In April, Vasilis’ Take Five took over the space once occupied by the Corner Store on Willy Street. I think it’s a nice addition to the neighborhood, and with friendly service and tasty Greek food, it has a chance to succeed.
Let’s start with the staple, the lamb gyro ($5 at lunch, $7 at dinner). I liked the slightly grilled pita, the tender meat and the fresh tomatoes. The cucumber sauce was milder than I would like, and the gyro was topped with red onions instead of white (not necessarily a bad thing). I would rate this gyro higher, but I have to say that I am biased: I know that owner Vasilis Kallias also ran the Mercury Cafe, and those gyros were better in my opinion.
To this plate I added the house side salad ($3, $4), which was surprisingly good. It had just the right amount of onion, feta, cucumbers and tomatoes. I love a lot of dressing on my salads, and this one was doused in vinaigrette, though I realize not everyone shares this affinity.
I also added the house-cut fries ($2, $3) to my plate. They seemed to need some kind of seasoning, but they were just fine otherwise. The rest of the menu–which is quite small–includes items such as Greek fisherman’s shrimp ($9, $15) and braised lamb shank ($10, $15).
Take Five also has a full bar. I ordered a flavored martini from the long list of martinis, and it was very sweet and refreshing on a hot day, but it wasn’t worth $8 for such a small serving.
My server, by the way, was super friendly and attentive. That was good, because I came in annoyed since the staff had forgotten to unlock the front door when they opened, and I had to frantically get someone’s attention.
Although the website says reservations recommended, you probably don’t need one unless you have a large group. In fact, while I was there, a person called to reserve a table for three, and the server said it’s just first come, first serve. Take Five is open Mon-Sat for lunch, dinner and carryout.
