Mediterranean Night Out

My friend Anne has just returned from two weeks in Turkey. Since I had been there earlier in the year, we were eager to get together and compare notes, preferable over some Mediterranean food. It was late by the time we met up and we didn’t want to drive too far. So we turned to Yelp for help and came up with a place in Dogtown–Pan D’Olive. It was cold that night and my down parka felt good, but it was cozy and inviting as we stepped into the door that faces onto McCausland.

The menu says that Pan D’Olive is a “bite of Mediterranean,” so we decided to share several of their offerings. We started with the Arancini, named for the popular Sicilian rice balls. Their version of the delicacy had gorgonzola, beef, and potatoes and sat fetchingly in a small pond of marinara sauce.

Arancini from Pan D’Olive

The Arancini ball poofs open revealing its cheesy, meaty interior.

We split the colorful, well-dressed Shepherd’s Salad, a merry mix of lettuce, cucumber, olives, tomatoes, onions, and feta.

Shepherd’s Salad

For the entrée, we both went for the Imam Bayildi, an authentic eggplant dish with a ground beef filling and an aroma and taste not unlike what we experienced in Istanbul. By now, Anne and I were both stuffed, but felt a bit virtuous by our decision to split the hazelnut tiramisu.

Imam Bayildi, a braised eggplant with beef filling.

Hazelnut Tiramisu

I wish they had offered some olive bread or dolmas, those little, stuffed grape leaves that are so addictive. Still, it was good to know that in the heart of Dogtown you can appease your longing for a “bite of Mediterranean,” as well as warm your heart on a cold winter night.

Pan D’Olive, 1603 McCausland Ave. Open: Mon-Sat. 5p-close; Sun. 4p-9p; Happy Hour, Mon-Fri. 4p.-7p.