Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Hey Fraggle, what do you know, they actually like one!Submitted by Nicole on Wed, 2006-07-26 12:04. Food | Restaurants | Vegan Variant The Mediterranean Cafe on State Street is one of the better dining experiences in town. There are more than a few vegan selections, the staff is friendly and down-to-earth, and the atmosphere is relaxed and unique. I always get the falafel sandwich, with no tahini sauce. Tahini sauce is vegan; I just have an aversion to most creamy-ish things. The sauce not only adds flavor, but can also make the sandwich less dry. Even without the sauce I find it just right. The sandwich consists of three, nicely-sized pieces of falafel in a pillow-y flatbread/pita wrap with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and I believe pickles, which are a great touch (I think of the kosher dill variety, which is by far the best kind). If you are not familiar with falafel, it is a Mediterranean fried bean cake, or garbanzo beans (a.k.a. chick peas) blended with spices, and then fried until crispy on the outside and savory, crumbly, and a little softer on the inside. The ones at the Med. Cafe are about the size of a palm-full, but shaped into patties, or slightly flat balls. They are full of flavor (cumin and coriander-tasting, mostly), and blend well with the added vegetables. The vegetables add a nice variation in texture, as does the wrap, which is soft and melts-in-your-mouth, yet is firm enough to support the fillings. The sandwich is fairly long and one fills me up for quite awhile. They also have hummus and pita. The hummus is soft and almost delicate in texture; with similar seasonings as in the falafel (hummus is also made from garbanzo beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, and spices... sometimes with lemon juice, if you didn't know). The pita bread is warm, and as everyone knows, a perfect compliment to hummus. There are rice dishes as well, baba ganoush (an eggplant hummus... roasted eggplant blended with tahini and seasonings, drizzled with olive oil), and an array of salads and some soups. It's possible to make nearly all of the vegetarian dishes there vegan. The Mediterranean Cafe is a sit-down restaurant, but you order and pay at the counter first, and then your food is brought to you. Every time I have been there, my experience has been pleasant, because aside from the great food, anyone I have encountered who works there has been extremely nice. The seating area is fairly small, but you can still achieve a decent level of privacy. There are wooden booths on each wall-side, with tables in the center area. The decor is quite authentic and not Americanized at all. The prices are excellent and the food is prepared extremely quickly: there is never a long wait, as far as I have witnessed. The fact that it is easy to make almost anything vegan, if it isn't vegan already, and that they are more than willing to accommodate the customer with this, is excellent and proves that they have wonderful service. The atmosphere and fellow patrons are good because it is less of a younger, rowdy crowd, and more so comprised of locals. Tourists are rarely found here since the Med. Cafe is sort of a hidden gem on State Street. Definitely one of my top picks for eating in Madison: highly, highly recommended. The Mediterranean Cafe625 State St.Madison608-251-8510Hours: 10 am-9 pm Mon.-Sat.Carry out or Dine-inPersonal checks acceptedAlcohol served Trackback URL for this post: http://www.dane101.com/trackback/1313Peter H Try the all-new Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" – The Wall Street Journal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 amazing tho, how would you miss up falafel? nevermind..i don't think i wanna know mmm..i want a falafel now... peter VV Jul 28, 2006 11:40 AM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe Hey Fraggle, what do you know, they actually like one! If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 mmmmmmmmmmmm me too, and houmous..with warm pittas......... The Valley Vegan....fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: amazing tho, how would you miss up falafel? nevermind..i don't think i wanna know mmm..i want a falafel now... peter VV Jul 28, 2006 11:40 AM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe Hey Fraggle, what do you know, they actually like one! If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth"Peter H Try the all-new Mail . "The New Version is radically easier to use" – The Wall Street Journal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 alas..the nearest place to me fer falafel is in downtown berkeley..toooo far for lunch today so..looks like its last nite's leftovers... "springrolls" made out of tofu skin, eggplant, tofu, basil, mint, and something else i'm forgetting and soba noodles with fried tofu and peas peter VV Jul 28, 2006 11:58 AM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe mmmmmmmmmmmm me too, and houmous..with warm pittas......... If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 Go on , envy is my middle name.....please invite me to lunch one day! falafel are easy to make just basically tahini and chickpeas (or do you call them garbanzas or sumfink? ) The Valley Vegan...........fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: alas..the nearest place to me fer falafel is in downtown berkeley..toooo far for lunch today so..looks like its last nite's leftovers... "springrolls" made out of tofu skin, eggplant, tofu, basil, mint, and something else i'm forgetting and soba noodles with fried tofu and peas peter VV Sent: Jul 28, 2006 11:58 AM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe mmmmmmmmmmmm me too, and houmous..with warm pittas......... If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth"Peter H To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Security Centre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 28, 2006 Report Share Posted July 28, 2006 can'tm really make em while i'm at work, now can i?? hmm.. now that i think on it..haven't made em since we moved... peter VV Jul 28, 2006 12:15 PM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe Go on , envy is my middle name.....please invite me to lunch one day! falafel are easy to make just basically tahini and chickpeas (or do you call them garbanzas or sumfink? ) The Valley Vegan...........fraggle <EBbrewpunx wrote: alas..the nearest place to me fer falafel is in downtown berkeley..toooo far for lunch today so..looks like its last nite's leftovers... "springrolls" made out of tofu skin, eggplant, tofu, basil, mint, and something else i'm forgetting and soba noodles with fried tofu and peas peter VV Jul 28, 2006 11:58 AM Re: The Vegan Variant: The Mediterranean Cafe mmmmmmmmmmmm me too, and houmous..with warm pittas......... If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth" Peter H To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Security Centre. If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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