Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant in Freehold, NJ

Posted byXsivjoshPosted inUncategorized

It’s not a million miles from Princeton to Deal in New Jersey, but an hour drive each way makes it quite a shlep to meet friends for dinner. So when we wanted to have a meal with Sol and Carin, we found that Freehold was a good place to meet halfway. Being relatively new to the area, we let Sol pick out a place. He consulted his greatest source, his son Hal, who recommended a restaurant that was sure to please all of our palates.
Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant is in a strip center in Rt. 9 right outside of Freehold. It has a welcoming atmosphere and very friendly staff. There were three rooms and plenty of space for any size party. The chef/owner was walking around keeping an eye on all of the guests. He stopped by 2 or 3 times to check on our food and be sure we were content. It is BYOB, affording me the freedom to enjoy some better bottles of wine without adding a hundred dollars to the check. The chef is Egyptian and prepares a variety of dishes from all over the Mediterranean region.

Fresh pita comes out right away with a dish of olive oil.
We ordered some Babaganoush. An eggplant dish that that I love for dipping. It was really good.
I’m pretty sure this Hummus was included with the pita. It was smooth and tasty. The flavors were a little different from the Israeli and Lebonese hummus I’ve had over the years, but equally enjoyable.
Sol started out with a Roasted Eggplant and Tomato soup. It had a bit of a smoky flavor from the eggplant. Absolutely wonderful.
For my appetizer I ordered the Fried Feta Zucchini Cakes. Though they were fried, they were not at all oily. The crisp cakes paired well with the accompanying yogurt dill sauce, probably Tsaziki.
Barb and Carin shared a salad of Romaine and other greens with a nice vinaigrette. They were both very pleased.
Soul’s entree was a Fish Tagine with both Salmon and Cod. The veggies and sauce were very flavorful, with interesting herbs. He really enjoyed it.
My Moroccan Duck entree was enormous and accompanied by wonderful couscous filled with delicious fruit and a Port wine reduction. My only critique of the whole meal was that the Duck meat was a bit tough, though it was apparently not over or undercooked.
Barb’s Branzino was deboned and excellently prepared. They were happy to change out her Risotto for a generous side of veggies. She truly enjoyed the dish.
Carin enjoyed the Crab Cakes that were served over a lentil relish and an Orange Tarragon Beurre Blanc sauce. I tastes them and found them meaty and delicious.

We were all too full to order dessert. Nonetheless, the owner didn’t want us to leave without something sweet, so he sent us out a Rice Pudding dessert. This rice pudding has a nice, dense consistancy without being too heavy. It was topped with some very nice ice cream. We all shared and enjoyed it. Sol finished his meal with a.good cup of coffee.

Lemon Mediterranean Restaurant is a great place to enjoy a meal with friends. The ambiance is warm and the service is top notch. The flavors are all interesting and tasty. The menu is loaded with plenty of choices for everybody. The care taken in both preparation and presentation are admirable. I feel that this is a place that everybody can enjoy.

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