Odeh's Mediterranean Kitchen

I wrote about Odeh's for YES! Weekly in the edition that is on newstands now. See this link for the online version: https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/chow-down-with-john-batchelor-at-odeh-s/article_a9324cac-9c57-11ef-b15c-5f0c183a066b.html#google_vignette.

(3805 Tinsley Dr #111, High Point 27265, (336) 905-7071, odehsmediterraneankitchen.com)

My wife and I went back on Tuesday for dinner. 

We started with a Cauliflower appetizer. Caution- this is intense, heavy on the lemon juice.

The Greek Salad is light and refreshing.

Beef Bourginon is hearty. I recommend ordering this over rice. Mashed potatoes are the alternative, and they are good, but the dish itself already has plenty of potatoes in it, along with carrots and onions.

This is Blackened Mahi Mahi. The spices are light in impact, adding flavor but not overpowering the natural taste of the fish. A pineapple salsa lends a fruity supplement, well-matched to the spices. The risotto is as good as any I have had, anywhere.

These dishes appear on a supplemental menu. If servers only give you one menu, ask for the one with the specials. A couple of other seafoods appear as well. Read the full article for more detail. This place has earned a very popular following. Count me among Odeh's fans!

MJ's

 OK, I screwed up! My wife and I were just going out for dinner, no work, no posting intended. I forgot to take my cell phone, but I did not go back and get it because this wasn't supposed to be a working dinner, just for pleasure. That's why we picked MJ's. It's one of the places we go back to just because we like it.

Then I have a meal that is well worth a post, deserving of praise, but I don't have photos! Apologies. 

The Calamari here ranks among the best- crisp crust, with sliced jalapeno peppers thrown in and fried along with the squid, and the remoulade sauce is just-right-tangy-spicy.

I had Seared Tuna, which displayed no gristle, all red and tender. My wife got her favorite- Short Ribs- fork tender and deeply flavored.

Then what happens- a guy I have been following for years, Andy Hopper, comes out of the kitchen to say "Hello." He is originally from Greensboro, but I knew him when he was chef at restaurants in Atlantic Beach. Then I lost track. (We left the beach several years ago.) He is now cooking at MJ's. 

So, to an already established favorite, we add a renewed acquaintance, joining Chef Tad and Rachel Engstrom. Here's to many more favorite meals!