Since I moved to San Diego three years ago (!), I've been enjoying the many delightful Mediterranean restaurants in the area. I've never been to the Med, but I have eaten many a kabob and falafel in my time. I have found some pretty good places here, and joining the best is bite m.e mediterranean eatery.
Bite m.e, with a jokingly offensive name, is located right in the heart of downtown. Their goal? To create a healthy and delicious eating experience in a casual "fast food" setting. True, the restaurant is set up with booths and is very casual, but the food was served on real plates with real flatware! This seemed more of a middle-ground, "casual eatery" than fast food. 
I love hummus, and it is my opinion that good hummus is the marker of a good Mediterranean place. Hummus is such a simple dish of 5 ingredients, but can easily go the wrong way with the wrong ratio of items. Too much oil, and it's runny, not enough, and it's paste. This hummus was an archtype, with a pungent garlic flavor, and a sprinkle of lemon to give it some zest. The texture was nice, and spread easily over the fresh and plentiful pita. 
Another yummy starter was their red lentil and vegetable soup. The soup was thick, with a hearty consistency and plenty of earthy flavor. I immediately felt comforted by the homey scent and the slightly grainy texture (a good thing). Definitely something to order again. 
We also sampled their fresh, homemade lemonade with mint! Mint is characteristic of many beverages in Mediterranean cuisine, and where better to incorporate it than in a sweet lemonade! So refreshing, and a nice, light contrast to the thick soup.
Our salads came next: a shirazi and a tabouleh salad. The shirazi was a nice and clean tasting, with a seasoned vinegar dressing. It was a wonderful palate cleanser between the courses. The tabouleh salad was a bit more robust, with a sprinkle of bulgar wheat and more of the dressing.
The big event! Our nice server had recommended the doner dishes, so we ordered both the beef and chicken. The beef was incredible! So flavorful and not at all fatty. Served with a delicious, fluffy side of rice, and grilled (!) tomatoes, I couldn't stop eating!
The chicken definitely held its own against the beef! Made from a rotisserie-cooked chicken and spiced with plenty of Turkish paprika, this chicken was quite juicy and oozed flavor. Served with the same buttered, fluffy rice and tomatoes, it would be hard to return and not order this entree again!
Dessert was fresh chocolate and pistachio baklava! Light and flaky, this baklava was a distant, refined cousin to the grocery store grease squares of baklava that I've eaten in the past. These were delicious and so rich! A sweet treat to end a great meal!
I'm looking forward to more bites!
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