24 Sep 2011 No Comments
It’s All Greek to Me
In our household, it’s a pretty common occurrence for me to pick the mister up from work and for us to grab a bite somewhere before heading home. It’s not that we don’t love to cook, we just love other people’s cooking more. I don’t think that’s such a bad thing; it meant that I recently got to hit up It’s All Greek to Me on Quinpool Road for an early supper. We waltzed in at around 4:30 and were surprised that the place was empty. We stood there for a minute wondering if they were in fact open or if they’d just left the door unlocked, when a really lovely server greeted us. We took a table by the window and got right down to business ordering a starter of skordalia. Skordalia is such a comfort food; the potatoes, the abundance of garlic and the richness of the olive oil make it a winner when served with pita bread, but we opted to have it served with Kolokithia, thick slices of zucchini breaded and deep fried to perfection. The brightness and warm, soft texture of the zucchini were made that much more delicious by the crunchy batter. I could eat this spread all day. I don’t care if it means I’ll have garlic emanating from my pores for the next twenty-four hours, because it’s worth it.
I’d really had my heart set on Moussaka, but was told the kitchen was out which surprised me since the supper rush had not yet begun. I opted instead for Pastichio, a close substituition for Moussaka with its similar meat sauce, and béchamel but with the addition of long macaroni noodles. For $14 it was served with roasted potatoes and a Greek salad. The béchamel held its form wonderfully and although delicious there wasn’t a chance of me being able to finish because of how rich it was. The meat was a consistent texture, moist and flavourful with a delicious blend of spices which had me savouring every bite. The noodles were slightly dry but it didn’t take away from the flavour of the dish.
I hereby profess my love of Greek roasted potatoes. With their lemony aroma and flavour they entice with a zesty lightness that has me coming back for more. As far as Greek salads go, they were generous with both the feta and the Kalamata olives (yay!) and it thankfully wasn’t drowning in dressing like so many Greek salads that have come across my plate. 
I think my favourite part of the meal though was when I realized in a moment of panic that I didn’t have my wallet (nor did my dinner partner as I’d said this would be my treat) and I had to frantically drive home in rush hour traffic to retrieve it while he picked at the last bites on our plates for a solid twenty minutes. Hey, there’s a first time for everything. Let’s hope that never happens again though…
Cheers,
Kristin
My name is Kristin and I've lived my entire life in Nova Scotia. I love to eat, especially when the food is local, organic and fresh. I believe that here on the East coast of Canada we have a multitude of delicious ingredients at our fingertips, and world-class chefs making incredible dishes with them, drawing from both local and international inspiration. That said, I like unpretentious eating that makes you lick your fingers and loosen your belt because that's the kind of food that makes me feel good. If you've got delicious eats, paired with a great Canadian craft beer and some good company then I'm there.