Food for Thought: Mediterranean 2000

A delightful Portuguese-American restaurant and bar located at 8026 Bustleton Avenue in Rhawnhurst,  Mediterranean 2000 offers a dining experience in a pleasantly casual intimate setting that is good for couples and small parties.  Mediterranean 2000 is also available for banquets with prior notice and has a splendid catering service.  The menu may vary for catering and banquets depending on the amount of people and discusses between customers with management.

Established in 2000, Mediterranean 2000 has become a popular dining place for NEasters.  The bar area offers karaoke every Monday evening, and various DJs come in periodically throughout the week and weekends.  The bar is very relaxed and comfortable, with an array of mixed drinks, as well as old favorites.  The bar and glasses are kept clean, as is the floor.  Open seven days a week until 2:00 a.m., Mediterranean 2000 has become a regular haunt for some.

Parking is available around back or on the street, and is usually easily obtained.  Once entering the restaurant area, you feel welcomed and relaxed for a fine dining experience.  I was seated promptly and found the servers to be very friendly and helpful.  The tables were clad with cloth covers and fresh silverware.  Bread and water with lemon was brought over to the table shortly upon seating.  The menu contained a medley of Portuguese- and American-fused dishes at reasonable prices.

For an appetizer I tried Ameijoas A Dolhao Pato, which contained clams in a light garlic sauce.  The clams were warm but a little tough, and the sauce offered a light garlic flavor.  The dish was served in a timely fashion, and the portion was of adequate size for an appetizer.  For my entrée I ordered Bife A Portuguesa.  This rather large dish was a steak cooked Portuguese-style, which offered flavors and spices that will leave all your taste buds dancing with delight.  Served with mashed potatoes and freshly cooked vegetables, this meal was well proportioned for an entrée.  The steak was very tasty and spicy with the correct amount of juice but was not as warm as it could have been.  The dish was brought to the table in a decent amount of time, and the presentation was very neat and collected.

After finishing most of the steak, I was rather full, but chose to sample the Musse de Chocolate for dessert.  A light whipped mousse served in a small stem glass provided the perfect end to the meal.  The mousse was light and not overly filling with a wonderful creamy texture.  The menu also offers a sufficient amount of choices for seafood and vegetarian lovers looking to experience Mediterranean cooking.

I enjoyed my experience at Mediterranean 2000. Take-out is available for pick-up orders, and dinner reservations are strongly recommended.  For a casual, intimate evening of dining and delicious food at reasonable prices, Mediterranean 2000 is a great fusion of Portuguese- and American-style dishes.

Food For Thought is a NEast restaurant review column written by Donna Ward that runs every other Thursday on NEastPhilly.com. See all of Donna’s reviews here. Read other NEastPhilly columns here.