On a hot July Saturday, we braved the traffic on U.S. 98 and drove to Destin to have lunch at the Red Onion Organic Restaurant. Our dining experience justified the trip.

 

The Red Onion is located at 529 Harbor Boulevard in Destin. The Restaurant is in a string of older buildings on the west side of town. The outside of the building still is rustic; however, the interior has been renovated to provide a friendly and inviting environment. The main dining room has a few simple wooden tables covered with immaculate white cloths. One of the main features of the interior is a wall mounted wine rack with selections from the wine list. Also, some tables are located on the exterior perimeter of the restaurant for outdoor dining when weather permits.

 

The Red Onion takes reservations through Open Table. If you don’t have the app, you can access Open Table at opentable.com. Also, take-out orders are available.

 

We arrived slightly after noon and did not have reservations. We were greeted by a friendly server who informed us that the wait for an indoor table would be about 20 minutes. The server’s time estimate was accurate and once we were seated, he provided us with excellent service. He was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu.

 

The menu featured Mediterranean and Middle Eastern items divided among appetizers, tapas, soup & salads, sandwiches & burgers, entrees, and desserts. There was not an extensive wine and beer list, but offerings included some interesting choices of organic wines.

  

We started our meal with a 4-item tapas platter. We chose Tzatziki Dip, Babagannouj, Feta Cheese Rolls, and Stuffed Grape Leaves. The platter contained ample portions of excellently prepared foods. The Tzatziki Dip and Babagannouj were spicy, but not overpowering. The feta cheese rolls, and stuffed grape leaves were simple but tasty. The feta cheese was combined with parsley in a spring roll and the grape leaves were filled with a rice stuffing.

 

Although the tapas platter would have been enough lunch for us, we had to sample some additional items. We tried the Gyro Sandwich served with a Greek Salad. The Gyro was outstanding and was made with an 80% lamb and 20% beef mixture. The salad had an excellent dressing and provided a fitting accompaniment to the Gyro.

 

We finished our meal with Baklava and Turkish Coffee. The Baklava’s phyllo dough crust was flaky and sweet. Martha thought she detected a hint of pistachio in the filling. The Turkish Coffee was appropriately hot, thick, and strong.