This used to be my favorite restaurant before I moved away 8 years ago and boy how it has changed. Â I came here specifically for my birthday lunch on July 7th and out of the group of 8 of us nobody had a good lunch. Â I can honestly say that the pita bread and dip were the only good part of the meal. So to sum up the lunch. Â Slow service, bad food and overpriced!
Review Source:Came here on a Friday night.
It had a live band. Very nice atmosphere. Customers are in shorts and polo or tanks.
Waiter service is so so. Compliment to the guys who keeps our ice water full.. but he filled our glasses with more ice than water.
Food is on the pricey side. I had a beef gyro. The beef was not the shaved slices like I usually get from a typical mediteranean restaurant. My beef was cut for stew. I did not like it. Meat is plentiful and I could not finish.
My honey ordered the chicken gyros but it came without pita bread. His plate also costs more then my plate.
This is a lovely restaurant, with wonderful, if a bit pricey, dishes. Â I would have given it a higher rating except that the service is so unpredictable. The first time I ate here, and had the fish specialty of the day - the food was glorious, fresh pita and spicey tomato basil and possibly peppers in the dip for an appetizer, and the wait staff were attentive. Â The second time, the food was delicious as usual, but our wait staff must've been short-handed because it felt like forever, and we wound up being 45 minutes late back from our generous hour of lunch - i.e. 1 hr 45 minutes to have lunch...which would have been great if we were independently wealthy and not due back at work. Â Third time we ate there, we told the waiter we had to be back to work and so we would want our check when the meal was served (to forestall waiting)- this time it took 40 minutes for the meal to arrive.
Again - if you have plenty of time, the food is worth the price and the wait. Â But I don't recommend it if you have to be back at work on time. Â There's no predicting whether it will be a fast or slow lunch.
Not much has changed. The service is OK but the front desk needs help. The staff likes to talk under their breath with each other in front on the customers which I felt annoying. I had the Rack of Lamb which was cooked perfectly to order and served with sauteed veggies. Overall pleasant but not up to the type of standard I would expect for the price tag.
Review Source:My husband and I came here for dinner this week - we were walk-in's, with no reservation, and got seated immediately  at the bar area. It was still a full-service menu, which was great.
We proceeded to order:
(1) Linguine Carbonara w/ Grilled Chicken - I ordered this pasta entree and really enjoyed it. The sauce was creamy but not too thick, and there was just the right amount of bacon and chicken strips. (adding chicken to the pasta costs an extra $4.50, but well worth it). My husband also agrees, it was quite tasty - he liked it better than his own dish! Definitely consider this dish if you're interested in getting a pasta entree.
(2) Lamb Shish-Kabob - My husband ordered this dish and thought it was decent. He asked for medium and got medium-rare lamb. The flavor of the lamb was good, but the seasonal vegetables meant green beans. The angel hair pasta w/ red sauce was lackluster. However, he felt as though the pricing was a bit too high for this entree.
Our meal came with fresh oven-baked pitas and some delicious dip, as appetizers. It was addicting, we asked for seconds.
*I've also had Cafe Med salad w/ strawberry vinaigrette (for lunch) and it's tasty. I liked the salad dressing!
Food 3.5 stars
Service 4 stars
We rate the service here a 4-star because our waitress for the evening (at the bar) was very friendly and attentive. :) It's actually fun to eat dinner at the bar, if you're feeling more casual in your dinner/dining preferences.
Will be back again!
I generally really enjoy the food in the restaurant. Really like the red/green dip and WARM pitas. I could live alone on this and their desserts. However, at a Christmas party this weekend Cafe Med catered was very disappointing!! All of the food was luke warm AT BEST!!! This excludes the pitas which were all ice cold and hard!! Indelible in my opinion. Pulled pork, tasty but cold. Lemon chicken piccata, tasty but cold. I believe a restaurant of this caliber should have least had chaffing dishes or even sterno candles. No heat source. I would have been really upset except I did not pay the bill!! I don't usually have complaints at the restaurant other than some items I feel are overpriced and service is spotty. Oddly enough, whenever I am there to eat or get food to go, the hostess stand is crawling with gossiping employees when they should be on the floor!!
Review Source:Since recently moving to Bakersfield, everyone has been telling me about Cafe Med. Â I was really looking forward to going. Â The little shop to left of the entrance was really great. Â Lots of good items available for sale. Â We had reservations are were seated right away. Â The pita bread and red and green sauce were great. Â The pita bread came out hot and delicious! Â We ordered the duck quesadilla for appetizer. Â That was pretty disappointing, the duck was a little over cooked and to me the flavors just didn't go well together. Â The idea seemed like it would work, but it just tasted off to me. Â My husband got the stuffed fillet and thought it was pretty good. Â I got the shrimp salad and really enjoyed it. Â The dressing was very tasty and the salad flavors all worked well together. Â
The atmosphere was also nice, there was live music playing and the place was pretty packed. Â Overall, I enjoyed my experience, it didn't blow me out of the water but it didn't disappoint either!
Obviously this place got a reputation for once upon a time being a good place to go and get a decent bite of food and a drink after work. Well that time has come and gone and from the service and response of the "management" nobody cares here anymore.
We had a table of 5 who were all drinking and eating. Our service was horrible even getting simple things like water was difficult and came in spurts as she would bring 2 people glasses then show up 5 minutes later with another glass or two. Getting our drinks we ordered from the bar took anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes. At one point one drink we ordered obviously sat so long waiting all the ice melted in it so it was half water. Another drink was made incorrectly and when we sent it back the server came back and told us we were wrong and it was not incorrect. Apparently cranberry juice and grapefruit juice look the same in this place.
As far as the food it took a really long time to come out and when it did it was very cold and not all of it even came out. We actually had to catch our server and ask about our missing dish and she said she would be right back with it. About 15 minutes later she came back and said it still was not ready. 20 minutes later it finally showed up. The food was bland and nobody was happy with it at all, and nobody bothered to ask if we were happy or if we needed anything at all. To top things off the dish we had to wait over 30 minutes for after every other dish we still got charged for.
We voiced our complaints to our server and then asked for her supervisor before we left and voiced them to the man she sent over as well. He apologized and handed us our bill. No discount or anything. Over a $300 tab from a group that works very close by and has a lot of co workers that come in often and has a very bad experience in your business. Might be someone you try to make a little less unhappy in my opinion, but hey that's fine I'll gladly tell everyone I work with how bad I was treated at your restaurant and never come back again.
There is a hype to this place, yes. It is pricey, it is snobby at times, and hard for me to go to. If you don't want to be around snobby people I have a suggestion and it will save you a LOT of money; order a to go dinner from their gourmet shoppe. it easily feeds 4 for $30-$40, and comes with everything you love about cafe med (the pita and amazing dip, a Greek salad, rice, and an entree). We love the creamy basil chicken entree. Buy a nice bottle of wine and eat it at home. You won't be disappointed, and you easily save plenty of money.
Review Source:The pita, red and green sauce are fantastic. The crab cakes are also superb. Â They almost make up for the inconsistent service and the smokers on the dining patio.
Tonight was a new low: a server knocked a menu into my $15 glass of wine which poured 1/4 of it on my blouse and jeans. Apologies and some wine-out spray, but no repour and no discount. Ridiculous.
What was good: Â We were seated promptly.
Not good: Â After being seated we waited about 20 minutes to be acknowledged by our waiter (the restaurant was half full = not busy). The 'pleather' dining chairs had tears in them and the entire space felt very dated/tired. The food is very over rated. It simply is not that good (and I had the blackened salmon salad).
I don't understand the Cafe Med hype. I Have eaten here twice and will not be returning.
Upscale dining prices for a mediocre experience. I'd read multiple pieces in the Californian about how awesome Cafe Med was, and certainly seen their commercials, but after multiple experiences, I'm just left puzzled. Was it better before and just boring now? Did it have a less hokey appearance and better waitstaff at some other point? I'm giving it 3 stars because a duck quesadilla is an inventive idea, but serving it with ho hum veg and lackluster couscous isn't. [shrugs]
Review Source:The food here is always great. Yes, it is a little pricey, but I find it to be worth it. I ordered the strawberry salad and the filet mignon stuffed with gorgonzola. Came out a little late, but tasted amazing.
A little warning on the tiramisu, very strong flavor with the rum. Wish I would have ordered something different.
First off, yes this place is expensive. Get over it, you have many other choices in town.
Once you just let go and want to enjoy a nice mediterranean meal, this place really satisfies. The starter eggplant dip with warm soft pita is just heaven...I could make a meal out of it!
The entrees were quite good...tries the kebobs and my girlfriend tried the salmon, both were very good and decent portions. The falafels here are very good too, and their greek/tabbouleh salads were outstanding.
The dessert we tried was the decadent creme delight, and that just about summed up how tasty it was. I think next time we'll stick to the chocolate cake or the Tiramisu as the decadent delight was way too sweet.
The service was a bit slow, but at least it gave us a chance to sit and chat for a while. I think the ambiance needs a little updating, but overall this is a very special place and I'm glad we have it here in Bakersfield.
I've had Cafe Med multiple times when I am up in Bakersfield. I have always been pretty happy with the place. I have went a few times when it was a open bar of food on New Years and this weekend Cafe Med catered the wedding I attended. The food has always been great.
The service I can say is pretty good as well. But my family knows a few of them so I cannot really say they are always great to everyone.
Everyone in Bakersfield seems to love the place. I say it is a great place to go for social gatherings and the food is good. Not mouth dropping. But good.
THIS is the most overrated restaurant in Bakersfield. Â They seem to know how to market themselves/know the right people (uggh, don't get me started--this happens too often in a town this size), and try to corner the market on being THE upscale restaurant in town. Â I don't think so.
Every time I've been I have had nothing but an "average" experience. Â Food quality, service, atmosphere...it's all lacking. Â Don't eat inside, whatever you do--head for the "patio" (sidewalk) which can be quite nice on warm (not hot) evenings--if you must eat here. Â
Hopefully the addition of the Belvedere at the Padre as well as Valentien and a few more "upscale" restaurants will give the Cafe a reason to put some meat in their Med.
I remember when I first moved here to Bakersfield, Cafe Med was all the hype. Â Loads of people told me it's a great place for dinner, etc. Â Tried it a few times now and would only go back if it was a forced company dinner. Â I will attest to the comments about the service being terrible. Â Of the 6 times I've been there (again, for some reason, the company loves hosting dinners here...maybe it's their wine menu, which is good), only 2 of those times did we have decent service. Â The remaining 4 times, the wait staff just didn't care. Â Food-wise, the only thing worth getting IMHO is the Lamb Shank. Â That, and the pita bread have been the only things that have been consistently good each time I've gone there. Â If you're looking to entertain visitors, or have a nice dinner, there are other options (like Maxwells, Belevedere, Urrichios) to take them. Â
If only the owners at Cafe Med would read these reviews and address their service issues, I bet they could easily address them. Â Maybe they just don't care...
Great food, terrible service. Too bad the ranking isnt only based on the food. The service here is spotty at best. I have been with a large party of people just outside the front door and had to wait 30 minutes before informing the receptionist that sat us that no one had been to our table. We waited for 20 more minutes, then I went inside, told the reception of the issue and when she didnt offer to get the manager or owner (who is often there) we left and went accross to Outback. My wife and I had been several other times before this and the service was hit or miss.
The food here is AMAZING! The rack of lamb, the Alaskan king crab, the turkish salad and bread, its all top notch. Im glad that they started selling their products locally, now my wife and I will never have to risk going here again to get their great food products...
I had to entertain a group of business partners from Morocco and we had to spend the night in Bakersfield:), so Cafe Med was recommended to me. Â We booked the wine room and it was tight squeeze with 9 of us in there.
As other reviewers have mentioned, the hosts are terrible. Â They're young and immature girls. Â As soon as we walked in, they gave us the "what do you want?" look.
Our waitress turned things around for us as she was very friendly and experienced, so ask for Niki if you decide to go there. Â She scored big points with me when I saw the wine price on my bill. Â One of my idiot co-workers wanted a bottle of wine and he doesn't know a damn thing about wine, so he asked Niki to choose one. Â I was so pissed with him, but the price turned out to be very reasonable.
The food was okay and my guests who are very familiar with Mediterranean food seemed to be satisfied with their dishes.
Would I eat here again? Â I don't know...
Just ewww. The service upon arriving was terrible: the host didn't even make eye contact while telling us he was too busy to seat us. The people seated beside our table were loud, obnoxious, very vulgar and clearly did not care about others' dining experience. Their waiter wouldn't tell them to keep it down either.
Our waiter never came out with the pita bread he'd promised and did not inform us of what was unavailable from the menu...until after we ordered the unavailable item. He was hostile and arrogant to begin with, so by this time, we were pretty appalled and disgusted.
Finally, the whole experience was so horrible, we just left. I would NEVER go back to this place, period.
I have to say that in the past, I've been pretty uncomfortable at Cafe Med. Â I've gone here late at night for drinks with friends, and it was always really loud and crowded. Â However, my husband and I decided to go for a nice, romantic dinner and it turned out to be just that.
We got there at about 7PM on a Friday night and while there were plenty of people there, we were seated immediately. Â Granted, we got stuck in the back corner of the restaurant (clearly the "we don't have a reservation" section). Â But it was nice and quiet back there. Â Much more romantic than most restaurants in Bakersfield.
The hostesses were slightly unprofessional and not very friendly. Â They didn't seem to even be working at the same place as the very professional servers and bussers (is that PC?).
Other reviews have commented on the service being slow, but I found the pace to be relaxing. Â We didn't feel rushed, but at the same time, I never felt like I was waiting around for the server to come back.
Our food was extremely good. Â It's always a little bit of a risk to order seafood in Bakersfield. Â After all, the closest water source is the Kern River. Â However, my Seafood Pasta was really good and a fair price. Â My husband had the Rosemary Chicken Ravioli and was pleased with that as well. Â But mostly I loved the Lava Cake dessert. Â So glad I saved room!
A band started playing towards the end of the meal and they were fantastic. Â Much better than the music I've heard there in the past. Â I don't really care for vocal-heavy entertainment when I'm trying to carry on a conversation. Â The band that played this night was very Iron and Wine-y. Â Relaxing and unobtrusive. Â
Overall, I would highly recommend this place for romantic dates. Â But the prices aren't so bad that you think you have to save it for Valentine's Day. Â It could definitely serve as a place to go to dinner with friends too.
Great food, absolutely sub par service. We visited Cafe Med for a celebratory party. Â The restaurant came highly recommended both for it's food and professionalism - so I have to imagine our experience was an anomaly. Just the same, from start to finish we were disappointed over and again with the treatment we received.
Plates were dirty, the wine had to be re-ordered 3 separate times, we waited for everything, the dinner order for 20ppl was served auction style... and in the hysteria they missed 2 entrees in total.
The saving grace... THE FOOD! Â The tapenade served with fresh bread was phenomenal - the perfect blend of rich tomato and spice. We had several dishes that featured shrimp and the shrimp were incredible. They were U-6/8 jumbo shrimp, fresh and cooked to perfection. I had them both seasoned and grilled as an appetizer also in a Carbonara pasta dish. The Carbonara was rich and delicious - creamy with pancetta - topped with grilled shrimp.
I would give Cafe Med a second chance, but definitely not as a large party.
This eatery has many interesting facets to it in that it's a market and a restaurant. Â Now I have only had drinks and an appetizer here but the ambiance is very warm and comforting as well as the lighting, which is on spot. Â Nothing too bright or too dim. Â
I got the hummus appetizer and there are four options on the plate so there is something for everyone, which my friend and me shared. Â There is a varied wine list of varied prices ranges, plus there is an outside seating area, great for warm to cool nights. Â
Sometimes the staff can be snooty, which the owner needs to curb ASAP, bad customer service is a NO NO in this economy. Â Plus the server boxed the food at the server station and the server that we had was attentive, although we did have to track her down once during the meal. Â
This can be a romantic place to have dinner if you don't go too late, otherwise the late night riff raff will ruin your time.
Overpriced food and drinks served by rude, snobby employees.
I have only eaten at the bar so I don't know how the table service is, but the 3 times I have eaten at the bar the bartender didn't seem too happy to be there. Â Not only that he acted like we were beneath him because we were wearing jeans and T-shirts.
The food was just okay... Â nothing spectacular and definitely not worth the price. Â The only reason I went the last two times was because a friend really wanted to go and he was paying. Â Believe me, I tried to talk him out of it. Â He later told me he should have taken my advice.
Maybe the fact that I've never came to Cafe Med for actual food has skewed my ratings. I've definitely enjoyed the Wine Tasting event every last Friday of the month starting at 5:30 pm, although I would like the event to last a tad longer. $25 for unlimited wine tastings and hors d'ouerves (which they do run out of so you should come early) is a huge plus since they offer many wine varieties to choose from. And some of the bartenders are more generous in their servings than others =) I always get my money's worth. And the hors d'ouerves are not bad, nothing too special but I do like that there were people who came around with trays of different appetizers that were much tastier than the cheese and meat trays; appetizers such as fried pork wontons, falafels and pitas, bacon wrapped mushrooms, etc.
Some negative points were that the air conditioning wasn't too strong so you'll find yourself sweating unless you sneak into the A/C blasted cellar once in a while. Also the venue is a little small so it can get tight, even with the outside sea ting when it's not 100+ degrees. Also during happy hours, it seems that the average age is much much older and with poaching cougars so beware!
I often have cravings for their pita and the spread that comes with it. Â it's so good, i could eat it by the bucket-full. Â We often go there just for drinks and if i ask them for the pita and spread, they'll give it to us, no charge. Â
The bar gets crowded but considering we don't really go out much, this is really the only place i like for drinks in bako. Â so far. Â
I've eaten there probably 10 times. Â Each time it's been good. Â I remember a dish w/ scallops and pasta and it was soooo good. Â Only thing is the portions are so huge and it seems so much of their menu is so heavy, I just end up ordering a salad or an appetizer cuz the entrees are too big and it'd be a waste of money for me to just eat 1/4 of it. Â
I'll just stick to eating off my husbands plate and ordering 2nds of the pita and spread. Â omg. Â sooooo good.
I don't really understand some of the bad reviews for this place. I've been here a few times and both times the food was about as good as your'e going to get in Bakersfield. It would just be an okay meal in LA or Vegas but here you're spening about 75% less than you would at a fancy joint in "The Hills".
The service is good, not great. I think mostly the problem in regards to that is they have young servers. Most of them in their early 20's. The atmosphere is just okay for me so I'm kind of confused why people like it so much. The ceilings are low and look like a modular buildings with the removable panels.
Overall though the food is pretty delicious and we usually end up out of here with a bill under $125 with wine. I also like the pita bread they bring out with the two spreads. I could just eat that all night long by itself. This place is nothing to write home about but is simply one of the best places to eat for a more upscale meal in Bakersfield. The menu seems a bit too large though, it's kind of a turnoff for me,
Bakersfield has a reputation for being a terrible place to find good food. Â Abviously as the gateway to the San Juaquin Valley, it tends to serve as a stopping point for truck drivers, farmers and escaped convicts. Â Normally all you see are fast food joints and dive bars. Â
We decided to visit Cafe Med based on a couple of recommendations made to us by a frequent visitor. Â The restaurant is tucked into a corner of a strip mall and can be difficult to find from the road and nearly impossible to get to if you're driving west as there is a concrete wall along the meridian of Stockdale Highway. Â Once inside, you're really not too sure what to make of it, on one side of the establishment, there is a large room dedicated to parties and wine tastings, next to that there is a gourment shop with wines and cheeses for sale, to the left there is the restaurant and further left is a bar. Â So it's a bar, restaurant, delicatessan, banquet hall. Â In spite of all the confusion, the restaurant has nice soft lighting and appealing decor. Â Somewhat mediteranean with a hint of persian.
We were promptly seated and the waiter brought a basket of freshly baked pita bread with what he called turk salad.  A concoction made of tomato paste, garlic, cilantro, lemon juice and something hot, not sure what the hot stuff was.  The pita bread was absolutely excellent, put store bought pita to shame, I'll never eat that spunk again after having fresh Cafe Med pita bread.  The turk salad was different but  very very good. Â
The menu was rather unexpected for a "mediteranean" restaurant. Â Besides the standard mediteranean dishes, they also had steaks, pasta, and seafood. Â Most out of place dish on the menu was Schnitzle. Â What is this all about?
For appetizers we ordered roasted artichoke and baba gulosh. Â The baba golash was a dish made with roasted eggplant, lemon juice, garlic and some other ingredients and served with pita bread. Â It had a nice smokey flavor and was very enjoyable. Â The artichoke came with a spicy dipping sauce which was also very good. Â For the main course, we ordered gyros, chicken gyros, and a basil garlic tomato pasta. Â My gyros was basically chunks of marinated lamb sauteed with onion and served with a thick tzatziki sauce. Â It was nothing like the gyros I get from the hot dog stands in Chicago but it was good. Â It was chunks of lamb as opposed to ground lamb and beef. Â The chicken gyros was pretty much the same. Â The pasta dish was good but pretty standard. Â
Service was a bit slow paced but very attentive. Â Atmosphere was casual and it was easy to carry on a conversation in this establishment. Â Even though the menu and layout is a bit of a head scratcher, most will find this place and excellent place to have a good meal.
So every visit to my in-laws place in Bakersfield usually leaves me baffled at the quality of cuisine (or lack thereof) in this town. Coming from San Francisco where the slow food movement and culinary creativity is at its pinnacle, I am a bit spoiled.
I am not a frequent reviewer as most restaurants I go to have over 100+ reviews, but I had to do my part (being the big wino that I am) in giving a favorable review of Cafe Med.
First off, the service was absolutely phenomenalm, contrary to what a previous poster had said. Drew was our server and can I tell you that he was not just punctual, polite, and attentive in his service, but extremely knowledgable in the extensive wine selection offered at Cafe Med. Without a moment of hesitation, Drew can tell you just what blend a wine is comprised of, taste charecteristics and pairing recommendations. VERY WELL DONE!
Second, the wine list was far superior to most places I have been to, let alone most places in Bakersfield. There is an obvious pride they take in hand selecting the wines here. The range of wines can go from affordable yet tasty by-the-glass offerings to big Super Tuscans that can put a dent in the pocket book. I am more of a $40-$60 bottle guy myself, and there are many great options to choose from here.
The ambience was charming and they have set a classy, yet relaxed mood in the restaurant's interior. The jewel was the nice outdoor seating which allowed us to enjoy the great 70 degree Bakersfield evening...something that we don't have the luxury of doing back home in San Francisco. It was very refreshing and relaxing.
Lastly, the Greek cuisine offering. I cannot fully elaborate on the menu's entrees and main courses, but I had a sampler, the calamari and the very impressive garlic baked brie and was satisfied. These paired well with our wine and so I can't complain.
Overall, I would give it a 5 if I looked at Bakersfield cuisine in a vaccuum, but I had to give it a 4 overall...much of which was based solely on the wine and the service we recieved from Drew.
I went here on a recommendation of "one of the three best places to eat in Bakersfield." I think that I would have leaned toward 4 stars if my expectations hadn't been so high going in.
The inside looks promising when you sit down, walls are all painted, comfy seating. They started off great with the fresh pita bread and sauce they give you at the table. It was delicious, the bread was really warm and soft.
I got the chicken gyro and it was meh at best. I have had much better and this one had weird spices that over powered the whole taste of it. Also, it was way too stuffed, there was no way to pick it up so I ended up having to eat it with a fork. There is just something wrong with eating a gyro with utensils.
Aunt had the blackened salmon salad. She said the salmon was good but that the dressing on the salad was kind of off.
Would I go back? Maybe, but my Aunt probably won't and she is the only reason I ever go to Bakersfield so probably not.
Although Cafe Med was entirely adequate on my visit, the restaurant did not seem to live up to its reputation as one of Bakersfield's best.
To start I had the baba ganoush, which was good but not the best I've ever had.
I followed this with the shrimp and avocado salad. Â The shrimp in the salad was excellent, large, and flavorful and the avocado was at its peak of ripeness. Â But the salad was drowned in a very heavy dressing. Â It was a shame that such great ingredients wound up swimming in the creamy sauce. Â A lot of the greens on the bottom were so waterlogged and limp that I didn't even finish the dish. Â Disappointing.
I don't care what others say about the atmosphere. I love eating here. The ambiance is just a little taste of what is to come with the food! Their hummus is so good and their strawberry salad is so yummy! I'm not too excited about the service, but it's very hard to please me with service.
The stroganoff and basil cream pasta is a must.
Our appetizers were delicious- spicy, bold flavors. Yummy strawberry salad.
Main entrees didn't seem to continue this theme- we were attending a dinner so our choices were limited, and all prepared non-Mediterranean style. The filet mignon was nice- cooked perfectly med-rare. The pilaf and vegetable medley were both bland, I kind of felt like I was at a hotel-hosted wedding. However, I'm reserving judgment because it's not what I would have ordered given the choice. Based on the appetizers alone, we'll be back and stick to the Mediterranean options to see how that goes.
Our waiter was very well-meaning (and very young), but could not help me at all with a wine selection. He didn't offer a wine list, so when I asked if they carried any sangiovese or nebbolio, he looked confused and said he'd have to see if they carried those white wine varieties- at which point I said that was alright, I'd take a cab. He looked relieved and whatever he brought was actually quite tasty.
UPDATE: Went back to Cafe Med, and the service was so, so bad! We had a reservation but still waited over 30 minutes for a table, which was right behind a huge group. Our poor waiter tried his best, but he clearly had too many tables to handle. No water refills, cold coffee, barely drinkable cocktails, boring entrees. Again, the appetizers were great- why don't they have more dishes to match?