DaFoodie

After a somewhat depressing visit to my old fave, The Greek Flame Taverna, after their move to Dr. Phillips, I braved up and headed over to the small-yet-delicious Mediterranean Blue on Michigan Avenue south of Downtown.

I’ve been invited to Mediterranean Blue a few times by my girlfriends, but I’ve never actually made it before my visit the other evening. The good news is that it’s fairly close to my house. The bad news (for my wallet) is that it’s fairly close to my house. Ahem.

Now, this place is TEENY. I’ve been in KFCs and Chik-Fil-As that are double the size - easily. However, it’s brightly lit and clean, and also eco-friendly in that they use items that are recycled (even the straws and cups are made from these materials). I went on a weeknight, and didn’t have any problem finding a place to sit.

Basically, it’s deli-style. You walk in and are greeted warmly by the owners, and they take your order. The menu is a combination of deli goodness and more hearty Greek fare like moussaka and pastichio and chicken souvlaki. The deli items are on display in their front case, change daily, and are available also for take-out or catering.

As you can see, there are items available for immediate take-out, but I recommend eating it there. My daughters and I ordered gyros, mine being the “gyro king.” The difference between their regular gyro and my king gyro was that the king has feta cheese added. And trust me … they do NOT skimp on the cheese or tzatziki here. Here is the regular gyro:

and the Gyro King:

For some places, it’s difficult to get the pita right in a gyro. It’s either too doughy, undercooked, or not toasted enough. I will have to say that Mediterranean Blue’s gyros were the best I’ve tasted in years, and certainly the best in the Orlando area. Perfectly heated, not soft, toasted in just the right way without being crispy, and mouth-wateringly delicious. The tomatoes were fresh, and the tzatziki had the right blend of garlic and cucumbers. YUM.

We also ordered some hummus, which was great for the price. What you see here is the $4 size, and we ordered a few extra pitas at $1.25, which were heated and cut just right:

For three people, the hummus and the pitas were too much, so we happily took them home! We also took home falafel balls, which were fantastic. At $2 for 6 small falafel balls, I couldn’t resist - and wasn’t disappointed. They also have a falafel pita sandwich, which I’m desperate to try next after sampling the falafel.

Other items on the menu are sandwiches, which are the Toscano (capicola ham, genoa salami, and provolone), the Provence (sliced ham, brie, herbes de provence-infused butter and dijon mustard), and the Caprese (mozzarella, tomato, and basil pesto). You can get Mama’s potato salad, cucumber salad, and a variety of Greek olives as well as tabbouleh and other vegetarian salads. A Greek salad is available, and you can add either gryo meat or chicken if you’d like. They serve wine and beer, soft drinks, and teas.

For the little ones, there is a kid’s meal section with hummus & veggies, grilled cheese or ham & cheese pita, or a cheese pita pizza.

Desserts are baklava, rice pudding, and nutella bruschetta. We all crave baklava, so we couldn’t resist:

That picture does the baklava no justice, but it’s a nice size for just $3 and moist and delicious.

If you’re south of downtown and want an amazing gyro and baklava, I highly recommend Mediterranean Blue. The prices are definitely affordable and the quality is amazing. The hosts and staff are friendly and quick to give you a sample to try before your buy, which is great for individuals who aren’t terribly familiar with Greek/Mediterranean fare.

Mediterranean Blue
435 East Michigan Street
Orlando, FL 32806
407-422-BLUE
Hours: 11a to 9p Mon-Sat
Catering, dine-in, and take-out
Website here