Mediterranean Festival at St. Mary Orthodox Church
Text from a friend: “Hey, do you want to go get several plates of Mediterranean food with me?”
My response: “Say no more, I am totally there!”
Mediterranean food is one of my favorite types of cuisine. I struggled for a bit when I first moved here because I was leaving behind a really good Mediterranean restaurant in San Antonio. I eventually found Meddy’s and was so grateful! As good as Meddy’s is though, I just knew the event my friend was inviting me to would be even better.
It was my first year attending, but the Mediterranean Festival of Wichita has been going on for over 90 years according to their website. Hosted by St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church, Medfest ICT is a way for its parishioners to not only celebrate and share their heritage, but it’s also all for a good cause. This year, 10% of proceeds went to Wichita’s Littlest Heroes, which is a nonprofit that helps children and families battling life-threatening illnesses.
Medfest ICT features a drive-thru, carry out, and marketplace full of homemade Mediterranean foods. I simply could not get over the fact that everything is homemade by the attendees of St. Mary. Not just homemade, but actual family recipes passed down from many generations. It doesn’t get any more authentic than that! My own family has struggled tracking down and replicating my grandmother’s recipes, so I find this accomplishment so very special.
While waiting in line for the marketplace, which was mostly baked goods, my friends and I were offered Miglee tea - which is made with cinnamon, ginger, and pecans. It was delicious and I will definitely be using the recipe during the holidays this year!
From the marketplace, I snagged an apricot cookie, a date bar, and a date roll. There’s just something I love about dates as a dessert. The apricot cookie was actually two cookies with an apricot spread in the middle covered with powdered sugar and was delicious! I also brought home a tub of hummus which instantly disappeared when my husband laid his eyes on it.
Umm powdered sugar YAS.
From the carry out line I ordered the grilled plate which came with a Lebanese chicken kebab, grilled kafta (which is sort of like a meatball) and a greek salad. Everything was delicious but I think the rice and orzo side was my favorite part along with the mint sour cream sauce!
After buying all the food we could possibly carry out, my friends and I headed to Riverside Park for a picnic. It was a perfect day and I highly suggest you attend next year!
Perfect food for a perfect day with friends!
Bonus: I saw on their Facebook page the night before that the church was going to be open for tours, so a few of us got a tour from one of the deacons. The church is so ornate and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about its history from someone who was so connected to it. This deacon fondly shared with us memories of sitting in that same church as a boy and it warmed my heart. If you ever get a chance to visit an Orthodox Christian Church either for a service or just a quick tour - you won’t be sorry!
For the next few months I will be covering special events, so just in case you want to experience them for yourself, here are the events I plan to attend:
Until next time, happy eats!
XO - Olivia
