Living in a melting pot like Los Angeles opens all kinds of doors for the taste buds, as Angelenos can go on cultural culinary adventures without having to travel out of their own neighborhoods. In West L.A., foodies can experience a glimpse of home-cooked Mediterranean and Middle Eastern meals at Rosemary Grill.
Chef and owner Sam Dashti operates the restaurant with his family, which makes for authenticity enhancing the food that they concoct in the kitchen.
“Everything is homemade and made from scratch,” Dashti said. “We really care about our quality – that’s why we have quality control to keep our menu items consistent.”
Long known for its nutritional benefits and food group balance, Mediterranean cuisine is served in its most genuine form at Rosemary Grill, with the majority of menu items offering a spread of protein and vegetables.
The restaurant identifies its food as a “fusion of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine with options for every palate,” with protein options ranging from lamb to salmon, and veggies cooked with wild mushrooms and fresh bell peppers.
Dashti said that the most popular menu items included the gyro (a combination of ground lamb and beef), chicken and beef kebabs (marinated meat on skewers), chicken shawarma (sliced seasoned tender chicken), and falafel (fried patties made from chick peas).
Rosemary Grill also boasts plenty of vegetarian choices, with falafel as a primary part of the menu items. Likewise, a selection of $4.99 appetizers has a variety of ethnic vegetarian choices to offer, from dolma (grape leaves stuffed with herbs and rice) to baba ganoush (grilled eggplant with lemon juice, garlic, olives, and tahini sauce).
In addition to appetizers, soups, and salads, Rosemary Grill offers a variety of main entrees, including pita wraps, sandwiches, and burgers.
For those who prefer to keep Mediterranean cuisine as purist as possible, opt for the pita wraps, which are served with hummus and garlic sauce and come with a choice of fries, salad, soup, or soda.
Ranging from $6.99 to $7.99, the pita wraps can be ordered with chicken kebab, chicken shawarma, beef kobideh (grilled and seasoned ground beef), falafel, and lamb.
The sandwiches, which range from $7.99 to $8.99, can be ordered with American fusion-style, with pastrami, Philly cheese steak, and chicken pesto options available. Similarly, the burger selection includes cheeseburgers, beef turkey burgers, and veggie burgers and range from $4.99 to $7.99.
There are also a number of signature entrees that highlight the kebab, which comes in a selection of different styles and combinations of meat.
The kebabs are “tender, juicy, made with Persian spices and marinades.”
From the lamb tenderloin kebab to the Rosemary special kebab (a combination of chicken, beef, and lamb), these entrees range from $9.99 to $21.99, are served with hummus and garlic sauce, and come with two choices of rice, fries, salad, or soup.
Dashti personally favors two of the kebabs the most out of the numerous menu items.
“My favorite menu items are the shish kebab which is made of filet mignon and the salmon kebab,” Dashti said.
The sweetest part of the meal – the dessert menu – is telling of Rosemary Grill’s emphasis on catering to all kinds of taste buds. From signature baklava to New York cheesecake, customers can try new foods and enjoy the classics as well.
Rosemary Grill was established in 2012 and is the result of a lifelong dream that Dashti and his family held. As an establishment that highlights the value of family relationships, Rosemary Grill is named after the owners’ mother and maintains a close-knit bond among its employees.
If basking in a friendly environment and indulging in savory cuisine sounds like an appealing situation, Rosemary Grill is an ideal choice to enjoy a Mediterranean or Middle Eastern meal.
Rosemary Grill is located at 12231 Santa Monica Blvd. in West Los Angeles. For more information, call 310.826.3111 or visit rosemary-grill.com.
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