Serving Palestinian riffs on shawarma sandwiches, Medina Mediterranean Grill opened its doors today at 1327 Washington Ave.
As reported by Feast Magazine, the owner is Ibrahim Ead, whose family used to own Salam Market in West County. Customers missed the Ead family’s cooking after they sold the place, Ead said, so he decided to open a new restaurant downtown closer to where he lives. He’ll share cooking responsibilities with his brother, Sharif Ead.
“We’re bringing our same kind of food back by popular demand,” Ibrahim Ead said.
The space used to house Gelateria Tavolini, which lacked a kitchen, so opening Medina Mediterranean Grill required some renovation. Ead said he chose the location because of how popular the gelateria was.
The fast-casual restaurant features wraps, sandwiches and salads for less than $7. Ead hopes it will serve as a “fun, happy, lighthearted” alternative to more formal, table-service Middle Eastern restaurants in the area.
Another difference: a focus on the flavors of Palestine, where Ead’s family is from. He said sumac is a key spice in that region’s cuisine.
Medina Mediterranean Grill is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The restaurant seats about 24 people inside and also will have outdoor seating. It does not serve alcohol.
This article appears in April 2015.