where you would order a lot of plates to share among the table. The Sujuk (housemade spicy beef sausage) sounded quite special, Grilled Halloumi Cheese is never the incorrect choice, and the Chicken Liver certainly caught my eye as a unique offering. On my first visit I wanted to stick to the guaranteed hits and ordered the Dip Trio ($17.00) as a way to try several different flavours at once.

Hummus, baba gannouj, and laban bil khiar.

Served with warm triangles of pita, this colourful dip trifecta was a feast for the eyes. I excitedly began to sample each one. The hummus was incredibly smooth with a nice level of garlic and tahini. The baba gannouj was my favourite. This smoked eggplant dip mixed with tahini sauce, lemon juice, and garlic really captured an incredible smokiness that was a delight to eat! And finally the laban bil khiar, which had us asking "is this tzatziki?" This yogurt dip mixed with garlic, cucumber, and dry mint is a Lebanese preparation whereas tzatziki is Greek, however they are similar. It boasted an enjoyable cooling flavour (and was excellent for dunking falafels into later on). I spotted the Garlic Potato ($11.00) on the menu and needed no further explanation. If you know a mediterranean-style potato, you know.

Exactly as I had hoped, this mountain of rust-coloured potatoes were topped with a generous amount of garlic sauce. What I didn't expect was that the potatoes would be infused with a bright lemon flavour, a very welcome discovery! Some of the cubes of potato were slightly undercooked but the soft ones were perfection. The garlic sauce did its job to ensure that I shouldn't associate with any other people that day... And I didn't mind at all. I was also curious to try their version of Falafel ($12.00).

Chickpeas mixed with parsley and onion.

I liked the plating on a bed of vegetables and pickles which added colour and freshness. Each falafel ball had a satisfyingly crunchy shell, revealing a soft interior. Unfortunately, I found the falafel somewhat dry. Served with a dip, this helped to add some much-needed moisture. I also really enjoyed using the laban bil khiar as a dip. Overall, this wasn't a dish that I felt overly excited about. Gregg Mediterranean serves several different salads (I love a Fattoush!) and when it comes to entrees there are an array of platters to choose from. The Mashawee platter appears to be the signature dish and includes various types of meat skewers. I considered ordering a platter like this for a long while but instead wanted to try the Chicken Shawarma Wrap ($16.00) because I really enjoy a wrap like this when it's done well.

Served with choice of fries or salad.

I wish that there had been more of an option to customize the ingredients used inside of the wrap. I like my chicken shawarma wraps served "old school" with tons of garlic sauce, purple cabbage sauce, tomato, pink pickled turnips, pickles, and parsley. There was no opportunity to make this wrap the type of shawarma that I truly enjoy. Maybe this style of shawarma is meant to be served in this one specific way. However, it was missing a lot of the big flavours and colours that I look forward to. The chicken, arguably the star of the show, was decent but seemed to be lacking those really amazing crispy, caramelized bits. I liked the tight wrap and the grill on the outside and I used liberal amounts of garlic sauce with every bite. Certainly not the best shawarma that I've ever had and I'd probably advise to try a platter instead. The wrap was served with a salad and I was delighted to find that it came with fattoush! A nice and fresh salad with crunchy pieces of pita on top. I didn't order dessert but would have gotten the baklava if I had. The rest of the desserts didn't seem housemade or overly authentic. There are a lot of nice things about Gregg Mediterranean. Overall, I would say that the cuisine leans in a decidedly Lebanese direction and that their strengths lie in their care put into the preparation of each dish. There are plenty of different items to try and the friendly staff will happily guide you!