Sun
Jan 7 2007
03:46 pm

Last night we met some friends at Mirage, a new Middle Eastern restaurant on Gay Street (cattycorner from the Bijou). Good stuff. Very interesting décor, with a bar, tables, and floor seating.

They're apparently still in their pre-opening stage and haven't advertised yet, so it wouldn't be fair to review them. I thought that the food was very good, though, and would gladly go back. If they're this good now, they should be terrific in six months.

Entrees were around $14. Ours included vegetables, rice, and a salad. They have beer now and have applied for a liquor license. I saw other tables brown-bagging wine. The menu features appetizer and dessert samplers which are nice for couples and groups who want to experiment.

JaHu's picture

Do they have dancing girls

Do they have dancing girls in vales?

Adrift in the Sea of Humility

Les Jones's picture

No dancing girls or hookahs,

No dancing girls or hookahs, unfortunately, but out waitress was pretty and jangly.


Hey, Les, why don't we just call each other assholes and get it over with. - Somebody on the old Southknoxbubba.net (if that was you, claim your quote and win net.fame!)

Number9's picture

In the 1980's there was a

In the 1980's there was a fabulous Middle Eastern restaurant on the North side of the Hilton downtown. Great food and drink complete with belly dancers. Many legal beagles and business types would be there all hours of the evening. I hope this new place will be as much fun. Thanks for the tip Les.

Rachel's picture

This is the second good

This is the second good review of this place I've heard in the last week. I'll have to check it out. Thanks, Les.

mrvlknxor's picture

Les, perhaps you left too early

Les, perhaps you left too early. According to an item on Mirage in Metropulse:

http://www.metropulse.com/articles/2007/17_01/ear.shtml

The restaurant is non-smoking until 9 at night, at which point customers may opt to fire up the hookah and sample any one of Mirage’s 20 flavors of tobacco, or mix and match them, for $10.

No mention of dancing girls.

Justin's picture

Damn...looks like I quit

Damn...looks like I quit smoking 6 months too early. I'll defiantly have to make a trip downtown in the next few weeks to try it out.

Les Jones's picture

Whoa

I was throwing out a random joke out about the hookah. Who knew? We were gone before 9:00, so that might explain why we didn't see one.

www.lesjones.com

JaHu's picture

mrvlknxor, you might want to

mrvlknxor, you might want to edit your link it won't take you to the site, Although copying and pasting the link is about as easy.

None of that tobacco they sell is from South America or Afghanistan is it?

Adrift in the Sea of Humility

Mykhailo's picture

Yeah, it was pretty darn

Yeah, it was pretty darn good. A wee bit pricey -- $100 even for 2 dips, 4 entrees, 2 soups, 3 beers, a tea or two, and two desserts, but we got plenty of food. The ground beef kebabs are seriously awesome -- there were several great persian kee-bab places I used to go to in Northern Virginia, and the ones at Mirage would definitely hold there own up there. Unfortunately, they don't make their own pita, and what they serve sucks. And the side vegetables, steamed broccoli and carrots, seemed a bit out of place, but those were pretty minor quibbles.

What was the name of that dessert Les? Some sort of rice/wheat thingy, a bit like bread pudding -- anyway, it was really good, but it's a huge portion. One easily would have been plenty for all five of us.

I was feeling bad for the owners all during the meal, since we were the only people there for an hour and a half, but it was almost full when we left at 8:30, and I doubt they're going to be hurting for business much longer. So get there early.

Les Jones's picture

The desert thing was

The desert thing was Egyption - amal or some such. Pretty much like bread pudding but made with filo dough.

Same thing happened with us. We got there around 6:00 and it was dead, but by the time we were leaving the place was jumping.

www.lesjones.com

Mykhailo's picture

Same thing happened with

Same thing happened with us

What a coincidence. You didn't, by chance, happen to have a bill that was exactly $100, did you? Or eat with someone who used to live in Northern Virginia? Cause that would really be spooky...

Les Jones's picture

Dude!

Quit changing yer damned pseudonym, P Diddy. Yer freakin' me out.

I didn't think a hundred smackers for five people with appetizers, desserts, and four-five beers was too bad.

www.lesjones.com

MAC's picture

Apparently someone at Mirage

Apparently someone at Mirage heard your comments and now they have full fledged Belly Dancers on weekend nights. Definitely worth the show.

Laura's picture

Yea, they have belly dancers

Yea, they have belly dancers now! It's also 21+ all the time, so hookahs can be offered. It's so much fun to go on Fri or Sat nights! Everyone gets up and dances a little

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