Zaytoon: Healthy and Delicious Mediterranean Cuisine in Greensboro, NC

Zaytoon is a fairly new restaurant in the area. They serve Mediterranean cuisine at deli prices, and have a loyal fan base. I can only think of two minor downsides to Zaytoon's numerous advantages: one is that it can be difficult to find, especially if you do not work or live downtown. Another is its hours; due to its location, it is open only from 630am to 4pm Monday through Friday. If you work downtown, this can be a blessing, but otherwise it can be inconvenient. What if you crave Zaytoon at 7pm? What are you supposed to do then? Because trust me, once you've tried it, you'll crave it. Often. (Oh, and in answer to the question, I would recommend buying extra to take home and keep for later). So back to its location: the street address you'll find for it is 301 N. Elm Street, #101. But that can be confusing and misleading. Zaytoon is in the first floor of the US Trust Center, which is found at the corner of N. Elm and Bellemeade. There's a courtyard featuring a handful of tables, and if you're facing the tables, Zaytoon is on the right.

Other than those tiny inconveniences, Zaytoon is everything a great lunch restaurant should be. It's healthy, it's yummy, it's relatively inexpensive, and it's quick. Oh, and aesthetically, it's very pleasing. The brightly colored walls are lined with paintings and large windows ensure that plenty of natural light gets inside. Of course, if you prefer, you can always sit outside on a pretty day. That's always a nice option to have. Also, they sell take home portions of a few of their appetizers and sides: hummus, baba ghanouj, and their amazing sweet peppers filled with fresh local goat cheese, herbs, and chopped almonds. They also have a few sundry items, such as honeycomb honey (still in the honeycomb), and various hard-to-find syrups, sauces, and drinks.

Their commitment to using fresh, local, natural ingredients is a huge part of who they are. When you walk in, you'll notice a handwritten sign stating some of their underlying rules: they never use msg, their meat is healthy and natural, lacking the unnatural hormones, antibiotics, and animal byproducts found in standard meat, their olive oil is unrefined: cold-pressed and extra virgin, and their meals include no trans fats while their desserts are made with high-quality flour and little sugar. These ethical ideals extend beyond serving healthy food: the workers are paid fairly for their labor; everyone works comfortably above minimum wage, and the owner, Masoud Awartani, supports the idea of potentially raising the city-wide minimum wage to $9.36 an hour. Yet, these extra costs, the expensive healthy ingredients and the fair employee wages, don't come through to the customers. Awartani's ethical business ideals include keeping prices reasonable for the customers. Due to this, they have a very low profit margin right now, even with their faithful regulars. But they're hoping to keep growing and expanding, gaining more regulars and more catering jobs. (That's right, they cater. So check them out next time you have a party or work get together.)

And it doesn't take long for someone to become a regular: go once, and you'll start wanting to go all the time. I've seen it happen to many people, myself included. Zaytoon is not only a great restaurant for meat-eaters, with its healthy meat, but it's also a haven for vegetarians and vegans. There are many vegetarian options and also plenty of vegan choices.
Among their selections are kofta wraps, filled with beef, herbs, hummus, and grilled vegetables, amazing falafel wraps, lentil soups (and various other soups-of-the-day), deliciously buttery (organic butter, of course) spanakopita, and portobella mushrooms topped with spinach, cheese, and almonds. Instead of serving potato chips with their wraps, they serve veggie chips: similar in texture but healthier. And almost every entree comes with hummus and pita, and some come with baba ghanouj also. And don't forget about the desserts: I have had baklava all over town, and I have to say that Zaytoon makes the best, hands down. Even with their commitment to low sugar desserts, their baklava is amazingly delectable. They have two kinds: one made with sweetened goat cheese, and one made with walnuts. And then they have nablus konafa, which is sweet cheese which is topped with shredded wheat, baked, and then sweetened with honey. I haven't tried that yet, but am so excited to try it that I may go get some tomorrow.

So if you haven't tried Zaytoon yet, get there as soon as you can. You'll love it, and if you can start eating it regularly, you'll notice a difference. You'll feel better, healthier, more energetic, You may even lose weight. So check it out!

Check out their website at: www.zaytoongreensboro.com