Main Street Continental Grill
 Kent, Ohio           Date of Visit  08/13/10              http://www.mymainstreetgrill.com/

Formerly a hot dog shop in which I had never met anyone willing to risk eating a hot dog (rumors of health code violations), the Continental Grill still offers dogs but only as a small part of their menu. Voted the most ethnic restaurant in Kent, the menu is now chock full of Middle Eastern dishes that most Kent students have likely never heard of but more students appear to be finding their way through the front door.
 

Pita for the Kabobs
 

I have stopped a couple of times prior and found the place to be clean and eager to please. There is an older gentleman working there who has been on the clock every time I have been in and he does a great job of making small talk without becoming over bearing, explaining the menu to the uninitiated and making sure everyone is enjoying themselves.

They offer a number of hummoses (their spelling) my favorite being the angrily red hot hummos with a healthy splash of hot sauce splayed across the top. Having found their salads (the chicken Mishwi), sides (artichoke salad/hummos/falaffel/tabouli/etc.) and meats interesting we decided to make it official for a lunch visit. A companion, who must remain nameless so his wife has no proof he was there without her, ordered the Hummos Pita wrap which I did not try but was reportedly underseasoned or underflavored, although the hot sauce appeared to help. I did sneak a bite of the chicken gyro which proved to be really tasty although it could probably use just one extra smack of flavor.

For a change I felt I had ordered the best thing on the table, the mixed grill. The mix consists of 3 kabobs, one shish, one chicken, and one kafta served with hummos (they were nice enough to provide a cup of the hot sauce) and jasmine rice or tabouli. I really enjoyed the dish with foreign but familiar flavors like sumac making for a pleasant and rare experience for Kent Ohio. If you’re looking for something a bit out of the ordinary in Portage County, Main Street Continental Grill is definitely worth a few visits to find your personal Mid-Eastern fav.