Ancona Mediterranean-Salt Master Mediterranean Restaurant

Ann Arbor’s Mediterranean Spot – Euro-Middle Eastern Fusion, But Way Too Salty Let’s talk about this Mediterranean restaurant in Ann Arbor—it’s less “regionally authentic” and more “Euro-Middle Eastern fusion” (a little bit of everything thrown in). The biggest takeaway? Their food is shockingly salty—way too much for my taste. Service was just so-so too… read on for the full breakdown 😬! 🤨 Service: The Not-So-Good Stuff First, the red flags: No complimentary bread? For a Mediterranean spot, that’s a weird miss. The waiter had a grumpy face—felt like he was in a hurry to get off work (not the vibe you want for a meal!). Worst part: They automatically charge a 20% tip. No choice, no heads-up—super annoying if you’re not happy with the service. 🥢 Apps: Hit-or-Miss, With Salty & Sour Blunders Mushroom & Chicken Breast: Topped with pine nuts, and the seasoning was… interesting, but not in a good way. Salt was all over the place (some bites were bland, others salty), and they used tangy balsamic vinegar—pairing that with mushrooms felt totally off. Not a fan. Pan-Fried Potatoes with Fried Egg: Simple, no-fuss, and actually good. Crispy potatoes, runny yolk—nothing fancy, but it works. Safe pick if you go. 🥣 Soup of the Day: Tomato Paste Creamy Borscht The flavor was bold (I’ll give them that!), but it tasted more like a cooking sauce than a soup—it was so heavy and salty. After a few sips, my throat felt like it was “pickled” from the salt. Skip unless you love super intense, sauce-like soups. 🍖 Entrees: Salty Chaos & Random Blandness Kebob with Rice: The meat skewer itself was decent—juicy, with real beef flavor. But the whole dish was weirdly unbalanced: the kebab and couscous were under-salted (tasted plain), while the rest of the plate felt like an afterthought. The nang (flatbread) was a highlight though—crispy, and different from Indian naan (in a good way!). Zarzuela (Seafood Stew): Sounded amazing on paper—tons of seafood (scallops, clams, mussels, monkfish, calamari) and all super fresh. The side of butter-toasted bread was crispy and fragrant too. But then I took a bite… it was mouth-numbingly salty. Every ingredient (except the prawns, which had shells to block some salt) was drowned in salt. Such a waste of good seafood! 💰 Price: Not Worth the Salt With the mandatory 20% tip, it was ~$70 per person. For that price, I expect better balance, better service, and food I can actually finish—but the saltiness made us stop eating after a few bites (we left hungry!). 📌 Final Thought Would I go back? Maybe… but only if they change their menu (and lay off the salt shaker). If you love extra salty food and don’t mind so-so service, it might work for you. Otherwise, there are better Mediterranean spots in Ann Arbor. #UniversityOfMichiganAnnArbor #AnnArbor #MichiganFood #MediterraneanDiet #MediterraneanFood #HiddenSmallRestaurant #AnnArborEats #AnnArborFood #MichiganEats #MichiganLife #Michigan