Vegetarians and Omnivores at La Méditerranée, Fillmore District, SF

One of the best lunch destinations I have ever been recently, after a breezy, six-mile walk along Crissy Field, was a trip to La Mediteranee. As I sat on the front patio, among a parade of chic and elegantly-clad residents of Pacific Heights on Fillmore, this casual, award-winning and very popular restaurant did not fail to satiate my yearning for something grain-filled, spice-infused, and yes, something that is Mediterranean through and through. This locals' favorite has been around for over thirty years, and this resilience, despite competition in a sea of multitude of places rising and falling over the years is a true testament to a very palatable and arguably memorable experience one can have when they tried any item on the menu. I say this mainly because my husband and I come here often and they have been quite consistent with the flavors.

I ordered the Salad Mediteranee which came with hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouleh, Armenian potato salad, three bean salad, and organic greens with feta. The greens were amazingly fresh while the hummus tasted like no other, almost homemade with young garbanzos. The baba ghanoush literally melted in my mouth while the tabuleh intricately combined the crunchy bulgur, cucumber and parsley into something that not even Paul Bowles could imagine.

My husband had his favorite, the moussaka, with a side dish of lentil soup, rice with currants and garbanzo and hummus. I have tasted this moussaka ba ghanoush, it was also a melt-in-your mouth experience with a hint of potatoes and bechamel sauce and the beef, tomato-ey and perfectly salted! He also ordered a California sparkling wine with this meal.

The service at La Mediteranee was excellent--hipsterly, solicitous, ardent and wholehearted! The owner's son was even there to fetch extra pita bread for us. When in the Fillmore District, this is definitely a place to spend time with your loved one.