Mediterranean Imports might be one of the best-kept secrets in our fair city. I live very close to the store, but it wasn't until a former coworker of mine fed me a marinated olive from them a few years ago and demanded I go try it out. I couldn't believe I hadn't ever been there before.
Mediterranean Imports stocks all sorts of items, from Europe to the Middle East. They have a large selection of Kosher (meets the requirements for Jewish food handling and butchery) and Halal (conforms to Muslim rules for the same) items. It's a great place to get tons of healthy items and a few treats from around the world.
Sunday, before having a lovely brunch with my coworkers at Sage, I stopped off to M.I. to pick up a few things. I bought the most amazing dates. I have long thought I could love dates - I love the idea, and I kind of love the flavor, but they always end up being sweet to the point of tooth pain. Not so the dates I bought. I bought 2 kinds - one was a branch full of dates whose name I don't know, along with these amazing and giant King Solomon dates. Wow. While technically sweet, I suppose, these meaty dried fruits taste almost savory. As soon as I bit into one, I wanted foie gras, or duck, or something. They're amazing for eating out of hand, but they also beg to be used in savory applications. These dates can be found behind the counter, and you will have to order them by the pound.
Also behind the counter are the amazing selection of olives and feta cheese. There are numerous choices of feta, or rather "feta style cheese," as it now has to be known. You can buy sheep's and cow's milk feta from all over the world. The prices on the feta are very reasonable. The olives are always fantastic. I love olives of all sorts, but I'm frequently put off by the appearance of the olive bar in most grocery stores. You just never know how many grubby little hands have reached in, how often the stock is rotated - I don't know, they just gives me the creeps even though I occasionally buy from them. However, MI does a brisk business in bulk olive sales, and their olives are always fresh, firm, and tasty. They used to have a really great hot pepper olive blend, which they have replaced with mixed marinated olives. They are not as spicy, but they are savory and salty, and there are some hot pickled peppers in there if you are so inclined. I hate getting mushy olives from the olive bar, but these are always firm and tasty. Besides which, they are only $5 a pound.
Med. Imports excels at stocking all sorts of dried beans - they must have about 4 different styles of dried fava beans - as well as lentils and canned beans. There are all sorts of canned relishes, sauces, and pickled eggplants. Dried items are sold bulk-style (the store packages them) and are extremely reasonably priced.
Olive oil - particularly expensive, true extra virgin olive oil - is really expensive. Med. Imports offers an entire aisle of olive oils from all parts of the world, and all are reasonably priced compared to grocery store varieties (and you frequently don't know what you are getting when you buy EVO in a big box grocery store). A good, all-around olive oil is Zoe, a Spanish olive oil which is inexpensive enough for cooking ($12 for 750ml) but still delicious enough to use in salad dressings and the like. I like to buy a new olive oil every time I go, just to try what different countries have to offer.
Med Imports offers a large selection of Greek yogurts and cheeses, included many which are jarred in olive oil and herbs. Greek yogurt is amazing - don't think of it as yogurt as we know it. It's rich, thick, and tart; good for eating with honey or jam for breakfast, for marinating meat before grilling, and for cooling down spicy dishes. I just love it.
There are many varieties of bread available, both fresh and frozen. I like to buy pita there when I can use a lot in a few days (it comes in pretty large packages), and I love to buy their frozen naan. Although it can't compare to freshly-made nan in restaurants, it is nice to have in the freezer to bake up and eat with hummus.
They produce their own hummus and serve it by the pound or half pound; it's a very nice hummus - no frills (I don't care for flavored hummus, other than chickpea flavor), it's nice and thick without any offensive flavor imbalances. It's great drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and eating with naan and olives.
I would be remiss if I failed to talk about the selection of sweets. There might be around 100 varieties and brands of halvah, the sweet puree of sesame seeds. It's ridiculously full of fat, but I still love it. They also have a large selection of chocolate bars which you can usually only find if you're outside of the states. They have the Nestle Aero bar, which might be the worst chocolate bar every invented, and the Kinder Bueno, which might be the best:
Kinder Bueno is made from crisp wafers and hazelnut cream, which is all covered in chocolate. It's amazing. I'm not the sort to buy candy bars while in the checkout lane of the grocery, but if we had Kinder Bueno, I might be tempted more frequently. Med Imports is also probably one of the only places in Columbus to buy Kinder Surprise. If you've ever had a German friend, chances are you've been gifted with the wonder of the Kinder Surprise. Kinder Surprise is a chocolate/white chocolate egg of average quality (which in Germany, still beats most average American counterparts), which is broken apart. Inside the eggshell is a yellow plastic egg which contains a toy. The best of these toys are the ones which have lots of parts to be put together. In college I had a big collection of these toys, thanks to my friend German Joel. A few years ago I found the box of them and probably threw it away (of course, the old ones are collectible). It's still a thrill to break open the egg to see what sort of toy you have. I got a Nordic ship! Since these treats contain tiny parts, they are not suitable for small children and therefore are not typically imported into the US (so keep this info on the down-low, would you?). I love the sad baby icon on the packaging. (Picture broke; I'll replace soon)
Kinder Bueno is made from crisp wafers and hazelnut cream, which is all covered in chocolate. It's amazing. I'm not the sort to buy candy bars while in the checkout lane of the grocery, but if we had Kinder Bueno, I might be tempted more frequently. Med Imports is also probably one of the only places in Columbus to buy Kinder Surprise. If you've ever had a German friend, chances are you've been gifted with the wonder of the Kinder Surprise. Kinder Surprise is a chocolate/white chocolate egg of average quality (which in Germany, still beats most average American counterparts), which is broken apart. Inside the eggshell is a yellow plastic egg which contains a toy. The best of these toys are the ones which have lots of parts to be put together. In college I had a big collection of these toys, thanks to my friend German Joel. A few years ago I found the box of them and probably threw it away (of course, the old ones are collectible). It's still a thrill to break open the egg to see what sort of toy you have. I got a Nordic ship! Since these treats contain tiny parts, they are not suitable for small children and therefore are not typically imported into the US (so keep this info on the down-low, would you?). I love the sad baby icon on the packaging. (Picture broke; I'll replace soon)
I've hear from everyone's favorite Weber Grill Man that Med Imports has great lamb sausage, but they have been out every time I have been there. They do, however, stock veal kidneys, which husband said he would gratefully prepare should I ever pick them up. I've never had veal kidneys, so I might just take him up on this offer.
I've really only skimmed the surface of Mediterranean Imports. The store is stocked full of great, healthy treats. Even though I live right around the corner, I don't go nearly as frequently as I should.
Info: Mediterranean Imports 2647 N. High St (N. Campus, just north of Hudson) 614.263.9400 Don't miss: bulk olives, King Solomon dates. Plenty of parking behind the store.
