lunch at estiatorio milos.

As I said to some colleagues while I was eating this lunch at Milos, it's getting difficult to find new, fresh food to write about in Las Vegas outside of The Cosmopolitan. The local economy is still moving slowly and fewer restaurants are opening these days, so that's part of it. The fact that we're not going to have a giant resort opening with tons of new eateries inside it anytime soon is another part. But really, it's all about the fact that Cosmo totally hit the nail on the head in terms of what's hot in the food world right now and how to present it. The hotel's glitzy steakhouse STK is murdering it, everybody's still buzzing about the secret pizza shop, the wild China Poblano and the spaghetti at Scarpetta, and now, six months after opening, locals and steady Vegas visitors are discovering more good eats as they sample the "deep cuts" of Cosmo's culinary repertoire.

The 2011 Lunch Menu at Estiatorio Milos, priced at $20.11 for three courses, has been raved about by every local food writer and even some out-of-towners. It's an incredible deal considering the ingredients alone, as this restaurant -- transplanted from Montreal and set to open its fifth location later this year in Miami -- is known for flying in the freshest fish from the Mediterranean. The goal is to change the American perception of Greek food, and after one meal, it's safe to say this cuisine is unlike almost anything else you can get in Vegas. I think of it as the Greek answer to Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare at Wynn, another fantastic restaurant that spends a lot on jet fuel transporting goodies to the desert. The difference is Bartolotta has never done lunch, and the beautiful, wide open, tranquil room at Milos is much less imposing. It's a great place to eat, and noon is a great place to do it. I'm happy to join the local chorus in claiming this is the best lunch deal in Vegas. Here's a little look; now go get your own.

To start, the hortopita: delicate housemade phyllo stuffed with wild greens and aged feta cheese, served with salumi and the thickest, best Greek yogurt ever.

Then the fish: lavraki, or sea bass, served pretty much whole. This is much more food than it appears to be, especially since you're going to want every bite. The fatty, crispy skin parts are unreasonably delicious.

For dessert, Karidopita Me Pagoto. It was described as nutty cake with a little bit of ice cream, but it's actually a moist, fluffy brick of the stuff that makes baklava so awesome. It's beyond rich and seemingly impossible to finish. Especially after all that amazing fish.

getting heavy at hedary's.

The closing of an unsung local Lebanese restaurant by the name of Byblos Cafe created something unacceptable to me: a kibbi void.

A mixture of ground beef and lamb, spices, bulgar wheat and pine nuts, then rolled into spheres and baked like meatloaf or deep fried, kibbi is one of my favorite family dishes and one of the best meat preparations in the world of Mediterranean cuisine. When Byblos died, we lost our favorite kibbi joint. In search of satisfaction, we recently made our first and second visits to Hedary's, a longtime local favorite operated by the same family behind the similar Khoury's restaurant. Here at Hedary's, the kibbi balls are massive, moist inside and well spiced, with a little more kick than we're used to. But we welcome the change. Piled on top of tender rice with yogurt sauce, this is a truly filling meal, but not as filling as the Meat Combination. This monster includes one kibbi ball along with Lebanese pork and beef sausages, a grilled beef shish kabob and a dense log of kafta, ground sirloin with spices and onions. This plate could feed a family.

Although the meat dishes center the menu, there is lighter fare at Hedary's, including decent hummus and babaganoosh, lentil soup, brick oven pizza and large salads chock full of fresh veggies, ripe tomatoes and cucumbers and herb/oil dressings. Hedary's version of falafil is one of the more delicate tastes on a generally overpowering menu, moist and flavorful and appropriate inside the chewy, fluffy pita bread that's made fresh every day. The odd flaming cheese appetizer, halloume, was like a Mediterranean version of fried mozzarella sticks, matching up nicely with a cold Almaza beer.

Affordable, friendly, and serving generous proportions, Hedary's isn't the most refined restaurant in its genre. But the family is sticking to its recipes and that's a move that has paid off. Until something better comes along, this is my new Vegas kibbi.

mediterranean fisticuffs, northwest vs. southeast.

Today we pit two popular, expanding restaurants against each other, two favorites in their respective neighborhoods. In the northwest part of town, Market Grille Cafe is something of the default champion of Greek-Mediterranean cuisine. There really is no competition. When this store popped up in the Centennial Center a few years back, its healthy menu and simple, tasty food won over the neighbors and a few local critics, and earlier this year MGC opened a second location on Lake Mead Boulevard in a venue formerly known as Pei Wei. This larger, more comfortable restaurant is thriving.

The cuisine here isn't the most authentic Greek in Vegas, but it hits all the familiar notes: those ambiguously beloved dips of hummus, satziki and babaganoush; the imported saganaki cheese; the rice-stuffed grape leaves known as dolmas or dolmades; fried falafal patties in various forms; spanakopita, or spinach and feta pie in filo pastry; and a wide assortment of fresh salads. One of my favorite dishes here is the simple and hearty mousaka -- ground beef, eggplant and potato casserole. Overall, Market Grille Cafe is serving a healthy and affordable alternative to whatever you're taking home for dinner, and while the flavors won't blow you away, the food is consistent and gets the job done.

There's something similar going on way over in Henderson, only better. The Olive Mediterranean Grill and Hookah Lounge (also getting set to expand, taking over the space next door to accommodate its growing crowd of young, hookah-loving lounge lizards) is the favorite Mediterranean spot of Henderson/Green Valley residents and has been for years. The menu here is smaller and more veggie-oriented, highlighted by big, colorful salads, satisfying lentil soup, and simple sandwiches of spicy chicken or beef in pita pockets. Where MGC is a fairly slick, franchise-ready restaurant serving up Greek favorites, the Olive is more of a casual cafe where you meet friends for something light to eat, a few Lebanese beers and maybe a smoke.

But everything is better at the Olive. Hummus, that same old puree of garbanzo beans, is impossibly rich and creamy without being overly thick, and it actually tastes great, something we can't say about the hummus at most Mediterranean restaurants in town. Babaganoush somehow comes without the natural bitterness of eggplant. The grape leaves are moist and delicious, so tender and tasty that I forgot how dry my Syrian-Lebanese grandma's were. The Olive's falafel, an appealing green color and delicately crispy, is perfect in their wraps with fresh veggies and topped with a spicy jalapeno chutney.

No matter how simple the menu, the Olive is tops. Longstanding Las Vegas favorites serving this kind of cuisine can't really complete with these flavors.