Get a taste of Mediterranean cuisine at new Idaho Falls restaurant

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IDAHO FALLS

New Mediterranean restaurant opens inside Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS – After five years of running a restaurant inside the Shilo Inn in Idaho Falls, David Rail and his wife, Tara, are opening a new one in its place.

Redd’s Grill, a gourmet hamburger joint, closed last month. On Monday, Trofi, a Mediterranean-themed eatery, opened in its place. “Trofi” is a Greek word referring to a type of thin, twisted pasta. David says it’s also related to nourishment or food.

The menu includes salads like tabbouleh. It’s parsley-based with tomato, red onion and quinoa and served with your choice of chicken, tuna, steak or grilled shrimp, and dressed in a lemon pepper oil. David says parsley is the distinguishing factor that separates it from traditional American salad.

“Americans like to put lettuce with things that don’t want lettuce,” David says.

Another item is the Mediterranean Bowl, a lettuce blend with cucumber, tomato, red onion, Kalmata olives and feta cheese. The same meat options are available, along with falafel and grilled vegetables. It also comes with lemon rice or garlic quinoa and hummus, tzatziki or tyrokafteri. Tzatziki is a cucumber yogurt dip. Tyrokafteri is spicy feta cheese dip. Both are served with pita bread.

A host of other menu options are available, including burgers, gyros, greek salmon, Mediterranean cod and souvlaki — three marinated and grilled skewers of chicken, steak or grilled shrimp served with fries.

After just a few days of operation, David says the restaurant has had a great turnout.

The idea came from a Mediterranean cruise David took last summer.

During a layover flight, David says he and his wife decided Redd’s Grill was “at its life’s end.” They weren’t thinking about opening another restaurant at the time, but eventually decided Mediterranean food was an appealing option to offer the community.

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After returning home, they started researching recipes.

“We’ve got a couple friends who are trained chefs,” says David. “I asked them if we need to learn any new techniques, and he said we had everything we need.”

David is hoping to offer halal food in the future. “Halal” is an Arabic term that means permissible, and it refers to food that is acceptable under Islamic law.

Islam is the primary religion for people who live in the region where his cruise was based. David was asked to cater for an international event in 2024 that included people from the Middle East. They requested Mediterranean food prepared in the traditional way.

David says there’s a sizable population of people from Arabic countries in eastern Idaho, and he wants to serve them the way they like it.

David’s ultimate goal is to expand, but he’s eager to see how the restaurant performs in Idaho Falls. The annual Southeast Idaho Bridal Fair, which he hosts, is happening at the Snake River Events Center this weekend. He invites people to visit during the event.

Trofi is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Saturday. It has a 10 p.m. closing time on Friday and a 3 p.m. closing time on Sunday.

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