Posts Tagged ‘Greek’

Freska Mediterranean Grill

Sunday, March 5th, 2017

20170220_113211Freska Mediterranean Grill is a decent outpost of Greek food outside of downtown.

What I mean is that I mostly enjoyed everything I ordered, though many items fell just shy of perfection. For example, the chicken in the chicken shawarma ($6.99) was dry, but fortunately it was saved by all the components, including the soft, grilled wheat pita, the creamy tabouleh and the fresh veggies. The red pepper aioli gave it more depth.

Meanwhile, the lamb in my lamb gyro ($6.99) was tasty but was barely room temperature. Still, it’s a pretty worthy gyro, and the tzatziki sauce certainly complemented, not overpowered, the flavor.

I also tried a few of the sides. The falafel (four pieces for $3.95) is extra crunchy and topped with a super thick tahini sauce. They came out of a warmer, so they weren’t as fresh as they could be.

20170227_113447The spinach pie ($5.50) was the only item I got that didn’t have a flaw. It’s a generous piece that’s flaky, soft, warm, not overly spinachy and the exact right amount of cheese.

Other menu items include kebabs, salads and soups. All the items are served assembly line-style.

Freska Mediterranean Grill is open every day for lunch, dinner and carryout.

Freska Mediterranean Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Vasilis’ Take Five

Saturday, July 7th, 2012

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.

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