Saturday, December 11, 2010

Gardens of Salonica with my Phoenix friends

Note: This post is dedicated to Rosemary (not the herb :-), who insisted I had to write a snippet about this place and post the picture below.

Last Wednesday we had a condo homeowners association board meeting (no, I am not a member of the board, all residents are invited) where we got to elect new board members. These meetings go long enough and by the time it ends you can really use a glass of wine and the company of friends.

Weather was cold, but we have plenty of places in walking distance around our building. Our choice for the night was Gardens of Salonica, a New Greek and Deli Cafe.

There must have been about 12 of us. Food is always terrific. The warm pita is a great starter. I had one of the specials, lamb en papillote (although they didn't call it that way). This was lamb cooked in parchment paper with lots of veggies and a few roasted potatoes. The picture at the right shows the waitress opening the goodness package.

The dish was made large enough for two to share, so Mel (a neighbor and member of the building's running club) and I shared the contents. My favorite part was the eggplant, which had taken (and given) a lot of flavor from the other veggies and the lamb. I will definitely have to try something like this at home. I don't eat enough lamb, which is definitely my favorite red meat (although I am not much of a meat eater).

My only complaint about the place (as it has been in the past) is the wine. Greek wine may be a peculiar thing to have, but there is a reason why they are not really big at the local wine shop. Still, the quality of the food and the company where sufficient to bring some warmth to that very cold night otherwise.


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