Students can now eat almost anything out of a cone. Toledo, a new restaurant on Thayer Street, just opened its doors serving all of its food in cones, from pizza to salad to chicken parmesan.
"It's a back-home, Middle Eastern thing," said restaurant owner Mark Joia. But Joia has gone beyond the traditional cone fillings and boasts cuisines from each Mediterranean country as well as typical American food.
The concept is, essentially, "anything in a cone," he said. Joia described the cone itself as a mixture between Syrian bread and pizza.
"I thought it was an innovative idea that was successfully pulled off," said Cheno Pinter '14, "but that they should make the cones a little thinner."
In most Mediterranean countries, these cones are machine made, but at Toledo, everything is made by hand, Joia said. "We use everything fresh" he said. "Vegetables, meat, everything is fresh." The cone is made from scratch, and even the dough is handmade. The toppings are put in after the cone is ordered — including the restaurant's special sauce and spice recipes — and then the whole thing is cooked at once.
Joia said he hopes Toledo will appeal to students based on the quality and cost of the food. A cone — as filling as a meal — costs under $5. The concept of Toledo is also unique among Thayer eateries.
"It was really good," said Sosie Bacon '14. "It was basically pizza rolled up, but the whole outside was crispy like the crust."
According to Joia, the restaurant has generated a lot of interest since its soft opening Oct. 15. "People have been coming in just by word of mouth," he said.
But Joia is looking for more feedback. In honor of the grand opening that will occur in the upcoming weeks, Toledo will feature a huge special, Joia promised. For three days, a grand opening special will reduce the price of Toledo further, he said. Though Joia would not elaborate on the details of the special, he emphasized its value and encouraged students to keep their eyes peeled for fliers coming out some time early this week.
