Virtual Summer Mediterranean Cruise, Vega Tapas Cafe.

Vega Tapas Cafe is back on its annual summer Tour Of The Mediterranean. It's the fourteenth year for this eight-week-long odyssey through all the major cuisines along the shores of the Med. It's a great idea, since all those places--despite their tremendous cultural and geographical differences--have many flavors in common. Each menu consists of five to nine tapas-size courses for $27. (The price that hasn't risen in years.) They also cut us an outstanding deal on the wine pairing: $15 extra. This virtual tour is a logical cruise, having begun last week in Egypt and ending in Spain. To keep track of your progress, they give you a passport to have stamped on every culinary port of call. If you collect three stamps, you get a free bottle of wine at the end of the series. Here's the schedule. Unlike in past years, the menu runs for six days, not just one. July 21-26
July 28-Aug 2 Turkey
Aug 4-9 Greece
Aug 11-16 Italy
Aug 18-23 France
Aug 25-30 Spain The menus will be posted week by week on Vega Tapas Cafe's website. Here is this week's Egyptian menu:

Shurbah
Orange roughy & chard in a rich seafood bisque

Torly Bel Gambari
Prawns & summer vegetable casserole

Tikka
Fig roasted chicken with aromatic spiced vinegar

Kufta
Grilled marjoram spiced lamb roll, saffron pilaf, preserved lemon

Laban Zabadi
Honeyed yogurt with dates, berries and fresh mint

Vega Tapas Cafe

Old Metairie: 2051 Metairie Rd. 504-836-2007. www.vegatapascafe.com.

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Vega Tapas Cafe is back on its annual summer Tour Of The Mediterranean. It's the fourteenth year for this eight-week-long odyssey through all the major cuisines along the shores of the Med. It's a great idea, since all those places--despite their tremendous cultural and geographical differences--have many flavors in common. Each menu consists of five to nine tapas-size courses for $27. (The price that hasn't risen in years.) They also cut us an outstanding deal on the wine pairing: $15 extra. Click for the menu and more. . .