All Entries in the "Greek/Mediterranean" Category
Restaurant Review: Athenian Garden Restaurant
In my never end quest for high quality Greek food, I decided to try a place that is both famous and infamous throughout Pinellas County. Some people love it because of it’s reasonable prices and throwback to traditional Greek Cuisine. Others hate it because they claim sanitary issues and bad taste. My experience with Athenian Garden Restaurant (12670 Starkey Rd, Largo FL 33773, (727) 518-8888), formerly Faros Greek Italian Grill, has been satisfactory, both in cleanliness and in taste. While I wouldn’t say they’re the best Greek food I’ve had, they are satisfactory in portion size, taste and value.
The restaurant is nestled into the back of a strip mall along Starkey Road, all but hidden if you’re not looking for it. The building itself is unassuming, glass windows and a sidewalk lined with red and white umbrellas.
The inside is your typical diner attempting to imitate a Greek restaurant, filled with faux greek luxury, grape vines and similar archetypal relics. The waitstaff is courteous and quick, both to take the order and bring it out.
While we waited, they brought out a loaf of thickly sliced green bread. It wasn’t warm so the butter didn’t melt, but it also wasn’t like it was old and had been sitting out. While I was unimpressed with the bread, it was nice that they were prompt in bringing it out.
For the main course, I ordered the Gyro and Salad combo lunch. At $7, this gyro and salad are both quite large and filling. The salad is your typical Greek, including a dollop of potato salad in the center. All of the vegetables with fresh and the dressing was a bit too sweet for my tastes. It is a very filling salad, and probably wouldn’t have been enough by itself.
The gyro was definitely the star of the show. The waitress told me that this location alone serves up over 1000 gyros per week. I believe it, especially considering the price and the size. This was the largest pita I recall ever seeing and it was stuffed to the gills with lamb, red onions, tomatos and Tzatziki Sauce. Every bite was refreshing and satisfying. This is the way a gyro should be made.
I’ve been back to Athenian several times since and the service and food have all been consistent. While I definitely wouldn’t pick it over a place like Acropolis or even Little Greek, I’ve been impressed by their repeat performances and make this a part of my weekly rotation while in Largo.
Restaurant Review: Panos Kouzina
Kara and I were feeling in the mood for Greek Food, so we tried our hand at Panos Kouzina (3101 State Road 580 # G, Safety Harbor, FL 34695-4923, (727) 797-2667), Safety Harbor’s little Greek eatery with big taste and exceptional service. The layout is simple but elegant, seating about 30-35 people at most. Being in a strip mall, I generally wouldn’t expect much but was pleasantly surprised by the portion size, quality of food, attention to detail in the service and the overall positive experience we had.
Since we had a coupon in the Entertainment book for Buy One, Get One, we decided to go all out and try a few extras. Firstly, we tried the French Onion Soup. I know what you’re saying, why would anyone order FRENCH onion soup in a GREEK restaurant? Why not?! It was on the menu, and I had to try it. I’m very glad I did. They got it exactly right, including rich beefy broth, plenty of cheese and the bread inside of just the right consistency. Every bite was great. Even Kara, who usually doesn’t like FOS, enjoyed it.
We also got a greek salad to split. It was exactly as it should have been, relying on lots of chunked feta, olives, sweet peppers and a home made Greek Dressing. The dressing was exactly the way I like it too, more oily with spices and herbs than creamy. It was definitely a great appetizer and actually filled me up more than I wish it would have.
With the soup and salad, they brought out some bread. It was soft throughout with a nice buttery crunch, dusted with herbs and garlic. If all bread was like this, I’d be a thousand pounds. By the time I had worked my way through the bread, I was actually getting too full to enjoy my coming entree. I decided to soldier on and eat it anyway.
My entree, the 3-Meat Gyro Platter, wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be but I was very pleased with the results. When I think of a platter, I imagine piles of meat and vegetables all deconstructed, waiting for me to make it into the final result. What I got was six separate half-sandwiches, comprised of chicken, lamb and pork. Construction aside, the food was delicious. The meats were succulent and cooked just right, complimented by the richest and most decadent Tzatziki sauce I’ve ever eaten. I could tell this sauce was home made because the garlic was so aromatic and flavorful that I found myself licking it off my fingers like a feverish dog. I even got some to go, which I found myself putting on everything from omelettes to toast to biscuits over the next week. Amazing. That’s all I can say about it. The sauce alone would be worth the price of admission, but it was an awesome center to an all around excellent meal.
Kara had the Tuscan Alfredo, a Fettuccini Alfredo dish tossed with spinach, tomatoes and grilled chicken. She had them add artichokes because she’s been on this artichoke kick lately. She continued to comment as she ate it that it was creamy and flavorful. I snuck a bite and was also very impressed. I’m amazed by how many people mess up Alfredo, but Panos does it just right.
This is an excellent value in dinner. With our coupon, everything said and told was under $30 for the two of us, including all the extras, drinks and the tip for the exceptional service. Throughout dinner, we continued to make “Manos: Hands of Fate” jokes at each other, a play on the name of the restaurant and that horrible Mystery Science Theatre 3000 movie. All jokes aside, this was a first class meal and I had left overs for 2 full days afterwords. The next time I find myself in Safety Harbor, I’m going back for more.
Restaurant Review: Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant
Good things come in strange packages, and gas station turned restaurant Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant (3001 28th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713-2604, (727) 323-3919) is a fine example of that principle at work. To look at Johnny’s, you wouldn’t assume much. From the outside, it looks like a carryout place that used to be a gas station, and it is. From the inside, the hustle and bustle of a diner is apparent in everything you see. On the surface, there’s nothing classy or proper about it. Then the food arrives and you’ll find yourself blown away.
I knew about Johnny’s from one of my clients who ordered us in a Greek Pizza during a meeting. It was nothing short of amazing. I knew I had to try it in person. At another meeting, she and I and another business associate decided to go there and do Johnny’s right.
We showed up around lunch time on a Saturday and the place was packed. There were people standing around picking up to-go orders and most every booth was filled. Everyone seemed pretty pleased, and other than a bit of slow service on refills I would agree with the sentiment. The waitstaff was complimentary, attentive and sweet all while juggling a dozen or so tables full of people. I’d say considering all of that, they did a good job.
Our food order took about 40 minutes, a bit longer than I expected. Jeanette ordered the roast pork and Thomas ordered the roasted lamb, both low-cost specialties under $10. I decided to take on a large Greek Pizza, the same as I had tried before. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it all, so bringing it home to enjoy over the next few days was the most logical decision. I’m very glad I did. I’m only miffed that I didn’t take advantage of their “Buy 1, get 1 half price” pizza deal, as this would have been a great meal to keep around all week.
The thing about Johnny’s Pizza is that you get something more than just a pizza. The Greek is a fine example of this, being based on a white sauce and covered in spinach, gyro meat, feta, tomatoes, onions and pepperoncinis. The pizza is piled thick at probably 1″ from crust bottom to bubbling cheese. While I’ve had a lot of Greek pizzas with feta and the vegetables listed above, very few take it the extra step with the gyro meat. The crust is a bit crunchier than I like, but the pile of toppings more than make up for any misgivings I may have for the base. This pizza is a bargain too, with the large being under $20.
Thomas continually commented on how great his lamb was. He pulled me off a piece (with his fork, it was that tender) and it was truly melt-in-your-mouth magnificent. They cover it (and the accompanying potatoes) in this red sauce that is a bit spicy but incredibly flavorful. This may be the best lamb I’ve had outside of a Greek community. Leaving the bone in adds to the flavor and the portion size is outstandingly large. Once you throw in the corn on the side, the meal is overwhelming in scale and flavor. Everything a restaurant can do right with a lamb dish was done right here.
The roast pork was made with the same care as the roast lamb. It’s slow roasted in a way that keeps the pork intact until you hit it with your fork and then it begins to come apart. Very little knife work is required to break the pork down. Jeanette also commented about the quality of the pork and my confirmation bite supported her claims. It really was exceptional Greek-style roasted pork.
Johnny’s has a lot to offer at a bargain diner price. Since it’s so close to this client’s office, I’ll be heading there again in the future to try more of their roasted meat specials.
Restaurant Review: Pita’s Republic
With almost 20 years of serving Tampa Bay under it’s belt, the Pita Republic (808 S. Dale Mabry Hwy. Tampa, FL 33609, 813-879-4976) has made it’s mark on diners who want good quality, fair prices and tasty Grecian dishes on the go.
It’s unassuming location, tucked away in a small strip mall on Dale Mabry south of Kennedy, makes it a bit difficult to find. If you’re southbound, you’ll have to fight traffic to get back northbound to pull into their driveway, as it’s both divided and incredibly busy all day long. But if you’re looking for a good to-go Greek food values, you’ll find them here.
I was very impressed by seeing the owner of this location working. He’s been a long time employee there and purchased it a few years back. It’s obvious he puts a lot of care into his store, as it was both clean and well stocked. As soon as I said, “I’ve never had this before..” his face lit up and he started firing off recommendations. That kind of passion is so rare that it took me by surprise. On his recommendation, I got two slices of spinach pie and a gyro pita to go.
The spinach pie was fantastic. It’s such an easy thing to mess up, and a lot of greek places won’t even carry it because of the difficult preparation. The Pita’s Republic spinach pie was flawless. Spinach was rich and creamy tasting, and hot. No cold spots and no hard spots. The crust was flakey and soft, exposing dozens of layers of hot flaked crust as you bite into it. Nothing was soggy or overly greasy and it was delicious. I honestly haven’t had a piece of spinach pie this good since I left Greektown in Detroit.
The gyro was also delicious, as many gyros I’ve had in Tampa tend to be. This one was better than average, as it was filled with substantially more lamb than I was expecting and the pita bread was very airy and flurry, as opposed to the crunchy or chewy texture I sometimes get at other places.
The prices are very reasonable. My whole meal, including soda, was under $15. That included tip I left him for the great service.
Restaurant Review: The Nest
Open just under a month, Ybor’s newest Mediterranean Tapas & Pasta bar is The Nest (1430 E.7th Avenue, Tampa FL 33605, 813-247-7500). This unassuming restaurant near the Czar Vodka Bar is a wonderful new addition to Ybor’s 7th Avenue.
The atmosphere is a combination of dark woods, natural tones and stainless steel. They serve both a lunch and dinner menu of Mediterranean favorites from pasta to salads to a selection of sandwiches and more. The open air feel from all of the windows casts delicate light throughout the room, giving a very pleasant dining experience.
For lunch, I opted for the special, a 3 course meal of bread and house salad, vegetable sandwich with fries and an unidentified dessert. The bread came out hot and with an oil based, slightly spicy dipping sauce. The outer edge was crunchy and crisp. The inside was warm and ready to soak up the oil. The bread reminded me a lot of the ciabatta loafs you would find in many of the higher end Italian restaurants. The salad was a mix of greens, mesculin, frisee and vine ripe tomatoes tossed in oil. Nothing exceptional about it, but it was a good compliment to the bread and oil dish and a good next step toward the sandwich.
The sandwich was made of a stack of regional vegetables and mushrooms in a similar bread to the opening course. Crunchy outside gave way to warm, tasty filling with a light cheese. The inside had a consistency of Eggplant Parmesan that perfectly complimented the outer shell. While many breads become soggy or inconsistent when filmed with warm and moist vegetables, this sandwich seemed to hold up.
It was served with a cup of french fries, which I found odd considering how high-end everything else about the meal looked, felt and tasted. That said, they were lightly salted with what appeared to be a sea salt. Cooked to a golden brown texture with light crunch and non-greasy feel that you would expect from something as simple as french fries in a place like this. The fries came with a creamy sauce, resembling a light mustard but with a certain sweetness to it. I wouldn’t wager to guess what it was, but it was delicious.
The dessert was something I couldn’t begin to identify. What looked like a crepe covered in powdered sugar in what tastes like melted ice cream. Very rich, very sugary. Perhaps a bit over the top, but there was just enough to seal the deal on a wonderful meal without being too overpowering.
Dereck went with the Cuban Sandwich, a favorite not found on the menu. One of the regulars came in and continued to order a Cuban sandwich, which this restaurant did not offer. After a while of persistent requests from he customer, the sandwich made its way onto the lunch menu and is now a celebrated favorite. Dereck’s sandwich was accompanied with the same fries and sauce as my sandwich.
Considering the quality of the ingredients and the attention to detail, the price tag was a reasonable $20 for two lunch meals. Service is quick and orderly, the environment is friendly and I can see a big future for this startup.
Restaurant Review: Central Park Restaurant
Hidden off the beaten path of East Fletcher Ave in a stark white strip mall on Telecom Drive is a well kept secret of good Coney Island food. Reminding me a lot of the small Coney-style restaurants in which I grew up eating at in Detroit, Central Park Restaurant (13418 Telecom Drive, Temple Terrace, FL 33637, (813) 972-3663) is a delightful low-cost casual diner with something for everyone.
Many of the dishes at Central Park focus around the lunch crowd favorites of sandwiches, soups and salad. Everything looked and smelled delicious, as you would expect from a Deli-style restaurant. The place was very clean and the seats were as comfortable as a casual dining place could be. Before we even ordered, everything seemed right. Aside from the inside dining, they also have an outside area with umbrellas for those beautiful spring Florida days.
As I opened the menu, I realized that this place was really geared towards value. Most every dish was $8 or less. Knowing we had a $35 gift certificate, we actually over-ordered to meet that minimum and ended up taking quite a bit of it home. Truth be told, two people can get full for under $20 here, including drinks.
We ended up starting with a round of fried mushrooms and cheese sticks. Standard bar-quality fried foods. Nothing exceptional, but a good start.
Then came the main courses. Sharon ended up ordering two entrees to meet the cost of the gift certificate, the Manicotti and the Egglplant Parmesan. With those, came a salad and a beef-based soup. As they came out a bit quicker than my entree, I took a few bites.
Here’s Sharon dipping salad into soup. She’s a special girl.
The Eggplant was done very well. Crispy outside, red sauce permeating it’s soft middle. The Manicotti was much the same with a large portion of noodle and cheese and the same good red sauce. The quality of the ingredients and presentation was on par with Olive Garden at a much lower price.
I ordered the “King Maximus Greek Platter”. Imagine every Greek Favorite on one plate. The gyro slices were thick and wide. They were probably twice as wide as I was expecting, and a I received 6 of them totalling probably half a pound or more of lamb. A marinated chicken souvlaki skewer filled the of the plate. The chicken was moist and flavorful without being greasy. The pita bread, a standard in any Greek dish, was warm and tender.
My favorite part, the Spinach Pie, was amongst the best spinach pie I have eaten. Flakey crust, smooth spinach insides, piping hot and consistently good throughout. The whole dish sat on a pile of rice and a greek salad. My only complaint was that the feta in the salad was a bit runny. I’m used to large blocks of feta in my salad, while this was a scoop of mushy feta. This did not affect the taste, and overall I was very happy with the meal. I didn’t even get half of it down before taking the rest home. The portions are gigantic, even if you only order one!
Restaurant Review: Acropolis
I spent much of my young working life in a Greek restaurant, learning both the culture and the culinary wherewithal to produce delightful Mediterranean dishes. As I grew older, I moved into the Greektown District of Detroit, where I spent many evenings inhaling Saganaki, drinking greek wine and indulging my feta-fetish. It was the best of times, and I didn’t realize what I was missing until I moved to Florida.
Since I moved here, I’ve only found one thing close to an “authentic” Greek place. If I wanted to drive all the way to Tarpon Springs, there were selections there. But if I wanted to stay in Tampa, Acropolis Greek Tavern(1833 E 7th Ave, Tampa – (813) 242-4545) was as close as I was going to get to the tastes, smells and culture I was once a part of.
The sad fact I’ve found in Tampa when it comes to Greek food is that you can easily taste what might appear on the surface to be Greek food, but it’s no where near what I’d consider authentic. Almost every greasy spoon carries gyros and greek salads. Does putting feta on something really make it Greek? I beg to differ. Greek Cuisine is more than just feta and lamb. It’s the entire showcase. It’s the plate breaking, group dancing, hookah-smoking, opa-screaming, over-feeding lifeblood that pumps through every traditional Greek Tavern. Acropolis has that, even if it’s commercialized in that Ybor City/7th Avenue kind of way.
Four of us went out to Acropolis tonight, partaking in a variety of Greek foods. I started us off with an appetizer of Saganaki, the flaming kaseri cheese dish accompanying a hearty, “OPA!” as our waitress set the cheese ablaze. While the cheese was good, I really wish there was more of it. It’s somewhat addicting, both for the taste and the experience of fire and alcohol. There were days when I’d spend a night at the bar and end up finishing off my drunken rampage with 4 or 5 courses of this cheese. Tonight wasn’t going to be one of those nights, so matter how good it was.
Dereck and I both had the Acropolis Salad. A take on traditional greek salad including the potato salad and pita bread, this salad is literally too big to eat. It’s piled high with sliced lamb used for gyros and served with a side of feta-covered steak fries. I was starving when I got there and wasn’t able to finish it. Somehow, Dereck was able to eat all of his.
Kara got a pasta dish that looked like it was carved out of a 4″ thick slab of awesome. A thick layer of cheese, many layers of noodles and a full two inches of meat served hot. In keeping with the trend, she was full before she even ate half of it. They gave you so much food that you almost always end up taking it home. Dustan went with a non-greek favorite, the Filet Mignon. The steak was gone quickly, so it must have been good.
Aside from the great food, Acropolis has regular Grecian showmanship. Depending on the night, you’ll often find plate breaking during the traditional dance amongst the staff. A guitarist plays old country favorites while the staff claps and dances about. If you’ve ever been to a Greek Wedding (or seen the movie!), you’ll recognize this instantly. It’s a lot of fun, including the napkin toss. Even on slow nights, you can see the remnants of napkins all over the floors from previous dances.
Another perk of Acropolis is their hookah selection. With your meal, you can smoke any number of flavored tobaccos in one of their hookahs. While I don’t generally smoke with my meals, it’s a nice change if you’re going to make a night of it and want to relax outside with friends.