The651.com

The newly remodeled Mediterranean restaurant, Shish, on Grand Avenue.

I don’t really want to share my favorite new, healthy place to eat breakfast because, well, the emptiness of the café is rather nice at the moment. But you would really be missing out if you didn’t check out Shish in the A.M.

That’s right, I’m talking about newly remodeled and redecorated Shish, the Mediterranean grill and café on Grand Avenue. The one that’s often busy for lunch and dinner, but for breakfast? Not so busy. At lunch and dinner you’ll get your usual, delicious options like mousaka, falafel, gyros, spinach pie and the super tasty Kefta burger (ground beef, parsley, onions, spices, and topped with feta and grilled tomatoes). But let’s talk breakfast!

Fair-trade, locally roasted Turkish coffee? Check.
Eggs, crepes, French toast, fruit and more? Check.
Smoothies? Check.
Pastries and muffins? Check.

If you were here, you could ask for a taste of my Mediterranean wrap— scrambled eggs, feta, Kalamata olives, spinach and tomatoes rolled inside Lebanese flatbread. But I probably wouldn’t want to share. Sorry.

Same with the gorgeous plate of free-range chicken sausage—Shish’s very own recipe that I think is spiced just right. Deal alert: a side of three sausage links is only $1.95. And they don’t just plunk down a plate of greasy sausage like other breakfast joints do. The plate is practically a work of art, filled with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles (trust me, it’s tasty eaten all together), and topped with lots and lots of parsley.

Speaking of parsley, the folks at Shish really like their parsley. In fact, there’s a little info sheet on my table that reads: “Did you know that we use parsley so often because it’s healthy? Parsley, considered a vegetable, is loaded with antioxidants including vitamin K.” You’ll find it sprinkled on most everything here.

Something else you should know: this is quite simply a really nice place to be. Not only because the redecoration makes the restaurant feel fun and bright with its huge chalkboard menus on the wall, complete with colorful chalk writing, but because the people who work here are super friendly. And not in a fake way. In a really genuine, exited-about-the-food, have-pride-in-their-restaurant kind of way. How often do you find that?

So you just enjoy your boring bowl of cereal at home. I’m enjoying this lovely light-filled restaurant all to myself, working on my laptop with free Wi-Fi, sipping on my Turkish coffee and noshing on the last few bites of my wrap. Deee-lish.

What: Shish Mediterranean Grill & Café

Where: 1668 Grand Avenue / 651-690-2212

Parking: Ample, free, on-street parking