Wild Fig is a Mediterranean Delight on Long Island

It's hard to believe that Wild Fig is celebrating its 10th Anniversary in Garden City this year.  This casual Long Island eatery is the perfect go-to spot for lunch and dinner.

Always fresh and consistently served, their diverse menu of Mediterranean delicacies have made me a loyal patron coming back over and over since it first opened in Garden City, a decade ago.

I decided to pop in for a spontaneous dinner with my girls this week, the night before leaving on our Fall road trip to New Mexico.  It was just right for our weeknight dinner!  The decor is clean and welcoming with decorated with blue and earth town tiles, with spacious seating throughout the dining area.  

My kids have always enjoyed our meals here, each for their own particular tastes.  Like, me, Gianna, 10, loves salads, hummus and the earthy goodness of the turkish-style dishes that fill "the Fig's" (as we affectionately have come to call it) menu.  Always crunchy and delicious, one of our regular dishes is the Greek Salad with Falafel.  

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I can tell you that there is nothing greasy served here, and that is what I love about the food.  For anyone who has eaten falafel, you can attest, that if not prepared correctly, these chick pea patties can become rather greasy.  They are crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, with no trace at all of heavy handed oil.  Served with their homemade lightly seeded pita bread, this is absolutely a meal in itself.

Now, my other daughter, Kelsey, 8, is a bit more finicky.  Her tastes are not as sophisticated and she is completely unwilling to experiment with new foods.  So, for her, we always order the chicken fingers and fries.  Alittle cliche, but it's good to know that an ethnic restaurant does exist that is willing to cater to kids and their simple tastes, giving parents the flexibility to bring their children.

Okay, so on this particular night, we didn't stray to far from our usual orders! I started off with the Red Lentil pureed soup, which is my usual starter.  One of the reasons I love "the Fig" is because there are nights when I am just not in the mood for a heavy meal, but at the same time,  salad can be so blah and unfulfilling.  The selection of salads here is wonderful.  

They are light enough when you do not feel like being loaded down with a big meal and yet, big enough with the addition of a meat or vegetarian topping such as chicken or falafel, to be satisfying as a meal.

The menu is filled with lots of yummy appetizers such as hummus, feta & spinach pies, eggplant dip, as well as spinach and artichoke dip - served with pitas. and xx which when mixed and matched are great for sharing or creating a larger meal.  

Lest I forget the awesome juice bar with a selection of lemonades, smoothies and coladas. These things are gi-normous and delicious! Tonight I had a mango lemonade, though I wound up sharing it with Gianna, and even Kelsey stole some!

What kind of vacation eve would it be if we didn't kick it off with a sweet ending to this rather healthy meal. The dessert menu is fairly decadent with popular mediterranean delights.  We ordered the XX baklava. Not too sweet, not to syrupy - just the right balance.

And what's more, Wild Fig has a rewards program so the more you frequent, the more points you earn!  

-Elisa

For Your Reference

Wild Fig Mediterranean Grill & Pideria
829 Franklin Ave.
Garden City, NY 11530
516-739-1002
www.wildfigonline.com
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Other Locations:
167 Glen Street
Glen Cove, NY 11542
516-656-5645

631 Jericho Tpke.
Syosset, NY 11791
516-558-7744