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Robin Garr

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Mapping the Mediterranean at the Grape Leaf

by Robin Garr » Wed Jan 21, 2015 4:17 pm

Mapping the Mediterranean at the Grape Leaf

LEO's Eats with Robin Garr

Grape Leaf's Kufta
Image

Quick! Can you find the Mediterranean Sea on a map?

This should be easy. It's that long body of water that stretches from the Straits of Gibraltar at the far end of Spain, all the way over past Italy and Greece, the long belly of Turkey, around the corner past Syria, Lebanon and Israel to Egypt, then back west along the coast Northern Africa until we get to Gibraltar again.

Who doesn't know the Med? Steeped in history and culture, it goes all the way back to the Odyssey and the Iliad; the poet Homer's "wine-dark sea" that the Romans empirically declared "Mare Nostrum," "our sea." Yeah. That Mediterranean. A metaphorical sea that's filled shore to shore with history, culture and very good food.

But riddle me this: When we look over the menu at just about any metro restaurant that bills its fare as "Mediterranean," it seems to be using a different map. An appetizing culinary mashup of Greek gyros, Turkish hummus, Lebanese tabbouleh, Syrian pita bread, Iranian kebab skewers and khoresh stews and falafel, the chickpea treat that even Palestinians and Israelis can agree to like.

That's quite a geographical stretch, and curiously, despite the specificity of the name, it's only partially congruent with our map of the Mediterranean. What's up with that?

Here, let me show you what I mean. Wandering the neighborhood in search of brunch one recent Sunday, we wandered into The Grape Leaf, an amiable neighborhood spot where we hadn't been for a while. Well suited to the purpose at hand, it bills itself "a friendly, locally owned, Pan-Mediterranean neighborhood restaurant."

A Frankfort Avenue landmark for more than 20 years now, the Grape Leaf has earned a faithful following, attracted by its comfortable quarters and, for sure, Chef Nabil Al-Saba's authentic if multi-ethnic bill of fare. ...


Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/?p=5191
And in LEO Weekly:
http://www.leoweekly.com/2015/01/mappin ... rape-leaf/

The Grape Leaf
2217 Frankfort Ave.
897-1774
http://grapeleafonline.com
Facebook: http://goo.gl/lml9fO
Robin Garr's rating: 83 points
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Bill Veneman

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Re: Mapping the Mediterranean at the Grape Leaf

by Bill Veneman » Wed Jan 21, 2015 5:26 pm

You can't beat Grape Leaf for good, reasonable, honest ethnic grub....all day long.....

Don't get there nearly enough, but when I do, I usually ask myself "why don't I come here more often"...?
If life's a Banquet, what's with all the Tofu?

Cheers!

Bill V.
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John S

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Re: Mapping the Mediterranean at the Grape Leaf

by John S » Mon Jan 26, 2015 9:22 pm

Any insight into which store the pita bread is bought from? I happen to really like them and wouldn't mind picking some up.

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