Zoes Kitchen

I've seen Zoes Kitchen in Gainesville and Jacksonville and wanted to try it out.  So I was excited when a Central Florida Lady Bloggers event was held there.

Zoes Kitchen is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant.  And there was tons of yummy foods to try!  I think my favorite was the hummus trio.

There was traditional, red pepper, and basil pesto served with pita bread and cucumbers.  The basil pesto was the overall favorite of the group.  We couldn't stop eating it!

Then we tried the Greek Salad which had tomato, cucumbers, olives, onions, feta, and greens.  We topped it with Zoes Kitchen Greek Dressing.

I **might** have been picking out all the cheese to eat first!  Love it!

Next came the sides

Pasta Salad with fresh basil and feta

Seasonal Fresh Fruit

Potato Salad made with baby reds

Rice Pilaf with fresh seasonings

And Braised White Beans with fresh rosemary

I am not normally a bean person.  And I can't believe I'm saying it.  But this dish was a very close second favorite of mine of the night.  They were absolutely delicious!  I could easily have eaten the whole bowl and not shared at all!

Some kabobs came out next.

Shrimp & salmon kabobs with zuchinni

Steak kabobs with roasted red bell pepper and onions

And chicken kabobs with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes

Be warned--the shrimp and salmon ones had a kick to them!  The steak was my fav of the three.  Often times the steak can be tough and dry, but not here!  It was cooked perfectly.

We also go to try Spinach Roll-ups which were tortillas with mozzarella, fresh mushrooms, feta, roasted tomatoes, and scallions served with a dipping salsa (we were warned the salsa was spicy so I didn't try any)

And grilled chicken breast

For dessert we tried the Ya-Ya's Handmade Chocolate Cake

It had the texture of being not quite all the way done--which I love!!  I *may* have had three of these pieces! (Hey, that's why I run!)

We walked away stuffed!  They're opening a restaurant on my side of town in Dr. Phillips by the end of June and I can't wait to go try more items off the menu (especially the Mediterranean Baked Feta).  And I'll definitely be ordering more of those braised white beans!