A notable new restaurant
Mooney’s Mediterranean Cafe just opened last week in downtown Winston-Salem, and after one delicious lunch there I’m eager to go back.
Mooney’s menu spans the globe, starting with Middle Eastern treats. This section of the menu is called “The Old Country” and includes such items as grilled vegetables and hummus served in a pita, and moujudara, described as “Middle Eastern Hoppin’ John—a rice and lentil dish topped with fried onions, garnished with pickles & slaw.”
The menu then moves on to American favorites—the “Old Glory” section of burgers and wings—with a nod to Pizza and Stromboli along the way.
But the section that interests me most is named simply “Sides & Salads & Soups.”
Dishes in this section cost $2.95 for a small serving or $4.95 for a large; or you can get a sampler plate of four for $6.95. So you can try whatever strikes your fancy.
And there’s a lot to strike the fancy: fettoosh and tabouli salads; hummus and musabaha, “a Palestinian twist on Hummus, whole chickpeas mixed in”; stuffed grape leaves; baba ghanouj … and more.
My favorite of the dishes I tried was the baba ghanouj, the dip of fire-roasted eggplant, tahini (sesame butter), garlic and oil. The smoky flavor was delicious. Mousaka, not the casserole but a stew of eggplant, tomato, onions and chickpeas, was nicely spiced. In the moujudara, the rice and lentils were sparked by the lively cabbage slaw, which had a lemony dressing.
When he heard I was vegetarian, the friendly owner did mention that deep-fried items such as falafel are prepared in the same fryer as such meat items as chicken wings. While I wish that were not the case, I appreciated his thoughtfulness in mentioning it. And it is a good sign that he realized this could be an issue for vegetarians.
Mooney’s is at 101 W. Fourth St., where Bon Appetit restaurant was until recently. It has been nicely renovated to have a sleeker look, but it is still a comfortably casual place where you order at the counter. It is open for breakfast and lunch, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
