It is recommended that one should have a light, decent snack before a long run. It is recommended that one should eat a good meal before going on a long drive or airplane trip.

It is also recommended that one should consume a good meal before prom.

With that in mind, three of my friends and I decided to go to Pasha Mediterranean Cuisine, located in Champaign. I didn't know quite what to expect, except olives and baklava.

When we got there around 7:30 p.m., I felt quite conspicuous. Besides not knowing that the front desk was right in front of the door (hey, it was a tiny stand and there wasn't anyone there!), we were the only people who were wearing gowns and sporting elaborate hairdoes (minus the dancer lady who came out every once in a while to entertain the diners).

I was glad that I was in a group.

Looking at the menu, we decided for one person to order appetizers and to split three main dishes. We chose the flaming cheese and wrapped grape leaves for the appetizers; I picked the shrimp pasha as my main dish and a yogurt flavored beverage for my drink. I think the other two main dishes were grilled lamb kebabs and orange-flavored chicken.

While we awaited for our dishes, the waiter brought us a complimentary basket of bread, to be dipped in olive oil, black pepper, and/or salt. It was freshly baked and quite soft, like Hawaiian rolls, but with a thick crust. Unlike Biaggi's, they didn't have any Parmesean cheese. But it was good nonetheless, as the waiter had to bring us a second basket shortly.

The yogurt drink came next. It was thick and white, served in a tall glass with a straw. And it tasted more or less like watered down yogurt, plain.

The first appetizer to be served was the flaming cheese. I highly recommend this one, even if you don't like cheese. For one thing, when they say flaming cheese, they mean it. It's not spicy, if that's what you think. It means a two and a half foot tall wall of flame, inches from the waiter's face.

After the feat, the cheese cooled to edible temperatures within a couple of minutes. It's quite good on the complimentary bread, I must say. And it wasn't even burned too badly - I had expected a charred lump that stuck to the plate and would have given the dishwasher headaches.

Five seasoned cylinders wrapped in grape leaves came next. On the outside, it was a bit sour, as if there was olive oil mixed with lemon juice with a dash of crushed mint. The inside contained spiced rice, which was quite good. I remember the texture the best: it was quite easy to sink your teeth into, like a knife through warmed butter. I had no trouble cutting it into pieces, even though I wasn't very adept at using the knife.

Quite some time after that, our main dishes arrived. In addition to the shrimp, I had a side of Jerusalem salad (which was part of the entree). It looked very good, a combonation of diced fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and herbs topped with a pasty peanut sauce. However, as appetizing as it was, I had enough after one bite of a piece of raw onion.

The other entrees were all very delicious too. The juicy shrimp was coated with a delicious red sauce, which went quite well with the sliced potatoes and mushrooms. The lamb tasted more like grilled steak to me, minus the occasional blackened char. I wasn't particularly fond of the orange chicken, which was rather sweet and had a strong orange flavor.

For dessert, we shared a dish of rolled baklava. Pieces of nuts rolled into sheets of phyllo dough and coated with honey, this was a dessert well worth the price.

As was the rest of the meal.