Lexington, KY - I am always interested to see what a new restaurant looks like after it has moved into the space of a previous eatery. In the case of recently opened Petra Mediterranean Bar & Grille (a nod to the World Heritage Site celebrated for its rock-cut architecture in Jordan), now in the former location of Macaroni Grille on the south end of Nicholasville Road, the transition must have been fairly painless. Instead of gutting the previous franchise restaurant of its rustic Italian dÈcor, particularly the faux stone walls, Petra's owners used the stone motif for their benefit and transport eaters from Tuscany a thousand or so miles southeast over the Mediterranean to Jordan.
Petra's eating areas are gargantuan, which is atypical for most eastern Mediterranean restaurants, where eaters are crammed next to each other, but the menu is filled with the usual suspects we've come to associate with this style of restaurant -
varying combinations of beef, chicken and lamb skewers (kabobs) abound for entrees (priced $13 -
$17); hummus, baba ganoush and grape leaves are the first selections for appetizers; and a handful of shawarma, kabob, kefta and falafel sandwiches round out the menu (priced around $7). Sensitive to picky eaters who might veto a trip to a "foreign" restaurant, the menu also offers Buffalo chicken wings, chicken quesadillas, grilled chicken fettuccine, a New York strip and some burgers, as well as salmon and tilapia -
Jordanians are well-noted for their hospitality.
For appetizers we skipped the standards and my guests and I ordered sambousk (small meat pies stuffed with beef and onions; five pieces for $8), spinach spanakopita (a Greek fried pastry stuffed with spinach and a blend of cheese; four pieces for $8) and a small olive and pickle plate ($3). All were very good, but a little pricey.
For dinner we skipped the Cajun salmon and ordered lamb chops (spiced and char-broiled, served with rice and vegetables; $18), a lamb gyro plate (slices of lamb broiled on a vertical grill, served with rice and a Greek salad; $14) and the combination platter (a skewer of chicken, beef and kefta kabobs, served with rice and vegetables; $17). The quality and preparation of the meat was excellent, especially the lamb chops and kefta (ground beef mixed with an assortment of spices, particularly parsley). The vegetables were tired (mostly grilled squash, zucchini and onions), but the rice was fluffy and came topped with small slivers of almond -
a very nice touch.
We skipped out on baklava for dessert, not out of choice but necessity -
the dinner portions were massive - but each of us did have a helping of Turkish coffee ($2.25), a very nice jolt to have right when the lethargy of a full stomach begins to set in.
The bill prior to tipping came to just over $85. Even with three people ordering entrees and two appetizers, I felt this was a little expensive. We did not partake from the massive bar's libations, and only had one soft drink. But the food was good and served in heaping portions (there was enough for lunch the next day).
If the mood strikes and you feel like reining over the intersection of Man O' War and Nicholasville Road like a true sultan, Petra also offers over a dozen of tobacco flavors for use in their hookahs on the outside patios.