Last week, Meg, Mackenzi and I hosted our bi-monthly Queens Blogger Social, and this one was in one of my favorite Modern Greek eateries, Ovelia. I haven't been to Ovelia in a while, and therefore I was totally craving their food, including lamb, veggies and their sweets too.
Putting on quite the feast for us, Ovelia provided a fabulous menu, tailored just to us, including shared appetizers, a personalized entree and once again, family-style dessert. Here are some newbies I tried:
Salads - We started with two types of salads, including the village salad, which was Ovelia's take on the Greek salad, as well as the Prasini, with lettuce, dill, scallions, simply dressed with oil and vinegar. I liked both, but preferred the latter, as it was super refreshing, and the dill added an earthy, clean - almost surprising - flavor. It was extra delicious when paired with the triangular pieces of warmed, spiced pita, set at the table.
Grilled Kalamari - Even though this is a staple at Greek restaurants, I've never yet had it here, and it definitely delivered. The squid was cooked perfectly and boasted a slightly charred exterior, which I loved. I liked to see that the pieces were significantly sized, and once again, it was nice to couple this dish with the warm pita. It even made for good leftovers the next day, which is a sign of good quality seafood.
Kontosouvli - This in my opinion was the piece-de-resistance - a slow roasted rotisserie pork, which looked and tasted as if it came right off the spit. It was great to see that its texture was tender on the inside with a really juicy bite, while the outside was a tad crunchy and just like the kalamari, also slightly charred. You can eat as much or as little as you wanted, since the meat was sliced into small cubes, which was good enough for a tasting or indulging in several bites.
Loukomades - A sweetly scrumptious finish to this meal came in the form of mini honeyed doughnuts with a fabulously light middle. Besides being glazed with honey, the loukomades were topped with gooey nutella as well as vanilla ice cream. Creating our own Greek Sunday if you will, you could also layer the chopped almonds on top, which were respectfully served on the side in the event of someone having a nut allergy.
Beer - In addition to all the food, we also indulged in a special tasting of Singlecut Beer from the new brewery, opening up next month. Our friend and fellow We Heart Astoria contributor, Andrew brought in a few samples of it for everyone to try, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I got to taste a bit of their lager as well as a darker beer that was almost like a stout. I enjoyed the latter more, as it had a hearty (almost coffee) flavor that totally agrees with fall. Looking forward to the day the brewery opens, I'm sure there will be lots more delicious brewskis to sample.
Service and Cost:
Not only was our server totally on point and really lovely, everyone else treated us with tons of hospitality and attention. I really felt that we were taken care of very well, all our dishes coming out in good time and our every wish and need fulfilled - and then some.
Costs are moderate to inexpensive and the entire dinner I just mentioned set us back about $40 per person, including tax and tip.Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.ovelia-ny.com
With our friend Moses in town last week, we were all excited to get together and give him a piece of what he's been missing in Astoria while living in Portland. Being that he's Greek and naturally an expert on Greek cuisine, I thought it'd be fun to try Thymari, given that he loved its predecessor, Philoxenia.
Overall, the experience was fun and memorable because it was a nice get-together between great friends, but some of the food left something to be desired. Not all of it, but still some of it proved to be a work in progress for most of us.
Atmosphere:
Not changing things around too much from its predecessor, we saw this as a good thing, as the large, spacious dining room remained, along with all its modern furnishings. The exposed brick walls and wooden beams are wonderfully rustic and convey a cozy vibe that somehow reminds me of the islands, especially with the open windows giving off a nice breeze from the outside. The lighting is soft and atmospheric, and I could see how it can create an intimate vibe for couples.
Besides the interior dining room, there's also a small sidewalk space outside you can enjoy, but I think the inside is a lot more charming and special. It feels more Greeky!
Food:
Since we were really in the mood to enjoy a true Greek-style dinner, we ordered a few mezedes and shared everything. I love doing this because I love Greek food and also enjoy tasting a whole lot of things including dips, meats, seafood, veggies and other specialties. My dining companions were totally on-board.
Pikilia - A sampling of different dips such as tzatziki, melitzanosalata, tyrokafteri and skordalia, it was a nice way to start the meal but it wasn't some of the best stuff I've had in Astoria. I thought the tzatziki and the melitzanosalata were delicious, garlicky and fresh, but the skordalia and the tyrokafteri were just so so and a bit bland. They didn't really differentiate themselves from the bunch, which is not usually the case.
Horiatiki Salad - Even though this was really simple, it still stands out for me as one of the best dishes of the night. All the veggies including super ripe, blood red tomatoes, huge chunks of feta and buttery olives made this a much needed, refreshing preamble to the main meal.
Sotzoukakia - These are the meatballs you see above and they were one of the stand-outs (this confirmed by our Greek expert Moses). Incredibly moist and flavorful, they were spiced with cumin and fresh mint, and covered in a spectacularly rich, homemade tomato sauce, further topped with a creamy Greek yogurt sauce. Totally satisfying and worth getting again!
Octapodi Psito - This was the grilled octopus dish, which we were really looking forward to but that only half delivered. It looked gorgeous, but once we bit into it, it was on the chewy side and the flavors were too muddled, as Moses said. They failed to keep the dish simple and clean, as it should be.
Kalamari - We chose to get the fried calamari, which was a no brainer. Even though it tasted nice, I think it was a bit too greasy and thick. Personally, I prefer when the pieces are thinner and daintier and also when I get a lot of those wiry tentacle pieces, which I unfortunately didn't see here.
Dolmades - Stuffed grape leaves, with bulgur wheat, pine nuts, mint and diced apricots, it sounded better than it tasted. When I bit into one, the flavors I just described were muddled, and all I tasted was the thick bulgur and not much else. I was really excited for the apricots particularly, but didn't really get a feel for them at all in this dish.
Kolokythokeftedes - Ordering these by mistake, it was the best mistake we made. Piping hot zucchini and feta fritters, they were tender and the cheese melted beautifully on the inside. A perfect combination of rich and earthy, they were even better when paired with the cool tzatziki. Each bite made me think of being on an exotic Greek isle.
Dessert - A bonus treat we received from the chef, it was another surprising stand-out. A cold dessert, consisting of a yogurt mousse cup, topped with an amaretto walnut mixture, it was wonderfully refreshing and clean tasting. Not only did it do a great job of cleansing our palate after this diverse meal, it didn't leave us feeling weighed down and was a total hit that I'd get again in a heartbeat.
Service and Cost:
The service was really nice here, as our waiter knew a lot about the menu and was just generally really attentive, making sure all was OK during our entire experience. I liked that they let us linger around and chat as long as we liked, and we felt totally welcome and relaxed, which is something I'd return for.
Costs are moderate, and for the meal I just described to you (with drinks), we paid about $46/person (including tax and tip).
2 Mmmms
Thymari - 32-07 34th Avenue, Astoria NY 11106
718.204.2880
N/Q Train to Broadway
www.thymari.com
