I felt a trifle silly when I arrived at Mirage for dinner the other evening. Not knowing anything about the place, I had phoned ahead to reserve a table. Make a note: Mirage is definitely not a call-ahead-for-reservations kind of place.
Rather, it's a nondescript little hole-in-the-wall joint, hidden away in a suburban strip mall way out in the 'burbs on Montgomery Road. A few doors down from a Buffalo Wild Wings, it has a decidedly low-budget, functional feel, with basic tables and chairs, glaring fluorescent lighting, a wide-open kitchen like in a lunch counter and hardly a decoration or attempt to create any sort of ambiance.
But, if you're up for a food adventure, don't let the strip mall location or the atmosphere put you off: Mirage serves up fresh, great-tasting, healthy Mediterranean food with an Armenian accent. It's well worth a visit.
There's something enormously appealing to me about Mediterranean food. I never tire of its elemental simplicity, marked by a focus on age-old ingredients like whole grains, legumes, vegetables, olive oil and ever-present garlic. At the same time, Mediterranean food has a remarkable variety, matching that of the many diverse countries and peoples who inhabit the rocky, sun-splashed Mediterranean world.
Mediterranean can mean any of a wide range of cuisines across 15 countries, from Turkey to Portugal, Armenia to Italy.
The food at Mirage taps directly into these divergent streams of the basic and the exotic. The food is fresh and lovingly prepared, and presentation is simple and no-frills. At the same time, there are dishes that will astonish you with their rich and intensely textured flavors.
We started out with several cold appetizer plates. The Hummus (crushed garbanzo beans with sesame oil, lemon juice, garlic, $3.99) was thick, flavorful and drizzled with olive oil. Mirage's version of another Mediterranean classic, Tabuleh (diced parsley mixed with cracked wheat, green onions, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and herbs, $3.99), was excellent, too, light and very fresh tasting.
On the more exotic side, we tried the Mushroom with Nuts (crushed mushrooms mixed with nuts, garlic, herbs and mayonnaise, $3.99). This thick, tan/white paste came smeared on a small plate. I'm not normally a fan of things made with mayonnaise, but this was delicious. It had a light, savory, pleasantly meaty and nutty taste. It was fantastic slathered on warm pita bread. Even more exciting was the Roasted Peppers (red peppers, salt, onions, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and parsley, $3.99). Cooked down to the consistency of a thick tomato paste, it also came smeared in a thick layer. It was rich, spicy and alluring, conjuring up visions of far-off, exotic lands. It was eye-closing good. For a hot appetizer, we tried the Armenian Baked Potatoes ($1.99). Twice-baked, these were buttery and spicy with a heavy dose of black pepper.
For entrées, we tried a combination plate of half Lamb Shish Kebabs and half Chicken Shish Kebabs ($9.49), which came with warm pita bread, rice or French fries, and soup or salad. Both meats were tender and succulent — perfectly seared on the outside and moist on the inside. Mirage particularly prides itself on its grilled chicken, which is marinated in lemon juice and copious amounts of garlic. We also tried the Mixed Veggie Grill ($4.99), which consisted of grilled eggplant, green and red peppers, carrots, fresh onions, parsley, garlic and lemon juice. Although flavorful, this was too oily and a little bitter for my palate. It was better when mixed with the rice.
For dessert, we split a small portion of Baklava ($1.99). This was a dense little nugget that was a well-balanced combination of sweet, spicy, nutty and buttery. The warm flavor of the ground walnuts was perfectly accented with vanilla and cinnamon. It was excellent.
Mirage inhabits a tier of inexpensive, earnest, ethnic restaurants well known to select locals but to which one would typically not think of taking visiting out-of-town guests or relatives. Or does it? My mom and dad, in from the East Coast for a visit, came with me to Mirage and very much enjoyed their meal. Now, I confess there was a moment when we walked in that a strong look of doubt flitted across my mom's face — Mirage really doesn't give you much to work with ambiance-wise. When I joked about abandoning ship and opting for pizza at Dewey's in adjacent Harper's Point, Mom said "yes" almost before I had finished and was ready to head for the door.
But we stuck around, and we were all glad we did. Definitely not for everybody, dining at Mirage — with its emphatic elevation of substance over style — requires a certain mindset and openness to fully enjoy the experience. I liked its real, gritty, no-frills feel, and I keep thinking about its food — particularly that exotic and alluring Roasted Pepper spread. ©
Mirage
Go: 11379 Montgomery Road, Montgomery
Call: 513-469-0089
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, closed Sunday.
Prices: Inexpensive to reasonable
Payment: Visa and MasterCard
Red Meat Alternatives: Multiple vegetarian and chicken options
Accessibility: Yes
Grade: B
