International Market & Deli

Looking for healthy food choices in Monterey County is an exercise in simplicity -- there are plenty of fun places to go, particularly if you focus on ethnic cuisine. We've often got a taste for Mediterranean food, which, if carefully selected, is a great idea for someone who's focused on heart-healthy choices. After repeated visits to certain other restaurants in the area, we decided to give this little place a try.

The only difficult thing at the International Market & Deli is sitting down to wait for the food -- not that it takes long, just that the market is filled with so many great little finds, it's hard to sit still. Feel free to explore the shelves, though, as you wait for your order.

We had questions about ingredients, which were answered with plenty of detail, especially about the desserts. My son had the lamb and beef gyros, and they certainly looked and smelled terrific; he loved them, and couldn't even remove the tomatoes, which he generally doesn't eat. My husband had a Mediterranean salad with a terrific balsamic dressing, sharp and sweet, and a falafel wrap in which the falafel was soft rather than crunchy, with really fresh, exceptional flavor.

I chose a few appetizers:

• Vegetarian Dolmatas, with a perfectly smooth texture and a slight vinegar/lemon bite -- not too much, but not the perfect balance or blend of flavor, either... almost perfect.
• Spanikopita, with a remarkably fresh, well-flavored filling, but a pastry that seemed unusually dry, breadlike, and quite a premade texture. I've developed a preference for a lighter spinach pie, and this was the heaviest pastry I'd ever tried, so this wasn't a favorite, here.
• Hummus & Pita, for which the owner asked if I wanted olive oil! That's a great indication of caring about customer preferences and knowing there's more than one way to a healthy food choice. I said no -- any added fat is a poor choice for my situation -- and enjoyed a slightly lemony, perfectly simple hummus accompanied by what tasted like freshly made pita. The family scooped up the last of this; often, simple and fresh are the best way to eat.

We did try three different baked desserts, but we didn't catch their names. Reactions were thoroughly mixed, from my husband disliking all three, to my appreciation of two, to our son greatly enjoying all of them. If you like coconut, I do recommend the four-inch logs filled with either pistachios or cashews (I can't recall which). Sticky sweet but interestingly complex, my son and I agreed that this dessert would have to be bought -- and shared -- again.

Written by MareWinds~
a.k.a. Mireille Larkins