A Visit to Neomonde Mediterranean

I was on the way home from dropping off a friend to the airport when I realized my stomach was singing a tune. Man was I hungry, and did it seem to come out of nowhere! I recently decided to eat with the confines of a Mediterranean diet, and back home where I live there are literally no healthy places to eat it or diversity in our food. So when I am out of town I often look for those options. This go round the lucky winner was Neomonde Mediterranean Restaurant in Morrisville. 

   

The selection on the bar was great, and I felt healthier just looking at it. It took me a while to decide what I wanted, but I ended up going with the vegetarian eggplant lasagna, and baby did I make the right decision! It was delicious! The eggplant was cooked just right, and the cheese and sauce had such a great flavor. The only thing that surprised me is the squash and olives that were in it. I've done an eggplant parm at home before, only once, but I've done it. I was pleasantly surprised with how it turned out. I would have never thought to use squash and olives in it, although I guess I shouldn't have been surprised as olives are one of the staples of the meditteranian diet. No worries though, I wasn't disappointed. You really couldn't tell it was in there, and the only reason I knew is because a piece happened to fall out of the lasagna. Whoever would have thought vegetarian lasagna would be so good. It was layered with roasted eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, potatoes, onion, garlic, feta cheese, tomato sauce, olives, and spices.

I also couldn't decide what sides I wanted. Anyone who knows anything about meditteranean food probably knows that they eat a lot of vegetables, salads, hummus, lentils, chickpeas, etc. The things our bodies really need but aren't always the first things we reach for. That made the option a little easier because I would normally pair a salad with my lasagna anyway, but now I had to choose which one. I LOVE salad. I eat it almost everyday for lunch, and it feels good to know I get to enjoy something that is building my body up instead of tearing it down. I have found over the last couple years of me trying pay closer attention to what I'm putting in my body, that healthy doesn't always mean not tasty. I have had some very delicious vegan, vegetarian, low sodium, or low carb meals over the years, and honestly once you start eating better, you can just feel when you are putting bad stuff in your body. But I digress! I chose the pomegranate salad because it was so colorful and pretty! It was made with mixed greens, kale, romaine, walnuts, strawberries, & feta cheese perfectly blended and mixed in a pomegranate dressing. I didn't even have to add sauce, and yal know I love my extra sauce. I also had some tatziki as my second side, just because I love tatziki!

They had a nice outdoor area. Nothing to fancy, but it was a nice quiet side of town away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I was able to find a nice corner next to a nice family visiting and surprisingly the couple had ties to Idaho. I heard them mention it, and I politely interrupted. I don't often get to have Idaho talk with people, so I was excited! 

Neomande, originally a bakery, has be in the Triangle for over 20 years, providing fine pita, French, and specialty breads and Lebanese/Mediterranean cuisine. It was founded by the Saleh brothers, Samir (Sam), Joseph (Joe), and Mounir, who came to America from the mountainous region of Northern Lebanon and started a family business in the Raleigh area, and I am so glad they did! Check out some photos from my visit!