Captain Shawarma Donairs & Falafel: Donair and Shawarma Mixed Platter

Another new donair and shawarma place in the west end is Captain Shawarma at 14831 87 Ave. The menu features Middle Eastern items like beef kebab and kofta in addition to donairs and chicken shawarmas. This is the beef donair and shawarma mixed platter. The mountain of food included chunks of beef donair and chicken shawarma - both flavourful with just enough spice- on top of vegetable rice, with small sides of hummus, garlic potatoes, and fatouche salad. You can choose your salad and sauce. My sweet sauce was served to the side. The salad was covered in crispy pita, and had a tangy balsamic dressing. This is definitely shareable.

Mezze Platter at Craft (10013 101A Avenue)

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Mezze Platter at Craft. Three shareable, Mediterranean-inspired appetizers. The fresh veggies with red pepper dip were excellent. Avocado toast - yes, please, although I was hoping the toast would be crunchier. The felafel tasted more like veggie fritters than fried chickpea paste, but the tzatziki was refreshing and lightened it up a bit. #yeg #yegfoodie #yegeats #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Oct 17, 2018 at 1:55pm PDT

Mezze Platter at Craft. Three shareable, Mediterranean-inspired appetizers. The fresh veggies with red pepper dip were excellent. Avocado toast - yes, please, although I was hoping the toast would be crunchier. The felafel tasted more like veggie fritters than fried chickpea paste, but the tzatziki was refreshing and lightened it up a bit.

Dinner at Yianni's Taverna

Appetizers: roasted olives and hummus. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Oct 28, 2017 at 4:26pm PDT

I was treated to a fabulous dinner at Yianni's Taverna a couple of weeks ago. We started with the hummus and pita, as well as the roasted olives. The hummus was rich and thick, and likely the best I have ever had. The olives were hot, marinated in seasonings and oil, and absolutely incredible. I could probably have made a meal out of the appetizers.

Rack of lamb for him and roasted chicken for me. #yegfood

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Oct 28, 2017 at 5:14pm PDT

I had the chicken (top), which was a full breast grilled and seasoned to perfection. The vegetables were just lightly blanched while the lemon potatoes were excellent - cooked fork tender and not overwhelming on the lemon. A dollop of tzatziki on the side complemented the chicken well. I also tried a bite of the rack of lamb. While I am not a lamb fan, this was absolutely succulent, cooked to a perfect medium, and a huge portion.

Chicken Kebabs at Kebab Express

Chicken shish kebab combo. #yegfood #eatalberta150

A post shared by Paula E. Kirman (@livingsanctuary) on Jul 2, 2017 at 4:29pm PDT

I was at the Blues On Whyte Block party this past weekend, and had Sunday evening supper at Kebab Express (10355 82 Avenue). The seating allowed me to enjoy my meal while still having a clear view of the street stage. I had the chicken kebab combo platter. The chunks of chicken breast meat were grilled to perfection. They were served on a bed of white rice that had a slightly salty flavour, almost like butter. A small side of salad added some lightness to the plate. Of course, there was pita bread and a yogurt dip (I was expecting garlic, but this was very light and refreshing). At close to $18 it was not cheap and the portion was not huge, but it really hit the spot.

Chicken Kabob Wrap at Co Co Di

It was late in the evening and I was on Jasper Avenue, in need of food. I stopped in to Co Co Di because I love Mediterranean food and it was there. I ordered the chicken kabob wrap with a side of tabouli salad. The wrap had a full kabob's worth of chicken in it, with a mild garlic sauce, pickles (the purple kind), and tomatoes. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and the wrap was small, but very tasty. I was accidentally brought fattoush salad instead of the tabouli, but it looked so beautiful I did not complain. It was the best fattoush I have ever had, with crispy pita chips, pomegranate seeds, onions, cucumbers, and a delicious house dressing. I was brought a tabouli to go when the mistake was discovered, which was much appreciated. At $12 this was a perfect portion for the time of day.

Kofta Kabobs at Co Co Di

A friend who was visiting from out of town suggested we meet for lunch at Co Co Di. I quickly agreed since I have not been there in ages and this gave me the perfect excuse to visit. I had the kofta kabob platter with rice and tabouli salad. The two long skewers of kofta, which is ground beef, was perfectly seasoned and grilled. I think I chose the perfect sides as I think fries would have been too filling. The salad was particularly refreshing and was a portion large enough for a meal in itself.

Pan Seared Salmon at Blue Plate Diner

Pan Seared Salmon, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I was in the mood for something decadent for lunch prior to heading to a filming assignment, so at Blue Plate Diner I opted for the pan-seared salmon.

I am a fan of salmon in general, but this dish took things up to another level. The salmon was cooked to perfection, seared crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The seasoning and bed of vegetables (with fork-tender baby potatoes) seemed inspired by the Mediterranean.

This was a dish that was as good to look at as it was to eat. Bravo!

Beef Kabab Wrap

Beef Kabab Wrap, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Lynnwood Mediterranean Grill and Cafe (87 Avenue and 150 Street) opened up just after Christmas. It's a small, clean, bright space with eat-in, take-out, and delivery.

I checked it out today for lunch. My beef kebab wrap was excellent. The meat was grilled to perfection, and the parsley, tahini sauce, pickled, pickled turnip, and tomatoes gave the wrap a very fresh flavour. It was also inexpensive, at around $7.

The place also has burgers, chicken fingers, donairs, and other Middle Eastern chicken and beef dishes and salads.

Folk Fest 2011 #2 - Veggie Pita

Food - EFMF 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I decided to have each meal or snack at the Folk Fest from a different food vendor. I noticed a Mediterranean food stand offering wraps and platters. When I go to the Folk Fest, I tend to be in a vegetarian frame of mine, such is the hippy that I am. As a result, I went for the veggie pita wrap. It was filled with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and peppers, as well as lettuce. A thick spread of hummous was on the inside of the pita, while the veggies were covered in a refreshing tahini sauce. While the pita bread was crisp, the fillings were all cold, which I believe was intentional - the veggies were chilled, not room temperature from sitting. The wrap was a great flavour combination and the perfect lunch on a very hot afternoon.

Heritage Festival 2011 #7 - More Kebabs

Heritage Festival 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Sometimes the Heritage Festival is referred to as the "Meat on a Stick Festival" because of all the grilled choices at many of the pavilions. These kebabs were from Iraq. The meat was nicely marinated and quite juicy. I could have taken or left the salad - the meat was the star of this stick.

Heritage Festival 2011 #6 - Bolani

Heritage Festival 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

Bolani was one of the first things I ate when I started attending the Heritage Festival some years back. It is from Afghanistan and is a crispy, pan-friend dough filled with mashed potatoes and green onions. The creamy cucumber dip adds a just the right coolness. The different tastes and textures, plus the ample size, makes this a Heritage Festival favourite.

Heritage Festival 2011 #4 - Kebabs

Heritage Festival 2011, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

These kebabs from the Afghanistan pavilion keep me coming back to the Heritage Festival every year. The ground beef balls are perfectly spiced and taste delicious from the grill. Same for the veggies, that are grilled to perfection. This is by fat the most mouth watering meat on a stick in the park. It is expensive at eight tickets, but the taste makes it worth it.