Mediterranee - in Great Falls but not that great!

Mediterranee, 
10123 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, VA. 

Pan fried flounder

If you like to try out small, family-run restaurants, Groupon is a good place to start your search. Last weekend, I used a groupon deal for Mediterranee, a small restaurant that specializes in American Meditteranean cuisine. 

The meal started on a positive note - complimentary bread which tasted like it might have been baked in-house. It was served with olive oil for dipping.  I had the opportunity to sample their three-course meal that was comprised of an appetizer, an entrée and a dessert. Among the appetizers, my friend and I tried a soup and a pork pate. The soup, a vegetable puree made from greens, was adequate. The pate was chunky and cold - came with a smidge of mustard, and a salad on the side. Neither the pate nor the soup was served with any crackers or garlic bread, which is a shame, as I think it would have helped neutralize the blandness of the pork.

Flambe with rum and vanilla ice cream

The entrees, a grilled salmon and pan fried flounder, were both well-cooked. They were flavored with herbs and capers and came with a side of blanched greens and some pickled onions. The entrees as served were simply too rich. Going easy on the butter would have helped bring out the natural flavors of fish, with a little more herbs for flavor.

Finally, we had two desserts: a banana, mango, berry flambé with rum and vanilla ice cream, and a bread pudding with caramel sauce. The bread pudding with strawberries on the top was moderately sweet, which suited me. The taste of rum was too obvious in the flambé, masking the natural sweetness of the mango and banana.