The Mediterranean
Tastemaker
Since opening in the Cherryland Center in 2007, Paul Barbas’ Opa! eatery has made a multitude of positive changes — chief among them a transition to becoming a liquor-licensed Opa! Grill & Taproom in its move to a standalone location at Grand Traverse Crossing, across from the Grand Traverse Mall. More recently, it added a speedy on-site burger service — Dancing Donkey Burgers, which serves up single or sacks of classic burgers with fries, floats, or soda for takeout and delivery.
But what keeps us coming back are two Opa! staples: its behemoth and delicious Mediterranean Gyro, served alongside its likewise-sized “side salad.”
The first features a soft, puffy, and perfectly warm pita served open-face underneath homemade falafel — three chunky rounds fried right on the outside and made golden on the inside by super-generous amounts of turmeric — lolling about on a dense bed of crisp romaine and chopped onion (tip: bring breath mints), all dressed in tahini and one of the thickest, tastiest tzatziki sauces we know this side of Detroit.
The second, the so-called side salad (a heart-healthy alternative to Opa’s exceptionally addictive slender fries that nearly killed us to pass up) sports beets, tomato, a pile of fresh and green romaine, and a feta-flecked not-too-tangy Greek dressing.
For lesser humans, the salad alone could easily be its own meal, but our editor somehow scarfed down both dishes in 10 minutes, more than twice the time they took to arrive at her hungry table. In fact, her only complaint is that, with falafel so tasty, we wish the Mediterranean held five golden rounds instead of three. Still a speedy and nourishing steal for $12.99.
Find both at Opa! Grill and Taproom, 2658 Crossing Circle, in Traverse City. (231) 947-6721, www.opagrill.com