Last night B and I met his brother, AJB, and AJB's girlfriend, J5, for dinner and drinks. We started out having some pre-dinner cocktails at Vintage, a wine bar located at 13th and Sansom. The girls opted for the Rose Brut, while the guys selected Maker's Mark Manhattans, on the rocks. Here's a shot of AJB and J5 enjoying their beverages.
For dinner we went across the street to Opa. Newly opened in February 2011, Opa encourages a family-style dining experience with a menu which lends itself to shared plates and features traditional Greek cuisine with a few updated classics.
We started with the zimi, baked pita bread stuffed with feta cheese.
The taste wasn't terrible, but without a sauce (a fig jam or honey would work nicely with the feta) to counter-act the dryness of the pita, the effect was to replicate a case of cotton mouth. Next, we tried the gyro sliders.
These were the perfect anecdote to the zimi. The lamb was nicely cooked and the tzatziki sauce had just the right hint of sweetness. We split two orders between the four of us and my only complaint was that I was left wanting more. Following the gyros, we had the pork and chicken souvlakia.
Unfortunately both tasted as bland as the plate looked. The pork had a mealy, saw-dust type texture and, the chicken tasted like it had been hanging around under a heat lamp for quite some time. For our final starter, we had the octopus.
I had read some rave reviews about the octopus at Opa, and I have to say I was not disappointed. The octopus was not chewy at all, and the chickpeas were wonderfully spiced with just a tad of cumin.
After going 2-for-4 in the first round, we were pleasantly surprised with the entree.
The four of us split the braised lamb shank - a special addition to the menu. The lamb was tender and juicy, and the spinach had just the right amount of garlic without being overpowering. The rice tasted great, but, it could have been better prepared (I encountered a few clumped up bunches in my serving).
After dinner we enjoyed the Greek coffee and the loukoumades.
Greek coffee, also called Turkish coffee, is prepared by boiling finely powdered roast coffee beans in a pot (called a cezve), possibly with sugar. It had a nice rich consistency, and a jolt of caffeine akin to an espresso.
The loukoumades, essentially just fried bits of dough served with a honey cinnamon and walnut drizzle, and mashed banana and nutella for dipping, were fantastic (but really, how could you go wrong). Here's a shot of B and I at the end of the meal:
Although there were some high points, I think we all agreed that with so many other fantastic places for Greek cuisine in Philadelphia we won't be going back to Opa anytime soon. Sorry Tsiouris family!
No comments:
Post a Comment