CityView Magazine

34 Januar y 2021 MEZEH MEDITERRANEAN GRILL Mezeh stays on the brain. It must be the curious blend of herbs and spices that is pure addiction. e scents travel through the beautifully lit dining room, as if on an epicurean magic carpet, while spirited Middle Eastern music plays – perhaps a bit audible for conversation, but we go with it. Mezeh is mesmerizing. We already expected big things based on all the social media buzz from Haymount matrons to in-the-know millennials. ey rave about the recently opened restaurant, which is part of a fast-growing chain that originated in the D.C. area. Now we are here, and it's about to go down! Imagine a mile-long salad bar set behind clear protective panels. And guys and gals in masks and plastic gloves toss on the toppings per your request. e supremely fresh choices are mind-boggling. And get this. We're told that there are no limits on the toppings. Build a mountain, if you like. My dining partner is Tina Raines, the busy director of marketing and strategic communications for Fayetteville State University. Tina recently lost 35 pounds in about four months just by eating healthier, a bit of intermittent fasting, drinking gallons of water and walking 10,000 steps daily. She looks fantastic, as always. We choose to start our bowls with a large dose of greens, a little basmati rice and spicy chicken shawarma (other protein choices include a less-spicy chicken kebab, steak shawarma, shredded lamb and falafel). e toppings run the gamut from tabbouleh to lemon-mint carrots, sun-dried tomato salad to pickled turnips. We also like the cilantro hummus – and the caramelized eggplant is the stuff of dreams. Our bowls, topped with cilantro vinaigrette, may not be mountains. But respectable hills, nonetheless. Tina puts it another way, "It's a flavor explosion!" She admits a week later to returning twice. Once for me, with more trips planned. Lunch for two is about $26, including an impressive selection of nonalcoholic fountain beverages. Check out the outdoor patio on nice days. Find Mezeh at 2770 Freedom Parkway Drive (in the shopping center off Cliffdale Road, near Skibo), 910-965-0393. Visit mezeh.com for more details about delicious bowl suggestions and calorie counts. BOWLS ON A ROLL Bowls On A Roll promises ample portions of flavorful meals for under 500 calories. But, for real? On a recent weekend evening, my taste- testers are a father and son, ages 51 and 18, who can be a bit picky about texture, flavor and freshness. Both quickly declare an enthusiastic thumbs-up for the Cheeseburger Bowl ($10.99 each). Don't have the heart to tell them it's only 412 calories. e genius behind Bowls On A Roll is the nutritionist owner, Von Turks-Kling, who lost 137 pounds 11 years ago and has kept it off. Talk about transformation! e mom of The scents travel through the beautifully lit dining room, as if on an epicurean magic carpet, while spirited Middle Eastern music plays – perhaps a bit audible for conversation, but we go with it. Mezeh is mesmerizing. PHOTO BY CINDY BURNHAM

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