Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market (Patty's Foodie Frenzy #19)

Not only did we have a new area to discover this week, we also went on a search for a delish restaurant with gluten free options. After searching for an interesting and off the beaten path restaurant, we settled on Samad Mediterranean Grill and Market. In one word….SCORE! Although there were very few patrons in the restaurant when we arrived, we were confident it would be good based on our research.

Samad Mediterranean Grill fit our criteria perfectly. Audra was in search of some good gluten-free options and I was told recently that a “Mediterranean diet” was brain-healthy. That can’t hurt! When we walked up to the counter to order, we were salivating over all the scrumptious options. The lady who took our order was helpful in offering suggestions and even gave us a plate of salad samples to help in our decision making process. She was very gracious. Come to find out, she and her chef husband are the owners and their cute daughter helps in the bakery area. I love family businesses especially those that shine.

We started out with a fried cauliflower app served with a tzatziki sauce and an amazing emulsified garlic spread. The waitress gave an interesting suggestion of ordering a coke as a shot to wash down the cauliflower to get a pop rock type of experience. It was very delicious and novel in the concept.

For our entrees, Audra ordered “The Maya Mezza” ($10) that consisted of falafel, hummus, chickpeas, tabouleh, Lebanese salad and pita bread. I was jealous that I had not ordered the Lebanese salad because it was so flavorful with tomato, cucumbers, mint and lemon.

My “Tracy” selection definitely didn’t disappoint. It consisted of Chicken Kabob, gyro meat, tabouleh, hummus and pita. It was also delicious and they are evidently proud of the fact that they only serve Halal meat.

Although the servings were generous, we saved a little room for dessert. Of course, the only reason we did was to be thorough for our AHA readers. Ha! We went with the traditional Mediterranean baklava. Although Audra liked the baklava rolls, I was not a big fan. Because my husband and I went to Greece and Turkey on our honeymoon years ago, I feel like I have been spoiled by the best of the best when it comes to authentic baklava. One of my fondest memories from our trip was walking down a quaint street in Istanbul where we noticed piping hot triangular baklava being pulled out of the oven and then drizzled with warm honey. We hurriedly walked in, purchased several of these pastries and never got over the amazing cultural experience that exotic Istanbul can offer. When it comes to American versions of baklava, whether it is at the Greek festival or a Mediterranean restaurant, I can honestly say I’m a big ole snob!

Next on my menu wish list at Samad is lamb, beet salad, fries, baba ganoush and any of their fresh daily salads.

For those of you who have young children, this is the kind of place where you can feel comfortable dining out with them. It’s not necessarily where you would go on a first date or romantic night out. Located in a mostly empty strip mall on Roswell Road next to Stars and Stripes, it could be intimidating to walk into if you didn’t know any better. Fancy it is not… but delicious, friendly and reasonably priced it is.

For those of us who have been around Atlanta for a while, I read that the owners used to be at Cedars on Lenox Road.

Our ratings (1-5) for a Mediterranean restaurant: