100 Very Best 2015So many restaurants style themselves as throwbacks, as if to make you nostalgic for an age you probably don’t even remember. This one does it unself-consciously, without the overt appeals in either decor or menu.
On a Saturday night, when the guitarist is playing in the corner and the generations of families are spilling over from their lazy-Susan tables, you might think you were in Baltimore’s Greektown circa 1975. (On a midweek night, however, the ambience is comparable to that of a food court.)
The food is unapologetically hearty, but the level of detail in the dishes will surprise you. As will the lightness—the fried cod and skordalia is downright refined, and we can’t remember the last time we had moussaka that didn’t leave us groaningly full. If the main courses don’t make you want to burst, dessert will—but it’s also one of the best reasons to visit, full of loving renditions of Greek sweets such as baklava and a phyllo-custard confection called galaktobouriko.
Don’t miss:
- Fava-bean purée
- Avgolemono soup
- Imam bayildi (roast eggplant with tomatoes, garlic, and cinnamon)
- Roast leg of lamb with potatoes
- Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
