The formerly plain and mediocre gastätte here has been transformed into an absolutely fantastic and…read morecharming little greek restaurant. Definitely make a reservation or eat early, especially towards the end of the week or on the weekend, it's already popular.
The interior is both modern and homey at the same time, and both the big and little touches are well done. Everything is spot on from the lighting (bright enough to read the menu, but also gentle enough to be relaxing), to the seating (even the wooden benches have been made comfortable with just the right amount of cushions), to the decorations (casual but classy, no oversized murals of the Acropolis). Just a really nice little place to sit down for a casual meal, but also classy enough for a date or to meet friends or colleagues for a semi-casual meal.
Service has been solid for both our meals as well; there is only one waitress that we've seen, but she's both friendly and efficient even with the restaurant mostly full, so no issues at all there. Once the spring rolls around and they open the patio, we assume they'll bring on a second person to handle that, but for now the one waitress is covering the place perfectly well.
Most importantly, the food is really quite good; if this isn't the best greek place in the area, it's easily in the running. The only appetizer we've tried so far (and the list is long enough to make your own tapas-style meal if you want) is the bruschetta. You might not think that you can excel at bruschetta, but you'd be wrong. No burnt toast or overly-dressed tomatoes smothered in feta here, just freshly sliced and perfectly toasted baguette topped with lightly dressed tomatoes and a sprinkle of feta. The grilled pork chop (a special) was simple, but perfectly cooked and dressed with a splash of lemon and herbs, and if anchovies are your thing then the Gavros (very lightly battered and fried) is a good choice. The Souvlaki was also simple, but the pork was flavorful and not over-cooked, and the rice is deliciously buttery. So far my personal favorite has been the Exohiko, a pork stew with potatoes that was outstanding, and not too heavy despite being a stew (of sorts). Plenty of perfectly cooked and flavorful pork chunks, and a white-wine broth that was delicious without overpowering the other flavors.
Our only regret is that we only have so much stomach space, and it is going to take us a lot of visits to try everything on the menu that looks good...
