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The Dining Divas Don’t Have to Go Far for Good Mediterranean Food
by Lisa Kampeter
I knew I’d be taking a risk again trying what I would call a “non-traditional” restaurant. What I mean by that is the restaurant did not fall in one of the four main Dining Diva restaurant groupings – Italian, Mexican, American, and bar & grill. I’m usually safe with those choices. But especially after the disaster choice from last month, you’d think I’d have gone for good old-fashioned comfort food, but I didn’t. This month, we didn’t have to go far even though we went for Mediterranean.
Although I’ve driven by it almost every day, Kaslik Mediterranean Cuisine never caught my eye until the Newcomer Diva mentioned it. Apparently she’d heard good things about this North County restaurant on Lindbergh in Hazelwood. With a leap of faith (and without checking out the menu online), I made the decision to just go for it, and crossed my fingers that the Dining Divas wouldn’t be disappointed.
“It was so nice of you to rent out the place for us,” said the Witty Diva as our table was the only table in use. Well, that was a concern for me even though I noticed a steady group of people carry out food. Had I chosen another lame restaurant?
Right away, Wasem greeted us, and when he was asked “What kind of food is this?” he answered immediately, “Really good food.” And his follow-up answer to the next question was even better. Regarding the food, “What country are we in?” He teasingly answered, “the United States.” Wasem the Gem. That’s what I thought of him for the rest of the night. If the food was as good as he was, the Dining Divas were sure to forgive me for the last restaurant I chose.
To start, we tried lots of appetizers. Even for the Picky Diva. Hummus was a safe choice, but it was delicious with the fresh pita. The Confused Diva kept thinking Grape Leaves were actually the skins of the grapes. Even though it was out of her comfort zone, she tried the leaves stuffed with rice, parsley, tomatoes, and spices, and was surprised that she liked them. The Arays, or fondly known as Mediterranean quesadillas, and Falafel, deep-fried chickpeas, were other good appetizers. But the favorite was the Grilled White Halloumi Cheese. Real good, just like Wasem said they would be.
The Greek Salad was on the Dieting Divas approved list, both nutritionally and for taste. The Daring Diva is used to the Greek side of the Mediterranean so it was surprising that she let Wasem decide what Lebanese dish she should try. He brought her out the Beef Shawarma sandwich that she really enjoyed. And we really were grateful because we didn’t want her to turn into the Crabby Diva. The Beef Kefta was another good choice. It was grilled beef and onions and parsley served with basmati rice. For the less adventurous, the Grilled Shrimp marinated in spices and garlic was another safe choice.
Kaslik was definitely outside of the Dining Divas comfort zone, but we’re glad we tried it. Not only did we enjoy the food, we enjoyed how easily Wasem handled our demanding group with charm. And that says a lot.
