by Adam G.
"a Hookah Hookah burnin' love"The only problem I see within the Mediterranean joints popping up all over the place are the sanitary standards or rather lack thereof. I know they don't place such emphasis on that back home but " when in Rome". I can only imagine what the procedure is regarding the Hookah pipes. I say imagine because there is no way in hell I'm going to smoke one.Petras is a nice place in the Med Ctr to grab a strong cup of Turkish coffee or a felafel for lunch. My sandwich had a creamy garlic hummus with fresh tomato and onion. Zesty and a good fit with the simple salad of lettuce, red onion and cucumber tossed with oil and vinegar.I liked their strong selection of teas, pipes and flavored tobacco but not so much the packaged Baklava placed atop the counter as an afterthought.The guy asked me where I was from originally, no doubt tipped off by my prodigious proboscis, but seemed somewhat disappointed to find that I was just a local. We are brothers in spirit my friend now hand over those chick peas!
by Allison F.
Petra's Café boasts that it offers authentic Mediterranean food, coffee, tea and a hookah bar. I was expecting sandwiches and burgers (the word café led me astray), but was quite content with my chunky chicken kabob wrap and Greek side salad. The menu also offers appetizers like hummus dip, salads, sandwiches, wraps, signature plates that include a shrimp feast and shawarma plate, and desserts. Petra has a wide variety of drinks, from coffee to herbal jasmine tea and Italian sodas. They even sell tea boxes in many different flavors, if you want to be able to whip up some tea at home. They do offer free wi-fi and outdoor seating, along with a smaller dine-in area. The man who served me was really friendly. He took my order at the counter and then told me I could just pay afterward, which was nice. My pita wrap came to just under $8 and it looked like the prices were all pretty reasonable. Petra's has pretty late hours (open until midnight and 2 p.m. on weekends), so it would be a good place to grab a freshly made meal late at night. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, healthy meal in the Medical center area.
