Tag: pita

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Lebanese Platter

Lebanese Platter from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

Lebanese Platter from Le Mirage on June Street in Worcester, Massachusetts

Le Mirage was on my list of places I knew I needed to check out in Worcester so I was excited when it was announced that it was our next Worcester Foodie destination.  I have only heard good review and it didn’t disappoint. They are a family run restaurant surprisingly serving both middle eastern and italian dishes… and did I mention they are BYOB.

As it was still Worcester Restaurant week I decided to go with the 3 course dinner so I could get a good sample of different dishes.  My first course was the Fattoush salad – a very traditional middle eastern dish. The alone could have been a meal given the size – good portions of romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley with toasted pita bread pieces all dressed with a dressing made of oil, vinegar, mint, sumac, parsley and a few other spices.  Nothing was left on the plate.

The lebanese platter came next with a very large portion of kibbe, 3-4 homemade grape leaves and some rice pilaf.  It was enough kibbe that I had enough to take home with me. I have had kibbe numerous times and it can vary in dryness. While we were ordering the waitress described it as more like a meatloaf and was very moist.  I was pleasantly surprised that she was right it was very moist and tasty. Good flavoring of bulger wheat, lamb, allspice, cumin and a few other spices. To mix it up a bit I enjoyed it with the side of yogurt source which brought a little tang to it.  Normally I have had grape leaves with meat but they only serve vegetarian grape leaves – meaning just rice and spices.  Good but I still enjoy the ones with the meat/rice filling.  To round the platter there was a large serving of rice pilaf but I was a tad disappointed in that the rice was just that rice pilaf and didn’t have tons of flavoring.  But mix in the kibbe and yogurt sauce and the flavors blended.

They were very accommodating for the third course as I am lactose intolerant so could not get the dessert special but they offered up some homemade mango sorbet.  Nice palate cleanser to the end of a great meal.

Overall,  great service..great food.. byob.. need I say more?  Be sure to check out this friendly family run establishment! You won’t be disappointed. -MM

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Shish Kabob Beef Tenders

Shish Kabob Beef Tenders

One of the great things about being part of WorcesterFoodies is that we often dine at restaurants that we have heard about, but to date have not had the opportunity to enjoy. Thus was the case this month as we gathered at Le Mirage, a small, family-owned and operated BYOB restaurant on June Street in Worcester. Walking into Le Mirage we were greeted warmly by the owner and seated promptly with our group. Glancing at the menu I knew immediately that making a dinner choice would be difficult as the menu was a mix of some of my favorite Italian and Mediterranean dishes.

I finally decided upon the Shish Kabob beef tenders, not a very adventurous choice, but something I knew I would definitely enjoy. My dining companion and I chose to start our meal with the Fire Roasted Baba Ghannouj and pita bread appetizer. The smoking eggplant dip was creamy and light with just the right amount of garlic, the pita bread was soft and fresh and the whole thing was just the perfect starting point for our meal.

Next came a traditional salad of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, red onions and cucumbers that was topped with a tangy mint lemon garlic and olive oil dressing that made the salad come alive with flavor. When my meal arrived the Shish Kabob skewers were jammed packed with seasoned and marinated beef, onions and peppers and served over a flavorful and moist rice pilaf and salad. The beef was perfectly cooked to a medium rare temperature and the vegetables, while cooked thoroughly, were firm and crispy.

In addition to enjoying an outstanding meal, the staff could not have been more accommodating and pleasant. All the meals were served timely, water glasses were filled promptly and our outstanding waitress greeted every request made at our table with a smile and a “thank you”. At the end of our meal, the owner joined us to ask if we had any questions and thanked us for coming in.

Le Mirage had an outstanding menu to choose from, great service and wonderful food, all in a casually sophisticated atmosphere that met every one of my expectations. –JG