New Mediterranean Restaurant To Open in Next Month

Cleopatra Mediterranean Grill will open up on the Detroit side of Mack Avenue later this month near the intersection of Mack and Moross.

Located in the , store owner Sam Talia said he hopes to attract a large client base from all five Grosse Pointes as well as employees of nearby.

“Mack Avenue and Grosse Pointe don’t have this type of restaurant, from what I can tell, and I figured it could be a good fit,” said Talia, who operates a cleaning service and is making his first foray into the restaurant business.

Cleopatra will offer healthier, grilled meats often found in Greece, Italy, Egypt and other parts of the Mediterranean. Meals will costs $5 to $8 at lunch and $10 to $20 at dinner, with everything from shish kabob to hummus, though the menu isn’t totally finalized.

Crews were working Tuesday on adding Ancient Egyptian and Greek décor to the front of the restaurant. All of the old pizza ovens from Papa Romano’s will be pulled out and replaced as well.

“This is going to be fresh and grilled food, the only thing we will ever deep fry is the French fries,” said Talia, who added his chefs will also only use olive oil and serve fresh, homemade bread.

Talia is also seeking a liquor license from the city of Detroit so he can serve beer and wine, but said he might not have that process completed until after Cleopatra opens its doors.

“This isn’t pizza or McDonald’s,” Talia said, pointing out the lack of healthier options in that part of Mack Avenue. “This food can help you lose weight.”

Cleopatra will open within the next month. Talia said he would expect service to start no later than the first week of December.