Few students venture past Camp Randall, but surely they will reconsider once they discover the Monroe Street area. Just a few minutes from the stadium, Monroe Street is decked with specialty stores that sell antiques, artwork and more. In the midst of these shops, Barbara Wright's Mediterranean restaurant the Dardanelles, 1851 Monroe St., provides a healthy and tasty delight.Wright had lived in Madison for more than 30 years when she and two other partners first opened the restaurant in June 1996. Aware of the unique shopping environment, Wright designed her Mediterranean eatery to be an inviting place for any passerby.We're the neighborhood restaurant,\ Wright said. ""We want people to come and have a good time."" Not only does the Dardanelles meet the needs of customers, the restaurant also introduces different types of food.
Their Mediterranean menu consists of low fat and low calorie dishes inspired by various countries. There is plenty to choose from, as the dishes range from Spanish, French and even North African influences.
The head chef, Youssef Amraoui—also Wright's husband of two years— is trained in French cooking and is also a native of Morocco. Classic Moroccan dishes grace the menu, including lemon chicken, one of the Dardanelles' more popular dishes.
Other customer favorites include tagine d'angeau—tender lamb served with vegetables and prunes, and the Sultan Suleyman Salad. This salad was named after the ruler of the Ottoman Empire, who in his day brought cooks from around the world, similar to what the Dardanelles has done.
""We are a really interesting meld of all different cultures, different languages, different people and different foods and we love it that way,"" Wright said. ""It's a way to travel without leaving home.""
The three minute travel time from Camp Randall will seem like nothing once a person tastes the Mediterranean zest of the Dardanelles.Editor's note: If you know someone in the Madison food and restaurant industry who you think should be featured in Food Connoisseurs, send an e-mail with their name and contact information to food@dailycardinal.com. \
