Harvest Bistro & Bar, Closter, NJ

Restaurant Link:

Harvest Bistro & Bar

Fred's Review:

Although I've lived in Bergen County for several decades, Lisa moved here relatively recently. When we first met, she was residing some 90+ miles away in Bucks County, PA. As we spent a good deal of time in that area during our courtship days, she introduced me to an array of excellent restaurants there, including her favorite, a nearby French bistro. But when she would visit me, I had a problem. Since her tastes were much more refined than mine, and still are, where should I take her for dinner?

Despite the length of time I had lived here, I knew few fine dining establishments in northern NJ. And I couldn't expect her to be satisfied for very long, as I was, with lunch specials at the local diner and take out pizza or Chinese food for dinner. So, as a simple guy in love and trying to impress his classy gal, what swanky joint should I take her to? An answer would have to be found quickly, before she left me for some dapper metrosexual dude with more sophisticated tastes. 

Fortunately, with the help of online restaurant review sites, an answer was soon found. In fact, many were that we now dine at regularly. And prominent among these is Harvest Bistro & Bar in Closter, which has become one of our favorites. In fact, Lisa has rated it comparable to that French bistro she took me to years ago.
 
The ambiance at Harvest is quite nice. The main dining room has a comfortable feel, with a stone fireplace, wooden floors, large wood framed windows, and a steep vaulted ceiling supported by exposed beams. There is also a separate bar area, as well as an outside patio with a few tables surrounding a central fire pit. Lit fires both inside and out during the colder months evoke an almost ski lodge atmosphere throughout the restaurant. 

Dining Room

Fireplace

Winter View of Patio

Here's Lisa beside the fire pit one dark evening just after she conjured up from the flames some sort of hound-shaped demon. She's a woman of many talents. 

Lisa's Fire Demon

My standard meal at Harvest has become the Onion Soup followed by the Steak au Poivre, and both are excellent. The soup has just the right blend of flavors, and with its huge bread slice and thick layer of melted gruyere cheese, it is a meal in itself. The steak is always cooked to perfection and covered in an outstanding peppercorn sauce that is without question the best I've had at any Bergen County restaurant and perhaps the best I've ever had. And it is served with ample portions of nicely prepared fries and green beans. One time, these sides were so generous that the steak had been placed partially on top of them. So as I tried to cut my first slice of meat, the entire steak unexpectedly started rolling on the green beans, and nearly flew off my plate and onto the table. Not very suave if you want to impress your date. Thankfully, Lisa and I were married by then. 

Onion Soup Gratinee

Steak Au Poivre

With its more than adequate portion sizes of excellent French inspired cuisine served in a very nice atmosphere, Harvest is definitely worth a visit. But I would recommend dining there midweek or early on weekend evenings in order to avoid the large dinner crowds and truly enjoy the quiet romantic feel of the restaurant. 

Lisa's Review:

Harvest Bistro and Bar is a great French bistro that is tried and true. I think we've been there perhaps 20 times over the last 3 years and we've never been disappointed.

Well, that's not completely true. 

I have to admit that I was disappointed when my favorite salad was taken off the menu, and I know Fred was truly disappointed when the Steak au Poivre was taken off the menu for a short time. 

So what's so great about Harvest?

Three things (and they're all food!):

1. Butter Lettuce Salad with sesame dressing
2. Onion Soup Gratinee
3. Steak Au Poivre

Now when you read Fred's review you will realize that the Onion Soup and Steak Au Poivre are his favorites, and notably, they are still on the menu. The Butter Lettuce Salad is my favorite salad in Bergen County ... and alas, it's gone!

The sadly missed Butter Lettuce Salad

Having said that, I have found a reasonable substitute. The Heirloom Tomato Salad with Mozzarella and Prosciutto is very good, though not as good as the Butter Lettuce Salad. There I said it. I will also point out that it was I who first discovered the Steak Au Poivre, and now Fred claims it as his own. He's gallant enough to tell me he needs "help" to finish it. Just as well or we'd have a BIG problem! So while I demurely allow Fred to order the steak, I usually order the Salmon which is served with crispy skin over a bed of spinach and is delightful. Then I help Fred with his steak.  

Most recently, I ventured beyond the fish and ordered the Short Rib. There was nothing short about it. It was big, juicy, fall off the bone, sweet, sticky BBQ. I LOVED it and so did Fred. I'm guessing next time we go, he will claim this dish as his discovery, and then I shall return to the Steak Au Poivre and Fred will be gushing about the Short Rib.

Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella Salad

Grilled Salmon

Jack Daniels BBQ Short Rib

I guess you can tell we really enjoy the food at Harvest Bistro, but there are also many small touches that make the experience enjoyable. The cocktails are always well made and presented in chilled glasses, the bread and olives/olive oil blends are much appreciated and the service is prompt and friendly. 

Bread & Olives/Olive Oils

French Martini

Harvest is lovely for a "date night" but is equally enjoyable with a small group - we have brought friends and family here and all have enjoyed it. 

We highly recommend Harvest Bistro!

Andiamo, Haworth, NJ

Restaurant link:

Andiamo Restaurant

Lisa's Review:

It's been a while since Fred and I wrote our last restaurant review, and we've been wanting to get back to it. When we thought about which restaurant to review next - the answer was obvious - our favorite Italian restaurant in Bergen County, Andiamo. This review will be a write-up of several visits since we go very regularly. One weekend after Christmas, we even went twice! I think the staff might adopt us! 

It's hard to pin down just one reason that Andiamo is our favorite Italian place - but two key reasons are consistently good food - we've never had a bad, or even an average meal, and the ability to have the kind of experience you are looking for - whether it is a quiet dinner for two or a place to go for casual pizza.

A quiet dinner for two

While Andiamo is a busy restaurant, they seem to have a number of areas that provide a quiet, romantic feeling. Our favorite is a closed-in porch near the bar. It's quiet and romantic, but you can also watch the busy happenings of the restaurant. Since Andiamo doesn't take reservations for small groups, it's best to arrive early if you want to be seated there. 

The quiet closed-in porch

The menu at Andiamo is extensive with a full array of pizza, pasta, meat and seafood dishes, yet on top of their extensive menu, they also have a specials board that is updated daily. On my second visit to Andiamo I had an amazing pasta dish made by chef Linda....I've been looking for it to be repeated as a special ever since and I'm yet to see it again - I can only hope.

At our last quiet dinner for two, I ordered a fairly typical meal. I often start with a salad, and the one I ordered was from the Daily Specials - anything with poached pear or caramelized pear and I cannot resist it! The salad was full of flavor and light enough not to overwhelm my appetite for the main course, which I've had on at least four occasions; pan-seared Branzino with sautéed spinach and a side of fries. The fish is perfectly cooked - this is not a restaurant that overcooks or undercooks fish, and the sautéed spinach and lemon caper sauce it rests on both compliment it well. I was thinking of trying to pretend those fries are Fred's, but I know I'll be opening myself up for his dry wit so I am just taking responsibility for them now! Let's just say, they are worth running at least 8-10 miles before we go there, which I often do before going to Andiamo. I tell everyone I'm training to run a half marathon in April, but I'm really running for Andiamo!

Ready to eat!

Delicious special salad with caramelized pear

Pan-seared Branzino

Lisa's Fries!

We are often full after our appetizer and main course, and it's rare that we have dessert. However, on one occasion we did, and as you can see from this photo.....we liked it! I think it took us about 2 minutes to finish it. 

Chocolate Layer Cake - A Rare Treat!

...And it's gone!

A casual place for pizza

We have only fairly recently discovered that Andiamo is also a great place for casual pizza. For those of you that know us well, you would know that it takes a lot for us to bypass the Eggplant Pizza at Brooklyn Pizza, but a visit from our grandson Rowan afforded us an opportunity to try pizza at Andiamo for the first time (and we have since been back for a second time for their pizza). I have honestly never seen a pizza that was this big and tasted as good as it did. The pizza you see here is Linda's Special with an extra thin crust, scallions, two types of cheese (but light on cheese), fresh basil and crushed plum tomatoes. Everyone loved it! Including Rowan. Not pictured is a meat-lovers pizza that I got very little of. While Rowan and I were transfixed on the big pizza, Fred was quietly noshing down on the meat lovers pizza. 

Thin crust, delicious and huge!

It didn't last too long though!

A great place to bring our grandson, Rowan

One aspect of Andiamo we can't review for you is the extensive wine list. Fred doesn't drink, apart from a glass of bubbly every now and then, and I can never seem to make it past a cosmopolitan. I have seen many tables review the extensive wine list, have deep conversations with Don and Alan about the best bottles available and the wine list is well represented in local awards.

They do a very very nice Cosmo!

The English translation of Andiamo is "Let's Go!" It's a great name for a restaurant that we find ourselves wanting to go back to, time and time again.

Fred's Review:

As Lisa mentioned, Andiamo has now become our favorite Italian restaurant in Bergen County, which appears to be consistent with the results of several online dining polls. And this is really saying something considering you can find an Italian restaurant on just about every other block in northern NJ. In fact, there's one within walking distance of our home that has always been quite popular despite its very mediocre food. And there's another that's maybe 5 minutes away by car. The front page of their website boasts: "Truly one of the best restaurants in NJ", although they never attribute that claim to anyone. Since the menu is rather limited and mundane, and the quality of its food is just about average, I suspect the quote is from one of the owners. Andiamo clearly has both of these restaurants beat. 

Which is why I selected it on Super Bowl Sunday several weeks ago when Lisa uncharacteristically left it completely up to me to decide where we would go for dinner that evening. She said I could choose anyplace I wanted and she wouldn't object, no matter how far away, what the cuisine, or how unhealthy the food. (I knew the last attribute held for her the greatest potential for regret.) Wow, what a rare treat for me! What did I do to deserve this? And where should we go? There are so many gastronomically decadent places we haven't been to since Lisa adopted her fit and active lifestyle that includes clean and healthy eating. Which one of them should I pick? 

But in the end I didn't choose any of our old haunts that I used to overindulge at, where a typical dinner might consist of a deep fried grease appetizer, followed by a huge plate of fat coated in oil with a side of carbs as a main course, and finished off with a dish of artificially sweetened gluten for dessert. Perhaps due to the subtle influence that Lisa has been having on me recently to eat healthier, I decided to forego all that and instead just have pizza at Andiamo. We had ordered it there only once before, when our grandson Rowen was visiting, and I was anxious to try it again. Admittedly, pizza is not a particularly healthy choice by Lisa's stringent standards, but I thought it would be a reasonable compromise. Hey, it is thin crust after all. 

So off we drove that Super Bowl Sunday evening for an early dinner at Andiamo. When we arrived about 15 minutes later, just after their normal opening time, we couldn't help but notice how empty the parking lot was. Great, I thought. It will be quiet since we're the first ones here. Little did I know how literally true that was. We were indeed the first ones there, which included an accounting of the staff, who would likely not be arriving until the next morning. A note on the front door indicated that the restaurant would be closed that day. We later learned that there are only two days of the year when Andiamo is not open, and Super Bowl Sunday happens to be one of them. After sacrificing all that scrumptious cholesterol and all those savory calories that I could have chosen for dinner, this would be my reward.

Despite the temporary setback, the following Sunday we returned even more determined than before to consume Andiamo pizza. As we entered this time, I immediately noticed balloons. Oh no, I thought. This means there's either a children's party going on, in which case dozens of screaming children will be running around, or instead a wedding or baby shower, and so for at least an hour we'll have to listen to a chorus of awww's every time a gift is open. But my fears were unfounded, as we were ushered into the cozy and quiet inside porch area away from the main dining room. This part of the restaurant has become our favorite, although we have not yet tried their al fresco dining option. 

Along with the salad special that we shared that afternoon, we of course also ordered pizza, in fact two of them. To avoid leftovers, we chose the smaller size of each, although nearly all their pizzas come in a larger size as well, a nice option. As before, one of our choices was the Meat Lovers Pie with sausage, meatballs and pepperoni, which I finished nearly half of before Lisa had a chance to grab a slice. But for the first time we also tried Don's New Favorite with prosciutto, tomatoes, caramelized onions and cheese. And it was delicious as well. Not only is this one the favorite of the restaurant's owner, Don, but I think it may now be Lisa's too. 

One thing I really like about Andiamo, besides the more than adequate portion sizes, is their extensive menu. Even someone with tastes as unadventurous as mine can find at least a dozen acceptable menu items, instead of just one or two, as is often the case for me at restaurants that Lisa and I have gone to lately. And so far, everything I've tried at Andiamo has been excellent, including the Caesar Salad followed by the Chicken Parmigiana with a side of pasta, which is my usual dinner choice there. 

Happy at Andiamo

Caesar Salad

Chicken Parmigiana

Yes, as you drive around Bergen County, you're likely to see an Italian restaurant just about every few blocks. But if you want to dine at an exceptionally good one, then I think you should pass those by and instead drive the extra blocks it may take you to get to Andiamo.

Village Green Restaurant, Ridgewood, NJ

Restaurant link:

Village Green Restaurant

Lisa's Review:

It's official, after two separate visits to Village Green Restaurant, I can say with certainty that this is my favorite restaurant of any that I have visited in New Jersey. I might even boldly say that Village Green Restaurant is my worldwide favorite, but there is another restaurant that owns that title for me in Sydney, Australia called Otto.

But what is so good about Village Green?

Three words: mood, food and service!

The Mood

Village Green is a small restaurant in the heart of Ridgewood NJ. It is located near, but not on, the Main Street of Ridgewood. Consequently, as you walk to the restaurant from your car, there is a neighborhood feel that is punctuated by a steepled church with a beautiful stained glass window at its entry.

As you enter the restaurant there are several larger group tables, but since we were a couple, we were seated in a small nook by the front window. It was private, but not isolated and provided a romantic setting with large windows draped by soft curtains. The mood was completed with the sparkling wine we brought with us since Village Green is BYOB.
 

The Food ... Oh My, The Food!

The first time I visited Village Green, I decided to try their 5-course tasting menu. Everything sounded so good, I wanted to try as much as possible and the smaller serving sizes were perfect. This time, I thought I would order from the regular menu, but I was surprised to see that the menu had changed substantially since our first visit 3 months earlier and the 5-course tasting menu seemed the best option again!

Before any of our ordered food arrived, our waiter delivered an amuse bouche, a single, bite-sized hors d'oeuvres of Butternut Squash Arancini (stuffed rice ball). Wow! It was tiny, but full of flavor. The crust was crunchy and the interior soft and moist. I'm inspired to try and make arancini myself, but I fear I'll mess up ... they are so delicate.

Butternut Squash Arancini - packed with flavor!

The first two courses of the 5-course menu were both small servings of appetizers from the main menu. First I enjoyed a salad of Butterhead Lettuce, spicy pecans (although they looked like walnuts to me), blue cheese crumbles and julienned apple with a sherry maple vinaigrette. Soft, savory and perfect. The second course was Autumn Gnocchi with butternut squash, pine nuts, and sage beurre noisette (brown butter). This second tasting from the appetizers is one of the reasons that the tasting menu is such a great idea! The dish was nothing short of phenomenal, and I may have missed out if I could only pick one item.

Butterhead Lettuce Salad

Autumn Gnocchi - one of my favorite dishes

The second two courses were both small servings of entrees, again from the main menu. Usually I select a fish course for my entree, but with two choices, I chose a fish course and a chicken course. The fish was crispy sautéed Branzino (European seabass) with lemon risotto, blistered tomato and Sicilian eggplant caponata. I loved the crispy skin on the seabass and the lemon risotto was fantastic - everything risotto should be - creamy and flavorful, unlike the risotto I recently tried at Locale (see prior review). The tomato and eggplant caponata were nice enough, but mainly decorated the plate ... "It was all about that bass, 'bout that bass ... and risotto!" The next dish was something I would probably never order in a million years if it's the only entree I'm eating. It was fun, tasty, unique and probably way too many calories ... Buttermilk Fried Chicken with braised kale, quinoa waffle and thyme maple butter. I'm running out of adjectives here ... but mmmmmm ... comes to mind. While the rest of the courses were elegant, this course was pure comfort food ... and still incredible!

Pan-seared Branzino - crispy skin and creamy risotto

Buttermilk Fried Chicken - comfort food!

The fifth course was the dessert course and I ordered a Bavarian Apple Square with vanilla gelato. The pastry topped with apple and caramel sauce were subtly sweet and paired nicely with the gelato. I couldn't ask for more after the stunning array of flavors I enjoyed this evening.

Bavarian Apple Square - a perfect ending.

The Service

Our wonderful evening was topped off by waiters who intuitively understood when to offer help with the menu, when to clear plates and how to ensure our evening was a memorable one. Present, but not intrusive. The whole restaurant seems to run like a well-oiled machine. Having said that, it's far from a machine in terms of the quality and flavor of the food. They seem to have found a magical balance between mood, food and service. It's no wonder then that our first visit here was the trigger for Fred and I deciding to write a restaurant review blog. Thank you Village Green Restaurant for inspiring us, and for once again providing an amazing meal!

Fred's Review:

Driving to Village Green that rainy Friday evening, I was hoping for an otherwise uneventful night. Just a quiet dinner for two at this charming BYOB restaurant. But that was not to be. Little did I know that the green just across the street from Village Green would be the location of Ridgewood's annual holiday tree lighting ceremony, which was to begin about the same time we would be arriving for dinner. Or I should say, trying to arrive. So many roads leading downtown were closed that at first we couldn't get anywhere near the place. And once there, it was of course impossible to find parking since so many people were attending the tree lighting. Already I was wishing we had brought more wine with us. After this, I was going to need it.

As we drove off looking for a parking space, somehow I failed to appreciate what Lisa described as the "neighborhood feel that is punctuated by a steepled church with a beautiful stained glass window at its entry". To me it was 10 minutes of driving in the rain down dark, narrow, unfamiliar streets looking for some place to park, followed by a very long, cold, wet walk to the restaurant. My cheerful wife always has such a positive outlook, one of the many reasons I love her so.

Although it was an ordeal to get there, our determination and persistence were quickly rewarded. The impeccable service that Lisa mentioned began the moment we were seated, as our waiter immediately opened our bottle of sparkling wine and poured us each a glass. His assistance with this was fortunate since my hands had become numb with cold while holding the umbrella on our walk there. In fact, for my first sip or two of wine, I had to lift my glass by holding it between my two wrists, a bit embarrassing at such a fine dining establishment. Fortunately, my fingers had become more functional by the time the food arrived. I would have hated eating by placing my face down in the plate like our cat.

Since this was our second visit to Village Green, I already knew that, unlike Lisa, I would not be ordering from their tasting menu. It's offerings are a bit too refined for me, and I wouldn't be able to say what I wanted anyway since I find most of their names unpronounceable. I also don't like being teased with such small portions of food. It's like nibbling on a few appetizers while waiting for your entree, which never arrives. Instead, you're suddenly served dessert, handed the check, and ushered out the door before you realize that you never had your main course. So, no thank you. I'll take the full-size portion of Caesar Salad followed by the nice big Beef Tenderloin entree. And by the way, both were excellent. Lisa shared a bite of her dessert with me, too. It was tasty, but small of course.

Caesar salad - yes, Fred ate one of the anchovies!

Beef Tenderloin - from the "big boy" menu

So yes, I agree with Lisa that Village Green is quite a nice restaurant with a very pleasant ambiance, great service, and a menu interesting enough to appeal to anyone with culinary tastes as sophisticated as those of my lovely wife. And fortunately, they also offer a few very well prepared menu items that are simple and filling enough to satisfy someone with tastes as base as mine. (Yes, it's all about that base ... ) I'm sure we will be returning often, but in the future I'll be checking Ridgewood's calendar of events beforehand. 

Locale, Closter, NJ

Restaurant Link:

Locale

Lisa's Review:

Earlier this month, Fred and I visited a restaurant we have only been to once before in the summer. We were first interested in trying Locale because it is one of the few restaurants that offers outdoor seating. As you can see from this picture taken back then, the exterior is quite pretty and Mother Nature provides a beautiful ambience.

Our visit this time was in the colder month of November, so it meant a chance check out the interior and sample their Italian menu again. The front entrance is inviting and the interior attractive and well kept, but the ambience we felt outside was missing inside the restaurant. The decor was pleasant enough but on the plain side. I guess I'd say that there was nothing special inside but nothing terrible either!

For my appetizer, I ordered my usual salad which was tasty. I've noticed that many restaurants now offer a similarly constructed salad: It includes some kind of lettuce (bib or mesclun), with cheese crumbles (blue or goat), candied nuts (walnut or pistachio), dried fruit (cranberry or cherry) and a healthy dose of sherry or citrus vinaigrette. At Locale, instead of a candied nut, it was roasted walnuts, and instead of a dried fruit, it was fresh pear julienne. That's a refreshing change and it keeps some unneeded sugar out of the salad. 

I ordered wild mushroom risotto for my main course with grilled chicken breast added to it. The risotto was presented in an unexpected way, with the creamy arborio rice forming a ring around the edge of my plate, the wild mushroom gravy placed in the center, and the chicken presented on the top. The unusual presentation did give me a chance to taste the base risotto, which I felt was bland and under seasoned. However, the wild mushroom gravy in the center was rich and flavorful and more than made up for the rice. The chicken breast was nicely cooked and moist.

As an aside, if you care about having some kind of starch with your protein, it seems that it is mainly the steak or lamb dishes where this comes as part of the ordered dish. If however you order fish, chicken or veal, in most cases they are served with mixed vegetables but no starch. Alternatively, if you order a starch based meal, like the risotto, there is little protein. Fortunately, when I asked the waiter of I could have starch added to fish/chicken/veal or chicken added to risotto or pasta, the answer was yes! I realize that some readers' eyes just glazed over, but when you're counting calories and trying to eat a balanced meal...it matters!

Overall, my experience at Locale was pleasant. The service was attentive and the staff were willing to adjust orders to my needs. I recommend Locale for good Italian food and service. If you can, try to go in the summer to enjoy the outside dining atmosphere, in addition to the food. 

Fred's Review:

What Lisa didn't mention is that, on our second visit to Locale, immediately after being seated we were wished a happy anniversary by our waiter. Which struck us as a bit odd since it was not our anniversary. Had someone here incorrectly inferred this since I requested a quiet romantic table when I made the reservation (as I often do)? Or were we instead being mistaken for another couple actually celebrating their wedding anniversary? If so, then besides misappropriating their table perhaps we would soon be the unworthy recipients of all sorts of other special perks meant for them. 

For the next few minutes I couldn't help but envision a nice sweet couple who had come here for their anniversary dinner expecting to be pampered all evening by the entire restaurant staff. But now, because of us, they were instead being ignored by their waiter while sitting at some crappy table next to the restrooms. Fortunately, a glass of sparkling wine helped relieve the guilt, and then it came time to order our dinners.

Emboldened by the certainty I would not be having my cholesterol levels checked again until next year, I chose the Caesar salad, to be followed by the fettuccine carbonara. And each was delicious. The entree in particular was very tasty, especially after having it topped off with fresh ground pepper and grated cheese. The carbonara sauce was very rich and thick, as such cream sauces should be. And of course the viscosity quickly increased as the dish cooled. Fortunately, I was able to finish nearly all the fettuccine before it solidified completely. 

For some reason they, like most other Italian restaurants, include green peas in their carbonara sauce. I don't know why since, in my estimation, peas do nothing to enhance the taste or the texture of this dish. Is the intent to add a bit of color to the plate? Or maybe they believe that including some vegetables will make it healthier? Well, if so, then I think they should scrap that idea. Anyone who orders fettuccine carbonara should just accept that it is very likely the unhealthiest item on the menu, and a few green peas aren't going to change that. 

Despite skipping dessert, I was quite full by the time we finished dinner. This was not due to the portion sizes, however, which I would classify as small to medium, but rather to the heaviness of the cream sauce. Overall, it was a very nice dining experience. Except that I think the menu is rather limited in its offerings, and valet parking seemed unnecessary on our second visit considering the size of their property and the scarcity of patrons that evening. It was much busier last summer when outside seating was available on their patio. 

A Taste of Greece, River Edge, NJ

Restaurant Link:

A Taste of Greece

Fred's Review:

Before entering, I wasn't expecting much from this small BYOB restaurant, despite its great reviews. From the outside it appears to be little more than a 20 foot wide store front squeezed into a tiny shopping strip next to a dry cleaner and a bagel shop, with parked cars facing directly into its large windows. But once inside, what a pleasant surprise. Lisa and I immediately felt as if we had entered a trendy neighborhood taverna in the heart of Athens or some other Greek town. (Ok, I've never been to Greece. But this is how I would imagine such a place to be.) The entire staff was friendly and accommodating, including the exuberant owner/head chef, Themis, who came out of the open kitchen area to welcome us. 

 

Promptly after being seated, we were delivered menus, water, and an ice bucket for the wine we brought with us. When our server Stella returned several minutes later, she proceeded to recite from memory a detailed list of dinner specials almost as long as the menu itself. While Lisa of course listened intently to each mouth-watering description on that encyclopedic list, I drifted off as usual after the 2nd or 3rd item mentioned. Although I did appreciate this lengthy epicurean soliloquy as an amazing feat of mental prowess, I was distracted by the complimentary pita bread and dip that had just been placed on our table.

In addition to splitting the Greek salad that came with the entree I subsequently ordered, Lisa and I also shared an appetizer, one that I was not previously familiar with: hot feta cheese wrapped in dough and baked. Wow, that was good. After those and nearly all of the pita slices were gone, Lisa reluctantly admitted that she was already beginning to feel full. "Yes!" I thought at first. "All the rest is mine!" But my elation was short-lived. While she recovered quickly enough to finish her entire dish of grilled octopus (just as well since I seldom eat seafood), midway through dinner I realized there was no way I would be able to do the same with my enormous platter of gyro with added lamb souvlaki, which were accompanied by Greek fries and grilled veges. Much of it would be coming home with us instead, along with most of the two side dishes that Lisa had ordered. Apparently undaunted by the copious quantities of food we had already been served, Lisa then surprised me by additionally ordering a slice of baklava for us to share. The sweet, crunchy flakiness of this dessert was refreshing after what we had just feasted on. 

From beginning to end, it was a great dinner. Delicious and relatively inexpensive, especially considering the generous portion sizes. On the Belt Notch Scale that I recently created, in which I have to loosen my belt 1 notch for an average size meal, 2 notches for a larger than usual one, and 3 for an exceptionally large meal, my dinner definitely rated 3 notches. On the downside, the dining room is very small, and the tables quite close together. So I would recommend arriving, as we did, either before or after the dinner crowd, which is often sizable especially on weekends. But definitely worth a visit for those like me who have large appetites and would enjoy some good quality but reasonably priced Greek cuisine in a lively and casual setting.

Complimentary Pita bread and dip

Spicy Feta Crepe

Gyro Combo Platter

Lisa's Review:

I can see how this blog could be bad for me. I'm encouraged to try more and more restaurants in the area, and sample many items from their menus, more than I otherwise would if I was not writing a blog about it!

I agree with Fred completely about the external appearance of the restaurant. But if you turn away based on the outside appearance, you will miss the magic inside which is a combination of an inviting interior, great food and skilled staff taking care of their patrons. Speaking of skilled staff, our waitress Stella was knowledgeable and friendly. She took us through the menu and a long list of specials, checking to understand our preferences and pointing us in the direction we might enjoy most. We were also introduced to the owner and head chef, Themis. He came out from the kitchen, shook our hands and welcomed us to his restaurant. That's a rare event in my experience and very much appreciated. It's no wonder that the restaurant was full by the time we finished our early seating dinner. The place is loved by all.

As Fred mentioned, we shared a Greek salad, followed by one of the special appetizers, spicy feta cheese wrapped in a crepe. The salad was vibrant and the spicy feta crepe was a new experience that was well worth trying. While Fred seemed surprised I finished my "entire dish" of grilled octopus, I should point out that it was an appetizer portion. I'm happy I ordered an appetizer for my main course for two reasons: the first is that I was filling up fast; the second is that it was extremely tender, and I received the last available order. I have never experienced octopus that tender before! We also ordered several side dishes, including Greek lemon potatoes and grilled asparagus - both of which were huge. For desert, Fred and I split a baklava. Sometimes I find baklava overly sweet, but not this one. It was a great balance of walnuts, honey, spices and pastry.

I can't believe this Greek oasis is just a short distance from our home and that we had never tried it before. We will return without hesitation.

Greek Salad

Grilled Octopus

Grilled Asparagus with Balsamic Reduction

Lemon Potatoes - more than enough for two

Baklava