TASTY GRILL EARNS ITS NAME

A Taste of Whitestone sparked my palate with the various cuisines that the May 2 event was offering.  I was quite impressed with the spread that Tasty Grill laid out of Greek appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, fries and even dessert.  As co-owner Nick Condomanolis was setting up I asked him about the quantity of food being much more than a “taste.”  He told me that he wanted everyone to enjoy and hoped there would be none left.  I guess that’s one of the best ways to advertise to the 300 people who showed up. Alexi Varveris is the other owner. 

 

Having to limit the amount of food from the more than 20 vendors, I only grabbed a chicken gyro from Tasty Grill leading me to search out the restaurant, sample much of the menu and have the leftovers to go.  

Entering, I first saw David Rosario slicing off meat from one of three gyros.  Those pleasant food aromas were in the air.  I got the low down about each.  Chicken gyro and pork gyro are prepared on the premises.  Chicken is marinated in salt, pepper, yogurt, mustard, dill and oregano.   Pork gets some cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, thyme and olive oil.   The third is one made of beef and lamb that is already marinated.   Aside from the tender and flavorful meat, the sandwich comes with the usual as accompaniments as well as and added French fries.  I chose to simply sample a plate of all three bare that came with their restaurant made tzatziki sauce.  

Continuing into the seating area, I then saw a rotisserie oven that was cooking a number of chickens. As it turns out, they also prepare bbq St. Louis ribs.  You can get a plate with half a chicken and half rack of fall-off-the – bone ribs.  I did and highly enjoyed the few bites of each with the rest “to go.”  

Looking around I noticed that the walls were filled with framed photos and art that depicted Greece, mostly in the area of Cyprus. Walking further, I spotted the outdoor cafe dining area. 

Time to peruse the menu and ask questions.  I like to find out exactly what is in the food, if it is made from scratch in the restaurant , and how it is prepared. 

I don’t request octopus too often because many places tend to serve it “chewy.”  Nick told me that they get the fresh octopus and marinade it in wine and vinegar then oven bake for about two hours.  When ordered, the pieces are then grilled.  Yes, it did come out tender and delectable. 

As I continued to browse the bill of fare, I noticed that there were three different cheeses, two of which are served grilled.  Haloumi cheese – Semi-hard unripened brine cheese made of a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk and sometimes cow’s milk and has a high melting point. Kefalograviera cheese is a hard cheese that can substitute for the Italian Asiago.  The other is the Greek staple of Feta cheese with its crumbly texture. 

Cheese Pie is one of the starters on the menu.  It contains feta, Kefalograviera, cream cheese, and ricotta cheese.  The pie crust alone is rich and flaky. With the combination of cheeses, I would call this the utmost flavorful substitute for mac and cheese.  Excellent for breakfast and served in two large triangles.  One of many sharing ideas of which would go great with one of their salads or one that you can choose your own ingredients.  

Spinach Pie is another Greek staple and had to indulge. This is made with both the spinach and feta cheese on the inside, baked in that thin crispy phyllo dough, topping it off with crumbled feta cheese. 

Tasty Grill may want to compete in the next Chicken Soup Cookoff with their Avgolemono soup made with their own chicken broth, celery, onions, carrots, lemon juice, eggs and pieces of chicken. 

“Do you want fries with that?”  How about a Greek version that are lightly beer battered and topped with oregano and crumbled feta?   

Chicken wings are always a good seller, especially when they are meaty and savory.  I had to try them in a sweet bbq sauce as I didn’t want anything too peppery.  Thumbs up on this.

There were other items that I passed up, such as burgers, skirt steak, sweet potato fries and grilled veggies.  Oh well, there’s always another time.  

Four desserts were available: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheese Cake; Manhattan Truffle (ice cream based with cherries in the middle, cookies bottom, surrounded by hard shelled chocolate); Amaretto Truffle (ice cream based and covered with nuts); and Baklava. Although I love nuts, they don’t appear to love me.  However, I did indulge in the portion that had the phyllo dough and honey.  Buttery, flaky and not overly sweet.  

Georgia Savva, had been serving me throughout this tantalizing adventure.  She is also the barista and asked if I wanted coffee.  I requested a cappuccino. When asked if I wanted sugar in it I said, “On no, I’m on a diet.”  She did laugh and did have a bit of sugar in it.   It was a perfectly executed cappuccino.   I so love the aroma and taste of coffee, but alas…I know that it doesn’t love me.  Doesn’t matter when I have it, caf or decaf, I think it might be the acid.  I keep a bag of ground coffee in the house just so I can open and waft it. 

Now, here’s the 101.  Tasty Grill is located at 14-22 150^th Street.  Tel: 718-767-7200.  Open Mon – Sunday from 11:30 am to 9:00 pm.  Street Parking and Wheelchair accessible.

GYRO GRILL OFFERS FINE DINING FARE AT A TAKE-OUT RESTAURANT

Gyro, a Greek staple, is prepared with pork, chicken or a combination of lamb and beef.  Slices of the seasoned raw meat are placed upon a thick skewer which is on a vertical rotisserie.   In the case of lamb and beef, the meat is layered in an alternative manner to get the best flavor of the combination.  Most times a slab of fat is placed on the top in order to give moisture as it cooks.  The process involves making sure that there are no gaps in this cone shaped Greek staple.  Louis J. Amorim, owner of Gyro Grill, said, “We get our meat, which is a mixture of beef and lamb, put it in a dough mixer with our seasonings, and mix it until it’s fully blended. We then make softball size balls of meat, flatten it and put it on the stick and repeat the process until we feel it is the right size.”

 

Slices of the cooked meat are then plated with the outside pieces being most well done and the gyro continuing to revolve and cook.  Gyro is usually served in a sandwich of pita bread, onions, and tomatoes.  Tzatziki sauce made of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic and herbs is the accompaniment.   Some places use sour cream instead of yogurt. 

Beef and Lamb

 Chicken Gyro

It is not often that a fine dining restaurant will go through the “from scratch” process and less often that a “take-out” eatery will spend the time and effort, especially with a large bill of fare.  I have recently found one such restaurant in Rego Park, Gyro Grill, located at 63-02 Woodhaven Blvd.  You can eat there at one of about 4 tables with food served in their container to go.   This is not your average food and would best be served at your own dining room table and plated out.  

Who are the chefs?  “My mother- in-law, Kaity Markou, and my father- in-law, Petros Markou, said Amorim. “They were born in Greece and came to the U.S. in 2000.”  When it comes down to recipes, the best way he could explain it is by trial and error. “A perfect example is when I went to my mother- in-law’s apartment one day. As I was walking in the hallway, all you could smell was this tasty sweet aroma of chocolate. I walk in the apartment, which leads you into the dining room and all I could see were trays and trays of red velvet cupcakes.

Food Network was playing in the background.  Kaity was aggravated because she has been playing with this recipe for red velvet cake, but each tray just didn't meet her standards. She was about to throw out all these poor delicious red velvet cupcakes in the garbage and I almost had a heart attack.”

On the basis of this story, she and Petros, who had already been in the restaurant business,  just kept meddling with recipes from others until it became their own version of a perfect meal or cake or grilled octopus or lamb chops. Like Amorim said “Trial and error that they tweaked a great deal.”

Getting back to the food, Souvlaki is small chunks of seasoned meat, either chicken, lamb or pork, that is placed on a wooden skewer and grilled.  Many people tend to have it with French fries but having it with lemon potatoes can just add to the flavor.  Bifteki is seasoned ground beef rolled and grilled.  Sort of like a hamburger with seasoning.   Gyro and souvlaki can be purchased as a sandwich or platter. 

 Chicken Souvlaki

Bifteki

For instance, I opted for a platter of gyro which came with a few choices, one of which was grilled vegetables consisting of mushrooms, yellow and green squash, and sweet peppers.  A second item (salad) came with it of which I opted for a small Greek salad.  I usually don’t put the price but for about $17 of which you get all this tasty food…what can I say?

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Moussaka and Pastichio are my tests.  Moussaka is kind of like having a ground beef and eggplant parmesan but with a lot more work that goes into it.   Sliced potatoes line the bottom of the baking dish.  I have heard that this is done to allow the fat to drain onto it but not necessarily eating it afterward.  However, if you either use a relatively lean ground beef or saute and drain prior to adding to the entrée, the potatoes absorb a good amount of the flavor.  

Gyro Grill uses both eggplant and green squash. The vegetables are sauted, placed on top of the potatoes and then a layer of the meat sauce (not a “meat flavored”) is placed on this.  A béchamel sauce is layered on the top and then the whole thing is baked.   Bechamel is a white sauce consisting of flour, butter, milk, to which depending upon the use, parmesan cheese may be added.  In this case, it is. 

Pastichio resembles more like lasagna where ground beef tops the pasta and béchamel sauce is layered on the top and baked.  There are seasonings added to both the Moussaka and Pastichio that give the Greek flavor.   I was totally impressed with both, especially having prepared these items from scratch (I do cook). 

Greek salad here consists of:  stuffed grape leaves, whole olives, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, red peppers, sliced red onions and romaine lettuce.  I noticed that they do not use the cheaper lettuce. 

Lemon Potatoes are not just boiled potatoes sprinkled with lemon.  The potatoes are cooked in a soup base and fresh squeezed lemon is added.  In fact, most likely you will get a wedge of lemon with just about everything you order.

My biggest surprise was the grilled octopus that was not “chewy” but soft and savory.  I don’t know how they do it! 

Avgolemo is a Greek Lemon Chicken Soup. Chunks of chicken, orzo and carrots are added to the soup. Then the lemon juice is squeezed into it. Not overwhelmed with lemon. I’m hoping that they compete in this year’s Chicken Soup Cookoff. 

Spanakopita is a spinach pie made with spinach, eggs and feta cheese using phyllo dough.  What a great breakfast or brunch idea for me and Popeye.  

  

For those of you that are more “vegetarians,” Gyro Grill offers falafel, basically made from ground chickpeas and spices such as garlic, parsley, scallions and lemon, then rolled into a ball and deep fried.  They are usually served with pita bread and tahini dressing or tzatziki.  For about $13 you can get this as a platter which (as all platters) comes with a choice of 1 side dish (lemon potatoes; rice; mixed vegetables; grilled vegetables +2.00; sweet potato +2.00) and choice of 1 side salad (garden; caesar; greek). 

Tahini dressing is basically a paste made from ground sesame seeds.  Hummus is a combination of both tahini and chick peas.  Both tend to have garlic in it.   I did not find either to be overridden with garlic.  I used some leftover tahini sauce to cook a batch of chicken wings.  

Baklavah is a standard Greek and Mediterranean dessert.  Ground walnuts are used in their recipe for this sweet dessert made in phyllo dough.  The use of a combination of a sugar syrup and honey make it just sweet enough for the palate.   

There is no dancing at Gyro Grill or plates to break!   You are welcome to take out the food, bring it home and celebrate however you want to.  Opa!

AGORA, ASTORIA’S GREEK RIVAL

One unpleasing Greek restaurant in Forest Hills doesn’t spoil it for another.  In fact, Agora Taverna residing at 70-09 Austin Street may surpass many of the eateries located in Astoria.  Astoria has long been known for having a large Greek neighborhood, thus markets, restaurants and bars to sample the cuisine.   Total authenticity and freshness reigns at this great lunch and dinner spot.   Having a location on the corner allows for some outdoor café space as well as large windows to bring in the air when it’s the proper temperature.  

To learn even more about Greek products I went to Krinos, the manufacturer of Greek food and distributor for many of the imported ones.  That’s another story.  I was more curious as to whether some of the Greek restaurants made their own rendition with all of the ingredients and none from a jar or can.

Peter Mastoros is the owner of Agora Taverna and an accomplished chef as well.  He said that he prides himself on having a restaurant that focuses on fresh seafood and a cuisine that he learned growing up in Greece. 

Put your boasting where your mouth is and let’s sample the menu as I begin with the famous Avgolemono, Greek Chicken Soup.   Mmmm…I detect chicken broth, “pulled” white meat chicken, Greek Orzo and lemon.  

Must try the spreads.  Peter tells me that they are all made without prior preparation.  They area called “spreads” for a reason.  “Tarama”, as it is stated on the menu, consisted of red caviar (he buys the caviar), olive oil, lemon and bread all processed together.  

Skordalia is basically potatoes, garlic and almonds.   Not being a garlic eater, it wasn’t my favorite.  However, I did taste it one a piece of pita bread and it’s a thumbs up.  Pass me the water.

Tzatziki is another garlic delight.  It’s more of a sauce made from yogurt and cucumbers.  Great for topping gyros and kebabs.  

Melitzanosalta consisted of roasted eggplant and herbs, none of which is garlic.   Loved this one.

Ktipiti is made with Holland peppers and feta cheese.  I also detect some hot peppers as well.   Although I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor, “hot” is not my thing.  Not hot enough to “pass me the milk”.   

Roasted beets were quite surprising in that they did not have the “root” taste.  Excellent choice of spices such as dill to enhance it and just a touch of garlic.  If I didn’t ask, I wouldn’t have noticed.

Now here is one for the apps.  Agora Chips.  Instead of indulging in freshly made fried potato chips, they use extremely thin slices of zucchini, eggplant and kefalograviera cheese.  Bet you can’t eat just 10!  

Speaking of kefalograviera cheese, Saganaki is the pan fried version.  I found the cheese to be quite mild and not salty as I did when I sampled the feta cheese that topped the Greek Salad.

Peter said that the saltiness of the cheese depends on the quality.  I guess quality is important here.  The Greek salad had some of the most delicious vine ripe tomatoes going.  Onions, cucumbers, green bell pepper and a perfect dressing to enhance the produce….do I detect fresh oregano?   

Grilled Octopus.  OMG.  Grilling alone made it savory.  Cooked perfectly…not chewy or overly soft.   Could make for a great meat substitute.  No bones about it.  

There is quite a difference between the sardines that come out of a can and ones that are fresh from the Mediterranean.  They are not “packed” or tiny.  With a choice of fried or broiled I opted for fried.  Bone down the middle and with the right seasoning, as done here, there certainly isn’t any “fishy” taste.  

Speaking of bones…out came a whole Branzini imported from Greece.  It was not deboned but cut open to allow the fish to be broiled inside with capers atop.  The skin is seasoned and a must to enjoy.   I had a vegetable that I had never eaten before called Horta.  These particular dark greens had a consistency of a “bok choy”.  Not bitter at all.  Cooked just soft enough.  Herbs, spices, or whatever was added gave a perfect flavor pairing with the Branzini.  A dry Greek white wine was a great choice. 

Did I save room for dessert?  Is the Pope Catholic?  Does skordalia have garlic?  “Sometimes you feel like a nut….”.   All of the desserts are made in house as well.  There were two desserts with nuts, one of which is the famous Baklava.   Phyllo dough, walnuts, honey, sugar, cinnamon.  That thin Phyllo on top is crunchy with the bottom soaking in a combination of Greek honey and sugar.  Walnuts just soft enough to chew as if it were a meat.   

   

Ekmek delivers a layer of shredded phyllo dough that builds with pistachios, custard, whipped cream and topped with more pistachios.  It is certainly not a one-step process.  I found it less sugary sweet than the Baklava or “sometimes you don’t” Galactoboureko, a dessert using a milk farina custard wrapped in phyllo with cinnamon and powdered sugar. 

Say “Opa”, have a glass of ouzo, listen to the music, but don’t even attempt to break a plate as the food will defy Agora Taverna as an upscale restaurant, not a “joint”.   

www.agorataverna.com