Dining alfresco and sharing food with friends and family are right at the core of Mediterranean style dining. It’s all about the culture of joining together and enjoying a healthy meal together. When one thinks of Mediterranean food, one thinks of the obvious dishes like baklava, Greek salad, and falafel. Here are 4 Mediterranean dishes that you might not have heard of, but that you will need to try immediately!

Gyro
Gyro is a traditional Greek dish made from slowly and expertly roasting meat for hours on a spit. This interesting style of cooking meat dates all the way back to the Ottoman Empire. This wonderfully tender meat is served with tasty basmati rice, Greek salaf, taziki, hummus, and freshly baked pita. You will know smell Gyro before you see it because it smells absolutely amazing. My mouth is watering, just thinking about it! Build your own gyro by choosing your toppings, and wrapping them in your pita.

Dolma
Dolma is a vegetarian favorite, and a classic Greek dish. It is an aromatic mixture of rice, parsley, chopping onions, tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil, all expertly rolled into grape leaves. These beautifully flavored parcels are steamed and topped with a lemon sauce. Dolma may be small, but they pack a mighty punch. This is possibly the reason why they are, arguably, the more iconic and well-known Mediterranean food there is. Dolma is also the perfect dish for sharing with friends and family (though you might end up fighting over the last one!).

Makloubeh
One cannot visit Aladdin Mediterranean Restaurant without trying their amazingly authentic Makloubeh. This famous Palestinian dish consists of many divine ingredients: grass-fed lamb shank, aged aromatic basmati rice, eggplant, and tomatoes. The skilled chefs of Aladdin Cafe, expertly bake the dish in their own wood-fired oven, keeping in line with tradition. Interestingly, the dish gets its name as it is then flipped upside down when served. Makloubeh goes back centuries, and it can even be found in a collection of 13th-century recipes, meaning it has been a firm favorite for quite a while!

Meza platter
A Meza or Mezze platter is an assortment of traditional Mediterranean dishes, that are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Aladdin Cafe offers a beautiful platter that includes their best selling appetizers such as hummus, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, fattoush, dolma, falafel, pickles, tahini sauce, and freshly baked pita. Why not spice things up and add meat? Aladdin offers a Meza platter upgrade which includes all of the above appetizers and chicken shawarma, grass-fed beef shawarma, kebeh, and garlic sauce.
Outdoor dining has recently become an option at Aladdin Café and we’re delighted! Not only does it create a relaxed atmosphere for dining, but dining alfresco also adds to the authentic Mediterranean experience. All of the above mentioned dishes are perfect for sharing with your friends and family while you enjoy a safe, socially-distanced evening out. There are many more delicious Mediterranean dishes on the menu, which you can view here.

Contact us here if you want to book a table, or if you have any questions about dining with us. Make sure to check out our blog for regular updates and more about Mediterranean food.

We hope to see you soon!

Governor Newsom has put out a new decree requiring the temporary suspension of indoor dining after a recent surge in coronavirus cases. A spike in cases saw daily highs of more than 400 cases, and a positive test rate of 7%. While San Diego county has been improving in their infection rates, they are still above the safety threshold of 100 infections per 100,000 (as of this writing, about 137.)

Right now health officials in San Diego county say that indoor dining is unsafe due to lack of ventilation and having many people unmasked in a small area. Recent research shows that how much virus you get exposed to can dictate how sick you get, if you become infected. With this in mind, moving to outdoor dining is a sensible step, and one we support.

Outdoor seating in comparison is relatively safe, with a fresh breeze helping to disperse the virus, and more room for social distancing. It’s a practical solution, and we welcome the opportunity to serve you Alfresco at this time.

We will be restricted to outdoor dining for at least the next three weeks, but will hopefully be allowed to return to some indoor seating again after that

We will keep you updated on any changes to regulations as they come up. We care very much about your safety, and the safety of our staff, and will do everything we can to keep you safe and healthy during this time.

Mediterranean food has always been about good health, good flavor, and coming together with friends and family. While for the time being we have to do what it takes to stay safe, we are committed to making your experience at Aladdin’s a safe and healthy one.

If you are from an at-risk group, or prefer not to dine-in at this time, we are still offering delivery and curbside pickup as well for your convenience.

What you can do to limit your risk

Covid-19 is a highly infectious disease that is transmitted through the droplets that we breathe. Even people who do not show symptoms or are pre-symptomatic can transmit the disease if they are infected. You can limit your risk through:

• Wearing a mask
  This doesn’t just protect you, but protects those around you. Wear a mask when it is impossible to social distance, such as in a crowded store. Our seats have been set up to socially distance for you, and our staff will be masked to protect you.
• Wash your hands
  Washing your hands for at least 30 seconds, using hot soapy water, is one of the best ways to stay safe. If you touch a high-contact surface, and then touch your face, you can inadvertantly bring the virus near your face. Washing your hands can help lower your risk and make it harder for the virus to spread.
• Practice good social distancing

When out in public, the best way to limit your risk is to practice social distancing. Stay at least 6 feet apart when around other people, and mask up if you are getting closer than 6 feet.

https://covid19.ca.gov/roadmap-counties/

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2020-07-13/newsom-recloses-indoor-activities-in-gyms-salons-malls-churches-more-in-san-diego-elsewhere

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/health/coronavirus-transmission-dose.html

www.aladdincafe.com

Governor Newsom is reopening the economy in four stages, and moved the state into phase two this month. The goal is to reopen the economy in a way that is safe for everybody. During this phase, you are once again allowed to dine-in at restaurants in regions where it has been deemed safe.

San Diego has been cleared for phase two, which means that you can now visit Aladdin’s Cafe in person. This is very exciting news, and we are glad to welcome you back! There will however, be a few changes to help continue to keep people safe during Covid-19. These are the current restrictions:

• You may experience longer wait times
  Everyone is eager to get back to life as we used to know it. That means a lot of people visiting restaurants to enjoy new scenery and the same great flavors. Due to social distancing requirements however, the capacity of the restaurant has been greatly reduced. That means it may take longer to get seated.Right now 50% capacity is the recommended amount, so expect the restaurant to be a little emptier as you enjoy your meal.
• You’ll need to observe social distancing
  Lines may need to be more spread out, and you may not be able to be inside the building while waiting for your turn to be seated. Social distancing guidelines recommend at least six feet apart at all times, including while waiting.
• More disinfecting required
  To help limit the spread of the virus, deeper and more frequent cleaning is happening. While we will try not to let this cause delays in your service, it’s possible that this may happen as we try to adjust to our new normal.
• Outdoor seating
  It’s much harder for the novel coronavirus to spread in an outdoor environment. That means patio-dining is the safest possible form of dine-in, because there is more air to breathe and fewer particles getting trapped in the same place.Because of this we offer patio seating to help cut your risk of contracting or spreading the virus.
• At Risk Groups
  If you are 60+ or have a compromised immune system it may be best to avoid dine-in for your health. We still offer carry out and delivery for those who need or want them. Our number one goal is safety.While we can’t wait to see your face here at Aladdin’s, we also want to protect those who are in need. Please consider your own health before choosing to dine at Aladdin’s or not.
• Fever? Cough?
  If you are running a fever or have any symptoms of coronavirus, the best practice is to stay home. Please help us keep everyone safe by staying home if you are unwell.

We’re excited to see our customers again face to face, and to bring you healthy, delicious food to eat. There’s nothing like sitting down with friends and family to a beautiful meal, and it has always been our goal to do just that.