By Carrie Bryne Putelo
Every other month, RoAnn Destito and I set out on an MV Eats food tour, and while we always have a plan, there is usually a detour or two along the way. That is part of the fun.
This month, we decided on a Mediterranean food tour, which gave us plenty to work with. The Mohawk Valley has a wonderful mix of Greek, Lebanese and Middle Eastern restaurants, many with family recipes and food traditions that have been part of our region for generations. RoAnn also has a story or a memory connected to just about everyone, which makes having her along half the fun.
Over the course of our tour, there was warm, homemade pita, grape leaves, kebabs, fresh salads with lemon and olive oil, lentils and rice, kibbeh, moussaka, Turkish coffee and, naturally, plenty of baklava. We talked about the people behind the food, recipes that reminded RoAnn of meals shared years ago, and the little things that make you want to come back.
And then there are the unscheduled stops.
On our way back from Fort Plain, RoAnn and I decided we couldn’t drive through St. Johnsville without stopping at Parkside Drive-In to see what new homemade ice cream flavors they had been making. We even convinced Lila to make the trip and meet us there for ice cream.
Was ice cream technically part of our Mediterranean food tour? Not exactly. But when RoAnn and I head out for MV Eats, staying completely on course has never really been the point.
Good food, good people and a few unexpected stops along the way usually make for
the best stories.
Mediterranean Kitchen & Steak House
18 Canal Street, Fort Plain
Our first stop was Mediterranean Kitchen & Steak House in Fort Plain, where owners Frank and Hanife welcomed us to their restaurant on Canal Street.
I started with the Greek salad, a fresh combination of tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and parsley with a beautifully light olive oil dressing. It was simple and so good, especially with the warm, freshly made pita, lightly toasted until it was just crispy around the edges, exactly
the way I like it. I packed up the rest of the salad and pita and had it for dinner that evening. Lightly toasted again, the pita with that fresh salad made the perfect light summer dinner.
For my entrée, I ordered the chicken gyro with rice pilaf. RoAnn chose the grape leaves, which she declared very, very good, along with moussaka, the classic Greek eggplant dish served with rice.
We finished with two pieces of pistachio baklava, perfectly flaky, buttery and just sweet enough.
It’s a wonderful little find if your travels through the Mohawk Valley take you through Fort Plain.
Zeina’s Cafe
607 Varick Street, Utica
At Zeina’s Cafe, the only thing that may be better than the food is the hospitality. Albert and Sarkus were there to welcome us, but we missed Layla that day, so RoAnn and I told them we would just have to come back. Not that we needed much convincing.
We had kibbeh, made with lamb, onion, spices and pine nuts, along with tabbouleh and grape leaves filled with meat. The flavors were fresh and familiar, the kind of food that immediately brings to mind family recipes and meals shared around a table.
For RoAnn, that connection is especially personal. She remembered the days when Layla would cook for her at home and the wonderful lunches and dinners they shared over the years. That’s one of my favorite parts of taking these food tours with RoAnn.A dish arrives at the table and, before long, there’s a story to go with it.
And then there was the Turkish coffee, served by Albert. Strong and rich, it definitely gets your
attention. I usually don’t drink my coffee black, but Turkish coffee is different. There’s something about the tiny cup, the deep flavor and the conversation that comes along with it.
Between the food, the stories and missing Layla, we left knowing this was one stop we’d be making again soon.
Symeon’s Greek Restaurant
4941 Commercial Drive, Yorkville
Symeon’s is one of those places RoAnn and I already know and love, so this stop felt a little like visiting an old favorite. Symeon and I live in the same neighborhood, and he joined us for the whole lunch, making it feel as much like catching up with a neighbor as another stop on our food tour.
RoAnn ordered the souvlaki lunch platter, while I went for the Greek chicken salad with Thracian chicken, artichokes, roasted peppers and Symeon’s Greek dressing, which is out of this world. And then there were the pita bread croutons. I’m not sure I’ve ever had croutons quite like them. Crispy, flavorful and completely addictive.
We also ordered two appetizers for the table: Melitzanes Tiganites, fresh eggplant deep-fried and sprinkled with Symeon seasoning, and Kalamari Tiganita, calamari in Symeon’s original batter, deep-fried and finished with that same seasoning.
I’m not usually a huge eggplant fan, but this was the best eggplant I’ve ever had. It was incredibly crispy, and Symeon explained that the secret is frying it twice. Whatever the method, it works. This is a must-order.
The calamari was just as good, crisp and tender with that unmistakable Symeon seasoning.
It was a lovely lunch at one of our favorite places, made even better by having Symeon at the table with us.
Mariam’s
372 Oriskany Blvd., Whitesboro
Mariam’s has a charm all its own, including the feel of the old diner it once was, counter and all. It gives the place a familiar, casual feel before the food even arrives.
The fattoush salad immediately got my attention. Fresh lettuce, cucumbers and tomatoes were topped with perfectly seasoned, crispy pita chips and a dressing made with pomegranate
juice, oil and vinegar that was out of this world. You could taste just a hint of sweetness from the pomegranate, but it wasn’t overpowering. It was light, fresh and just right.
Then came the chicken kebabs, steaming hot right off the grill and served with rice. The chicken was beautifully seasoned and so tender that when I pulled a piece from the skewer with my pita, it practically fell apart. That’s when you know it’s good.
The rice had a wonderful flavor of its own, too, and with the fresh pita and kebabs, this was one of those meals where RoAnn and I kept reaching across the table for another taste of everything.
We finished with homemade rice pudding made with orange blossom water and topped with finely shaved coconut. The subtle floral flavor of the orange blossom made it something a little different and a lovely way to end our meal.
Fresh, flavorful and made with care, Mariam’s was another delicious stop on our Mediterranean tour.
Karam’s Middle East Bakery
137 Campbell Avenue, Yorkville
Walking into Karam’s Middle East Bakery feels a little like walking into someone’s kitchen. Mary Ann and Segean Karam have a way of making everyone feel like family, whether you’ve been coming for years or it’s your first visit.
RoAnn ordered the mjadra, a traditional Lebanese dish of lentils and rice topped with caramelized onions. I love lentils, so of course I had to have a taste. It’s one of those simple, comforting dishes that doesn’t need much fuss, just good ingredients and plenty of flavor.
I ordered the beef and rice, tender slices of beautifully seasoned beef served over rice. We also shared the Lebanese salad, filled with fresh vegetables and parsley and lightly dressed with lemon and olive oil. Everything was bright and fresh, and of course, even better with Karam’s fresh, house-made pita.
Our own Mohawk Valley Living health editor, Dr. Juleen Qandah, knows Karam’s well and stops in regularly for her family’s favorites like grape leaves tabouli, and meat and spinach pies.
But as good as the food is, part of what makes a stop at Karam’s so special is Mary Ann and Segean themselves. There’s conversation across the counter, food made with care and a warmth that makes you want to stay awhile. At Karam’s, you really do feel like family.
Lafa Mediterranean by Zeina’s
4666 Commercial Drive, New Hartford
Elias Zeina opened Lafa with the idea of offering quick-service Mediterranean food that still feels fresh, thoughtful and full of flavor. It has become a great spot for people to stop in, build a meal their own way and enjoy food that is both satisfying and easy to feel good about.
At Lafa, RoAnn and I went in two different directions, which is part of the fun here. There are plenty of ways to mix, match and make your meal exactly the way you like it.
I started with the Santorini Salad but made it my own. I swapped the romaine for mixed greens, skipped the tomatoes, added broccoli and red cabbage, and chose the hot honey hummus instead of the classic. It made for a colorful plate with plenty of crunch, freshness and a little sweet heat from that hot honey hummus.
RoAnn went for the saj wrap with lamb meatballs and loaded it up with broccoli, Kalamata olives, pickled cucumbers, crispy chickpeas, rice pilaf and marinated tomatoes, along with lemon herb tahini and tzatziki. She chose classic hummus on the side.
Lafa has become one of those places where people can come together over a quick lunch or dinner without sacrificing freshness or flavor. And judging by our two very different orders, RoAnn and I clearly have our own ideas about how to build the perfect Mediterranean meal.
Phoenician Restaurant
623 French Road, New Hartford
Phoenician is one of those places that has been part of my Mohawk Valley story from the beginning. I first went there not long after I moved here, and I’ve been going back ever since. There is always a warm welcome from the Karam family, and the food is consistently spot on.
My go-to favorite is the chicken skewer over rice pilaf. By the time RoAnn and I arrived at Phoenician, we were on our third stop of the day, so pacing ourselves had become important. We decided to split my favorite and pair it with hummus and tabouli salad.
The chicken is so tender it pulls right off the skewer. My perfect bite is a piece of that chicken wrapped in pita with a little rice pilaf and hummus. Simple, fresh and so good.
After all these years, Phoenician is still one of those places I can count on for a warm welcome and a meal I know I’m going to enjoy. And even on our third lunch of the day, RoAnn and I managed to finish more than we planned.
One More Taste of the Mediterranean
Our Mediterranean food tour may be coming to an end, but there’s one more delicious reason to keep exploring. The 2026 St. George Mediterranean Festival returns Saturday, Sept. 12, and Sunday, Sept. 13 at 350 Higby Road in New Hartford.
It’s a fitting finale to our tour and a chance to celebrate the food, traditions and flavors that have become such a meaningful part of our region’s story.
Come hungry, and consider it one more stop on your own Mediterranean food tour through the
Mohawk Valley.
By the end of this tour, RoAnn and I had eaten our way through more pita, hummus, kebabs, salads, rice, eggplant, baklava and Turkish coffee than we probably should admit. But as always, the food was only part of the story.
What stayed with me most were the people behind it. The families welcoming us in, Symeon pulling up a chair for lunch, RoAnn remembering meals Layla once made for her, the new
people we met along the way, and the easy conversations that happened everywhere we stopped. These are the things that make a food tour feel like more than a list of restaurants.
Mediterranean food has become such a familiar part of the Mohawk Valley, but every stop reminded us that behind those familiar dishes are family traditions, memories and recipes that continue to bring people together.
And really, that is why RoAnn and I keep doing these tours. We may set out looking for a good meal, but we almost always come home with new friends, a few good stories and a reason to go back.
