Mediterranean Restaurant — Restaurant in Wilmington

Why wasn’t there a line out the door? Well it doesn’t stand out well when driving by. I first noticed this gem and a few days later I felt like grabbing a gyro. I haven’t been a regular passerby until a couple years ago and silly me, I did absolutely zero research about this place prior to visiting. As I park across the street I happen to glance at the “Mediterranean” sign I had previously seen but this time I happened to actually the words following which said something like “Italian Cafe”. Wait a minute… I wanted a gyro so I sat in my car and debated finding something else or eating Mediterranean Italian food. As I walk in the door to a large room with a wood burning (I believe!!) fireplace/pizza oven. A sign says to seat yourself. Dark wood tables fill the dining room which again looked very large especially since I was the 3rd table occupied amongst what had to be 20+ empty tables or booths. What am I missing I thought to myself. Maybe it was the confusing sign or hard to miss location. Then I overhear the server (it wasn’t hard in and empty dining room) tell a customer they had not recently renovated and it was still under the same ownership it has been for years. Maybe it was the specials sign on the door listing pierogis with sausage and peppers. What the heck? My world was spinning so I had two choices; get the heck out of dodge or hop on the Mediterranean train. The waiter was courteous but attentive to give me plenty of time to look at the two menus. The first was a lunch special menu that looks perfect if you want simple and I would assume fast paced lunch visit. Examples are a pizza slice and drink or sandwich and side salad. Reasonably priced as well. The second menu listed all items they offer which seems catered towards dinner than a quick lunch. Should I grab a slice of pizza or maybe soup? I plan to that’s for sure. But this experience had been way too much fun to take the safe route. Let’s try the pierogis and the waiter offered to substitute a soup I saw on the specials board instead of fries. What the heck was I doing? I came for a gyro then Italian and now pierogis? And I am sure you can see where this is leading… it wouldn’t be 5 stars if I didn’t enjoy it. Of course I didn’t realize that was a dinner special so I had to take half home but I couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers. Delicious! I was very pleased and can’t...

We love this restaurant! My mom (who has lived in big cities like Seattle and Brussels during her lifetime) called this little gem the only “real” restaurant in our area. It was her way of complimenting them on the quality and creativity of their dishes. That may well be a natural outgrowth of the fact that their head chef was a pastry chef first—it certainly explains the phenomenal desserts! Strongly suggest you get some sweets to go if you don’t have room during your dining experience.

My husband and I decided to visit for his birthday. We both started with the side Caesar salad—perfect size with plenty of Parmesan. I chose the Margherita pizza, and subbed tomato slices for part of the cheese and the onions. My husband went with the kabab calzone, and subbed spinach for the green peppers. Both were delicious. I mention the substitutions in particular because I love a restaurant that lets patrons individualize their meals and this wonderful establishment is pleasantly flexible.

We went home with leftovers and dessert. We chose a slice of the red velvet cheesecake and a slice of Italian lemon cake. Both were delightful! Together, they were a perfect compliment to one another. I have no doubt the practice of sharing desserts afterward at home will become habit for us.

In the past, we’ve had other calzones, gyros, and the artichoke dip and hummus appetizers. All of these were yummy too—especially the pita crisps that come with the appetizers. I could eat those puppies all day long!

Overall, The Mediterranean offers a pleasant atmosphere, excellent service, and tasty food. What more can...

The Manager, "Pauli", is from Palermo, Sicily, and the aroma when you enter verifies exactly that. The song, "Scarborough Faire" will prompt you to sing, "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme."

Wilmington, Ohio, may not be on your "Bucket List," but if you're hauling down I–71 and you get hungry between Columbus and Cincinnati, pull off Exit 45 or 50, turn East, and visit this Sicilian restaurant on East Main. You'll be very glad you did.

While ordering my Alfredo Chicken, I could hear them chopping herbs and other garnish in the kitchen, just like grandma used to do.

The Chicken was literally the most juicy and tender I have ever had. It was actually difficult to keep on my fork as it melted into the Alfredo.

One strike against them... the noodles were generic Amish egg noodles and not the thick fettuccine grandma made... but it didn't detract from the meal... too much.

I had a glass of "Chianti," which always pairs well with everything, and learned from my Sicilian tutor it is pronounced, "chee- AN - tee" not "kee - an - tee."

And I thought I was so metropolitan.

The Cheeeeezy garlic bread was a total surprise as the bread was nearly marshmallow soft and enhanced the flavor of cheese and marinara sauce beautifully. What a gourmand's delight.

As usual, this place was visited without prior plan or knowledge, but rather by total whim and luck... which is my preference as I usually find the most precious gems that way.

Be sure to visit. You won't be...