RESTAURANT REVIEW:

With the stress of moving into a new place and the holidays simultaneously hitting me like a tidal wave it was a relief to see both end.

Running nonstop for three weeks, toggling between the move into a newly purchased home and making sure my father got his Christmas package sent Back East was taking its toll on me, both physically and mentally.

But where it was hurting the most was my stomach. Food had become a necessity, not a luxury, and the goal for that time was to eat as efficiently as possible. That often meant pizza delivered to the house or a run through a fast food drive thru.

Finally, though, the boxes were unpacked, everything was pretty much put into place and I had done my holiday duties.

My close friends and former neighbors, who I had neglected for far too long, were first on my list of people to invite to dinner.

We decided on Coach’s Mediterranean Cuisine. I wanted something as far away from ordinary as possible and close to my new neighborhood. The Southern Mediterranean menu was perfect.

When we slid open the doors to Coach’s restaurant it was exactly what we all needed. The music was soft and ethnic and the booth comfortable. We ordered hummus and pita, and falafel and stuffed grape leaves as appetizers, and let the feast begin.

The hummus was whipped and creamy with olive oil, parsley and cayenne on top to give it a little kick. The pita bread was soft and warm and scooped up the hummus easily.

The falafel was six golf-ball-sized pieces of the chickpeas that are deep fried. I thought it was a bit too heavy on the frying, and the Tahini sauce that came with it was a bit runny. It would have been much better with the yogurt and dill sauce that came with the grape leaves.

The grape leaves were absolutely the best item we had all night. They were incredible. The leaves were soft and had not a trace of bitterness, which is common with lower end leaves. The filling of rice and herbs was blended well and though they didn’t need the yogurt sauce, it was a nice complement to the dish.

With our entrees we received a nice Greek salad before the meal. Though I liked the salad, I wanted a little bit better feta cheese. It seemed like the cheese used was a bit bland. And please, put more than one olive on the salad.

My friend Diane had the lightest item of the four of us, opting for the lamb bowl. The marinated bits of lamb were plentiful and atop a bed of rice. It came with a tomato sauce that wasn’t even necessary, since the dish was so moist and flavorful.

I felt like pasta and went with a penne with Kalamata olives, feta cheese and a home-made marinara sauce. The sauce was quite good, very mellow and not too sweet.

My girlfriend, Rosa, had the filet mignon on a skewer. It was an ample amount of red meat, marinated with grilled tomatoes and bell peppers on the side, next to rice pilaf.

Her dish was excellent as well. The meat was cooked a touch under medium and was very tender and well marinated.

My friend Mark got the biggest meal. Coach’s mixed grill is a combination of chicken shish kebab, gyro, kofte and lamb chop.

The lamb was excellent, the gyro and chicken very good and the kofte, which is a combination of lamb and beef made into a patty, was outstanding. The herbs used in the meat were well placed and really added to the dish.

With all the appetizers we had Mark ate only half of his dinner, but I doubt he could have finished it even without the food beforehand. It could have easily fed two people, which makes me wonder how many the Mediterranean feast kebab for two the restaurant offers will actually serve.

It is a question that will have to be answered on another visit. It is a visit that will happen very soon.

COACH’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

ADDRESS: 200 Main St., Huntington Beach

PHONE: (714) 969-2233

SPECIALTY DISH: Coach’s mixed grill

ALCOHOL SERVED: full bar

ENTRÉE PRICE RANGE: $8.95 to $23.95

FAMILY FRIENDLY: yes

CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED: American Express, MasterCard and Visa

RATING: *** 1/2 out of 4

JOHN REGER reviews local restaurants and may be contacted at [email protected] or P.O. Box 2984, Seal Beach, CA 90740.