My wife and I both enjoy Greek food, so we wasted no time in trying the new Acropolis Greek Taverna (http://www.acropolistaverna.com/) close to University Town Center in Sarasota County. We were very happy with our meal, but were disappointed that they had sold out of two dishes.
The sold-out dishes were:
- Fried Kibbeh, which is a wonderful Lebanese dish made of bulghur wheat, beef (or lamb), sauteed onions, and pine nuts.
- House-made rice pudding.
(I noticed several other Levantine Arab dishes on the menu - Felafel and Baba Ghanouj, so I checked out the owner's name - Sam Waez, which I believe is Lebanese. He grew up in Greece.)
We started with an appetizer of Tzatziki and Pita Bread. It was fantastic!!! I could have eaten just that. It was $8.
My wife's main course was the Pastitsio - pasta with seasoned ground beef, with bechamel and tomato sauces and topped with feta cheese. It was very nice.
My main course was Chicken Rhodes - grilled chicken breast in a lemon white wine sauce sauteed with artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives, and topped with crumbled goat cheese for $17. It was very tasty, but the chicken was slightly overcooked. It came with two sides. I chose Mediterranean Rice and Greek Potatoes. The rice dish was a mixture of lentils and white rice. The potatoes were delicious, but the rice dish was very ordinary. I would not order it again.
My wife's drink was a Santorini Sunrise Cocktail, which was a very nice mixture of grapefruit vodka, muddled oranges, mint, honey syrup, red grapefruit, orange juice, and club soda for $9. The only reason we knew about the cocktails was the we had looked at the menu n line before going to the restaurant. When we asked our waitress for a cocktail menu, she said they did not have one. She checked to make sure.
My drink was 2015 Tsantali Naousa red wine by the glass for $8 per glass. This pleasant wine is made from Xinomavro grapes from the Macedonia area of northern Greece.
I also had a cup of Greek coffee for $3.50. It was terrific!!!!!!!!!!!!
While we were there, there was various entertainment - the servers danced a lively Greek dance, plates were broken, and hundreds of napkins were thrown in the air, landing on tables and the floor. I could do without the napkin-throwing and plate breaking. I'd think that the napkins on a tile floor might be a slipping hazard. We did enjoy the dancing.
On Friday and Saturday nights, they have live belly dancing and bouzouki music.
The menu has a number of nice-sounding dishes that I have not seen on Greek restaurant menus in the U.S.
They also have a Sunday brunch with some dishes that I'd intend to try.
Our server, Mariange, was super. She was professional with a very warm personality.
The taverna was full on the Sunday night we were there, so I'd recommend reservations.
Acropolis Greek Taverna is a chain of six restaurants, all located in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota area.
Showing posts with label Greek food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greek food. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Blu Kouzina - Nice Greek Food and Wine in Sarasota
My wife and I recently enjoyed a delightful Greek meal with friends at Blu Kouzina Greek restaurant (http://www.blukouzina.com/US/menu.html) on St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota. Since the evening temperatures were very pleasant, we sat in the open covered dining area. Not only was the food delicious, but the restaurant had an exceptional Greek wine list.
Interestingly, this restaurant is one of a pair - the other is in Singapore.
My wife had an appetizer of Dolmades Gialatzi - grape leaves stuffed with rice and with a side of Tzatziki sauce for $12.50. They were prepared the way we like, with firmer rice than one often finds with Greek grape leaves. (The style we prefer is the Levantine style, especially when it includes lamb. It's a matter of what we're used to.)
Her main course was Pastitsio - Greek macaroni with ground beef and covered with bechamel sauce for $18. She thought it was good, but not great. However, when I had her leftovers at home the following day, I thought the taste was terrific.
My main course was Paidakia Stin Shara - grilled lamb chops with mixed vegetables for $32. This dish was fantastic!!!!!! The taste of the lamb was out of this world. (For those trying to pronounce the word "Shara," the "Sh" is not pronounced like the "sh" in "share." Instead, the "sh" represents two separate consonants - "s" like the "s" in "sigma," and the "h" represents the Greek letter "χ.")
For desert, my wife had Greek rice pudding, which she thought was nice, for $8.
I had the Galaktoboureko, custard in a crispy phyllo shell, for $10. It was really delicious.
The wine I chose was a Domaine Mercouri Letrini (red) which is 85% Refosco grapes and 15% Mavrodaphne, for $56. Domaine Mercouri is an interesting winery that produces a nice set of wines. It is in the western Peloponnese not far from Olympia. It was founded by a member of the Mercouri family in 1864, and has been run by the family since. The founder had worked for the Cunard Lines. We visited the winery several years ago while on a cruise. The winery is near the port of Katakolon. We managed to visit both the winery and Olympia on the same day. Our outing was made very easy by our local driver, George Letsios, whom I would highly recommend.
The restaurant's wine list is superb. It has about 52 wines, of which all are Greek except for a couple of sparkling wines. For those not familiar with the current state of Greek wine production, the quality has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades.
In addition to the Domaine Mercouri wines, I would recommend the Domaine Sigalas, from Santorini, and the Skouras and Alpha Estate wines. I am sure there are other nice ones as well.
Another nice feature of Blu Kouzina is that their superb olive oil comes from their family estate in Greece.
Our server, Martina, was very nice.
Interestingly, this restaurant is one of a pair - the other is in Singapore.
My wife had an appetizer of Dolmades Gialatzi - grape leaves stuffed with rice and with a side of Tzatziki sauce for $12.50. They were prepared the way we like, with firmer rice than one often finds with Greek grape leaves. (The style we prefer is the Levantine style, especially when it includes lamb. It's a matter of what we're used to.)
Her main course was Pastitsio - Greek macaroni with ground beef and covered with bechamel sauce for $18. She thought it was good, but not great. However, when I had her leftovers at home the following day, I thought the taste was terrific.
My main course was Paidakia Stin Shara - grilled lamb chops with mixed vegetables for $32. This dish was fantastic!!!!!! The taste of the lamb was out of this world. (For those trying to pronounce the word "Shara," the "Sh" is not pronounced like the "sh" in "share." Instead, the "sh" represents two separate consonants - "s" like the "s" in "sigma," and the "h" represents the Greek letter "χ.")
For desert, my wife had Greek rice pudding, which she thought was nice, for $8.
I had the Galaktoboureko, custard in a crispy phyllo shell, for $10. It was really delicious.
The wine I chose was a Domaine Mercouri Letrini (red) which is 85% Refosco grapes and 15% Mavrodaphne, for $56. Domaine Mercouri is an interesting winery that produces a nice set of wines. It is in the western Peloponnese not far from Olympia. It was founded by a member of the Mercouri family in 1864, and has been run by the family since. The founder had worked for the Cunard Lines. We visited the winery several years ago while on a cruise. The winery is near the port of Katakolon. We managed to visit both the winery and Olympia on the same day. Our outing was made very easy by our local driver, George Letsios, whom I would highly recommend.
The restaurant's wine list is superb. It has about 52 wines, of which all are Greek except for a couple of sparkling wines. For those not familiar with the current state of Greek wine production, the quality has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades.
In addition to the Domaine Mercouri wines, I would recommend the Domaine Sigalas, from Santorini, and the Skouras and Alpha Estate wines. I am sure there are other nice ones as well.
Another nice feature of Blu Kouzina is that their superb olive oil comes from their family estate in Greece.
Our server, Martina, was very nice.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Chutney's Sarasota - A Dining Paradise
There are most restaurants, and then there are extraordinary restaurants like Chutney's of Sarasota, which serves Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian and other cuisines. It is not easy to serve such diverse cuisines, but Chutney's does it remarkably well. It is run by husband and wife team - Ash Shukla and Denise May, and has been a fixture of the Sarasota restaurant scene for some 27 years. We have not met her, but he is the perfect restaurateur - charming, gregarious, creative, customer-focused, etc., etc.
We had not eaten there for a number of years, but decided to try it last night when we were in the area of Sarasota Memorial Hospital for a late-afternoon doctor's appointment. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Every morsel was superb, and the wine was very nice.
Most of what we had were specials for the day. It was very hard to chose because there were so many delicious-sounding dishes.
My wife started with the Greek salad that came with her meal. This "Greek Salad" was the Americanized version of Greek salad because it had lettuce, which one does not find in true Greek salads.
I had bowl of Persian spinach and lemon soup. Its ingredients included split peas, turmeric, onion, and pomegranate. Every spoonful was superb. The pomegranate added a very nice sweetness that complemented the other ingredients.
We both chose the same main course - Bo Bo Tie, a South African dish which dates to the 17th Century, and whose origins are in Indonesia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie). Early versions were made with mutton or pork. Later versions with beef or lamb. The version we had was with ground breast of chicken.
It is a mild dish with a nice mixture of spices. Its ingredients included ground breast of chicken, madras curry spices, milk, and panko bread crumbs. It was topped with a mango chutney. It was fantastic. The consistency was that of a meat loaf.
As an accompaniment to the Bo Bo Tie, we both had cranberry rice pilaf, whose ingredients included rice, dried cranberries, cashews, and sautéed onions. It too was superb.
The Bo Bo Tie, Cranberry Pilaf, and Salad were $21.95. The servings were huge.
We had a very nice red wine with our dinner - Marchesi Biscardo Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso for $42. The retail store price of this wine is about $23, so $42 is a very reasonable restaurant price. Mr. Shukla spent a generous amount of his time discussing some of his wines, and his philosophy of reasonable pricing of those wines. We really enjoyed chatting with him. We watched him as he managed to devote attention to all of his diners. It was clear that a number of the diners were repeat customers, who loved Chutney's and felt very much at home there.
The pita bread served with our meal was very nice, not like the faux pita sold in supermarkets.
We took home a dessert- a New Orleans bourbon bread pudding, for $6. Like all of the other dishes we had, it was marvelous - sinfully rich. It seemed similar to one I have made (http://viaggiviniecucine.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-orleans-bread-pudding-with-bourbon.html)
One nice feature of the Chutney's menu is that diners can create multi-course Middle Eastern or Indian entrées.
The owners close for a month each year to travel and enjoy other cuisines. This year, they traveled to Italy and spent time in Umbria around Lake Trasimeno. We discussed Umbria and Tuscany with Mr. Shukla.
We highly recommend Chutney's and intend not to wait so long before returning.
Chutney's is located at 1944 Hillview St. Phone 941-954-4444. They do both lunch and dinner. I recommend making reservations.
We had not eaten there for a number of years, but decided to try it last night when we were in the area of Sarasota Memorial Hospital for a late-afternoon doctor's appointment. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Every morsel was superb, and the wine was very nice.
Most of what we had were specials for the day. It was very hard to chose because there were so many delicious-sounding dishes.
My wife started with the Greek salad that came with her meal. This "Greek Salad" was the Americanized version of Greek salad because it had lettuce, which one does not find in true Greek salads.
I had bowl of Persian spinach and lemon soup. Its ingredients included split peas, turmeric, onion, and pomegranate. Every spoonful was superb. The pomegranate added a very nice sweetness that complemented the other ingredients.
We both chose the same main course - Bo Bo Tie, a South African dish which dates to the 17th Century, and whose origins are in Indonesia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie). Early versions were made with mutton or pork. Later versions with beef or lamb. The version we had was with ground breast of chicken.
It is a mild dish with a nice mixture of spices. Its ingredients included ground breast of chicken, madras curry spices, milk, and panko bread crumbs. It was topped with a mango chutney. It was fantastic. The consistency was that of a meat loaf.
As an accompaniment to the Bo Bo Tie, we both had cranberry rice pilaf, whose ingredients included rice, dried cranberries, cashews, and sautéed onions. It too was superb.
The Bo Bo Tie, Cranberry Pilaf, and Salad were $21.95. The servings were huge.
We had a very nice red wine with our dinner - Marchesi Biscardo Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso for $42. The retail store price of this wine is about $23, so $42 is a very reasonable restaurant price. Mr. Shukla spent a generous amount of his time discussing some of his wines, and his philosophy of reasonable pricing of those wines. We really enjoyed chatting with him. We watched him as he managed to devote attention to all of his diners. It was clear that a number of the diners were repeat customers, who loved Chutney's and felt very much at home there.
The pita bread served with our meal was very nice, not like the faux pita sold in supermarkets.
We took home a dessert- a New Orleans bourbon bread pudding, for $6. Like all of the other dishes we had, it was marvelous - sinfully rich. It seemed similar to one I have made (http://viaggiviniecucine.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-orleans-bread-pudding-with-bourbon.html)
One nice feature of the Chutney's menu is that diners can create multi-course Middle Eastern or Indian entrées.
The owners close for a month each year to travel and enjoy other cuisines. This year, they traveled to Italy and spent time in Umbria around Lake Trasimeno. We discussed Umbria and Tuscany with Mr. Shukla.
We highly recommend Chutney's and intend not to wait so long before returning.
Chutney's is located at 1944 Hillview St. Phone 941-954-4444. They do both lunch and dinner. I recommend making reservations.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Apollonia Mediterranean Grill - Delicious Greek Food
My wife and I have enjoyed at least three meals at Apollonia Mediterranean Grill (http://www.apolloniagrill.com/) near Lakewood Ranch. On one occasion, we celebrated my sister's birthday, and on two other occasions, we had lunch with the same three wonderful friends. We loved just about everything there except the dolmades, the stuffed grape leave, which were good, but not terrific. The bottom line is that like Apollonia and plan to return.
(We are probably not quite fair in our judgment of the dolmades - grape leaves stuffed with rice and sometimes meat, and generally covered with avgolemono (egg lemon) sauce. The Apollonia version was stuffed with rice and beef and dill. The leaves were poorly wrapped around the rice and the rice was not firm.
We prefer the Levantine-style stuffed grape leaves with lamb and firm rice, and with the leaves tightly wrapped. We have had this type many times and love it.)
At our most recent lunch with our three friends, my wife had the dolmades as an appetizer for $8.99. Her main course was the gyro sandwich with gyro lamb in grilled pita with onions, tomatoes, and arugula, and french fries for $11.99. Her sandwich was delicious.
I had the Gyro Platter for $13.99. It was very nice.
For dessert, she had Tiramisu for $7 and I had Galactoboureco - phyllo dough, custard, and honey -for $6. Both were excellent.
My wife enjoyed a glass of white sangria for $7.50 and I had Saint George Agiorgitiko wine for $10 per glass. Both were excellent. Agiorgitiko is the most planted type of grape in Greece. On its menu, Apollonia misspells Agiorgitiko.
At my sister's birthday, my sister and I both ordered the braised lamb shank with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables ($20 each). It comes with a choice of soup or salad. She chose a salad and I chose a soup - chicken, lemon, and rice. My wife had the "Classic Combo" - Moussaka, Pasticcio, Spanakopita, and house-made dolmades. She also had the salad.
Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious except the dolmades, which were decent.
The soup was out of this world, and the lamb was fantastic.
For dessert, my sister and I had the galactoboureco ($4) and my wife had the house-made rice pudding ($3). All were very nice.
The wine I chose was Atlantis Red ($10 per glass) from Estate Argyros on the island of Santorini. When I asked the waitress what type of grape was used in the wine, she checked and said it was Malbec. That surprised me because I was unfamiliar with any Greek use of Malbec, which tends to be used primarily in South American reds. I later checked the Estate Argyros web site (http://www.estate-argyros.com/Atlantis-red.html) and learned that this wine is made from 90% Mandilaria grapes and 10% Mavrotragano. The wine was decent.
Two of us had the Greek coffee ($2.50). It was delicious.
The bottom line is that Apollonia is a very nice addition to the local dining scene.
(We are probably not quite fair in our judgment of the dolmades - grape leaves stuffed with rice and sometimes meat, and generally covered with avgolemono (egg lemon) sauce. The Apollonia version was stuffed with rice and beef and dill. The leaves were poorly wrapped around the rice and the rice was not firm.
We prefer the Levantine-style stuffed grape leaves with lamb and firm rice, and with the leaves tightly wrapped. We have had this type many times and love it.)
At our most recent lunch with our three friends, my wife had the dolmades as an appetizer for $8.99. Her main course was the gyro sandwich with gyro lamb in grilled pita with onions, tomatoes, and arugula, and french fries for $11.99. Her sandwich was delicious.
I had the Gyro Platter for $13.99. It was very nice.
For dessert, she had Tiramisu for $7 and I had Galactoboureco - phyllo dough, custard, and honey -for $6. Both were excellent.
My wife enjoyed a glass of white sangria for $7.50 and I had Saint George Agiorgitiko wine for $10 per glass. Both were excellent. Agiorgitiko is the most planted type of grape in Greece. On its menu, Apollonia misspells Agiorgitiko.
At my sister's birthday, my sister and I both ordered the braised lamb shank with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables ($20 each). It comes with a choice of soup or salad. She chose a salad and I chose a soup - chicken, lemon, and rice. My wife had the "Classic Combo" - Moussaka, Pasticcio, Spanakopita, and house-made dolmades. She also had the salad.
Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious except the dolmades, which were decent.
The soup was out of this world, and the lamb was fantastic.
For dessert, my sister and I had the galactoboureco ($4) and my wife had the house-made rice pudding ($3). All were very nice.
The wine I chose was Atlantis Red ($10 per glass) from Estate Argyros on the island of Santorini. When I asked the waitress what type of grape was used in the wine, she checked and said it was Malbec. That surprised me because I was unfamiliar with any Greek use of Malbec, which tends to be used primarily in South American reds. I later checked the Estate Argyros web site (http://www.estate-argyros.com/Atlantis-red.html) and learned that this wine is made from 90% Mandilaria grapes and 10% Mavrotragano. The wine was decent.
Two of us had the Greek coffee ($2.50). It was delicious.
The bottom line is that Apollonia is a very nice addition to the local dining scene.
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