Quick takes: Rimel's Del Mar, Cucina Urbana, Alborz

Quick takes:

Rimel's Del Mar:  decent food, s-l-o-w service, stiff drinks.  SuperBoy got rather grumpy waiting long intervals for food. Too expensive to be casual - probably won't return anytime soon, though the wood-fired salmon is decent. (the Al Capone was tasty and very strong, but not so delectable that I must return)

Alborz: always love the eggplant stew, no meat.  Have been happily eating (takeout) for years and years! 

Cucina Urbana: I had a better experience than CH on date night. 
--chopped salad: meh
--jar of fava/argula humus: good and a good value
--spring vegetable pizza: I liked but wouldn't order again
--CH not a huge fan of his dish (ribeye?)

Still trying to get a cocktail there I really like.  The stranded sicilian (with roasted pineapple gin) was drinkable but I wouldn't order it again.

Sea and Smoke Review (Del Mar)

Sea and Smoke, in brief:

--very loud

--very airy

--tasty food, interesting menu

--disorganized, disappointing service

--slow kitchen

--high prices, portions too large (this is fine if you really are sharing dishes, but if each person is eating something differnet - CH likes chicken, I'm a veggie - lots of food is leftover with a very big bill)

--there's a lot of fried food for "farm-to-table". I liked my mushroom dish (with poached egg, smoked lentil mousse), but did it really need potato chips on top of it?  And the dandelion greens didn't really harmonize with the rest.

We ended up cancelling some of the things we ordered because the waits between dishes coming out of the kitchen were just too long.  Either the bar is also really slow or our server was.

Too bad, because it's beautiful, interesting food, and I want Matt Gordon to succeed (nice guy, great chef). But I don't think we'll go back, at least until we hear other reports. Too bad!!!

Sublime Tavern and Sea and Smoke Open Today in Del Mar

According to Eater San Diego (http://sandiego.eater.com/), both restaurants open this week (soft at least).  Am curious to know how they are.  If you're reading this and get to try one, let me know!

PS: Sea and Smoke menu looks DELISH, esp. for vegetarians:  http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/07/10/see-inside-sea-smoke-emerging-tonight-in-del-mar.php#more. Yum - can't wait to try it! (Anything is better than the bland-and-boring Paradise Grille that was there prior, but this is Urban Solace's menschy-yummy chef Matt Gordon's new place, so I'm very hopeful!)

Quick eating notes with SuperBoy: Vittorio's (Villa Capri 2) and Mia Francesca Del Mar (CV)

Have had two good experiences eating out with SuperBoy lately.

1. Vittorio's (Torrey Highlands): I didn't love it as much as the boys. SB pronounced his pizza (with shock) as BETTER THAN BONGIORNO'S!!! Since nothing is ever better than BG's for him, this was high praise. He wanted to go the next night too.  Good atmosphere too with a kid, very airy but not stuffy. CH *loved* the lasagna.  I thought the eggplant parm was good but not dreamable; ditto the pasta dish I had (capellini).  I did enjoy that they had a white Bourgogne by the glass (one of the negociant wines; Louis Jadot maybe?), though they call it a chard. It was very tasty and reasonable.  Bread was good too.

2. Mia Francesca Del Mar: we got in here without too long a wait on a Wed. night when every restaurant in DMH was hopping and it would have been 45 min. wait at Rimel's. We actually had a great time and great meal.  Good bread.  They didn't make the spinach like they had before (not enough garlic, not sauteed long enough either). But it was still ok.  Linguine with tuna and olives was terrific, and I enjoyed the A to Z chard from Oregon that was the suggested pairing.  SB thought his pizza was fine, and he enjoyed the great scenery (people watching toward Cineapolis).  SH liked his chicken with eggplant (he gave me all the eggplant, which was super tasty), but he noted that the menu always changes so they might not have a dish he likes next time. I thought this was a super place to eat with your kid!

Urban Pi Review (Del Mar/Solana Beach)

In the place where Pasta Pronto used to be on Via de la Valle, comes Urban Pi - from the same folks who brought us Urban Plates (and before that, who owned Pasta Pronto - this is their new and improved 21st century concept). I think they're planning to franchise both, and these are the pilot restaurants.  Urban Pi's concept is "customized artisan pizza - while you watch, ready in less than 5 minutes" with tons of organic things.

THE GOOD
--beautiful design, airy, nice lighting and decor

--fast and simple service, especially compared to the hot mess that ordering is at Urban Plates. Here they got the concept right. One line. You order your ingredients added to your pizza Subway-style or order a pre-designed one from the menu board. It comes quickly.

--I loved the salads: I got a $4 half-house salad; was very large and exceptionally tasty. Ate every morsel of mixed greens, candied cranberry walnuts, blue cheese, honey ginger-blood orange dressing (I left over only the ripe pears, which were not for me)

--SuperBoy was willing to eat his caesar salad - also a very generous portion for a half salad $4; like a typical caesar but with chopped greek olives on top and shaved asiago. Both salads come with some respectable focaccia

--I loved my pizza. I decided to cutomize one. Luckily I skipped the tomato sauce (because it's nasty!).  Had fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, ricotta cheese, EVOO. I could have added many more veggies for the same price.  Loved the crust - loved the whole taste.  This is not NY pizza at all, but the crust was charred and seasoned well.  Scrumptious and very generous size. $7.50!!  as is every pizza there unless you add something really fancy, like burrata.

THE BAD
--The boys ordered cheese pizza and thus were subjected to the nasty tomato sauce they have there.  Too much oregano. Standard cheese pizza comes with a "cheese mix," not the fresh mozzarella. Their pizzas were orangey and not appetizing looking, with too much oregano on top (have I mentioned the oregano)? I did enjoy eating their crusts, but whenever I hit the tomato sauce: yuk! SB wouldn't eat his at all; Cute Husband ate his because he was hungry, but wouldn't return.

--Desserts: They look delicious - a huge variety of reasonably priced yummy looking things, just like at Urban Plates (even cheaper than urban plates - $2 per cookie or brownie)! But we ordered a few to take home and they are not as good as they looked.  Chai Chocolate Cookie: blech, chalky (it looked so scrumptious).  Jam-centered shortbread cookie:  not the best cookie ever, but at $2, it was tasty enough so I can't complain.  We still have CH's flourless chocolate cake (one of the more expensive at $5) - we'll try it later.

In short, I loved my meal....but my boys did not like theirs.  Next to us someone had ordered the special pom-agave-hibiscus drink and they were making faces. I asked them about it, and they said it had a very "particular" taste. I don't think they meant it in a good way.

SO....if you want to try it, go for it!!! Just, if you're a pizza snob, do not get the tomato sauce. You can make lots of beautiful and yummy combos for yourself with EVOO, fresh mozz, and whatever want.  The salads are delicious - I bet some of the desserts must be good. Unfortunately, my boys will not be returning there with me (I suggested CH try the pizza next time with no tomato sauce. He resopnded, "You've gone too California on me. What's pizza without sauce?" And the tomato sauce is, let me say again, gross).

Cafe Secret (Del Mar)

Finally made it to the much-hyped Cafe Secret, with my friend who has too many claims to fame to get just one moniker (HyphenateGirl?).  Verdict: we only ate lunch, and I only got egg salad, so the Peruvian authenticity and deliciousness of the food would probably be more evident at dinner. But I still enjoyed it.

Atmosphere: super pleasant patio on Camino Del Mar, leafy and attractive.

Menu:  Wanted the fish sandwich but they were out. Got the triple egg salad, which someone on Yelp said they had driven all the way from OC for after first tasting it during a DM vacation.  I wouldn't drive that far for it, but it was a nice sandwich (not sure what was peruvian about it). Came with plantain chips and a nice salad.

HyphenateGirl got a salad and empanada combo.  LOVED the chard-spinach-quesofresco-egg empanada she got. Not heavy, very healthy seeming.  Next time I go (I would like to go again as it's a nice place to have lunch, even if it's not the absolute #1 food) I'd like to get that empanada with a half egg salad sandwich.

Dessert: she got the tres leches, which is very praised on Yelp. I thought it was just ok.

I got an espresso. Tasty, but I like them nice and hot and it was lukewarm (many places do that - it's frustrating - it sits before it gets to you and is already almost cold).

Service was pleasant.

Final Verdict: not a must-visit, but I'll probably go again in several months or a year.

Flavor Del Mar Review: One thumb up, two thumbs way down

Flavor Del Mar has gotten a lot of buzz lately. It's in the Del Mar Plaza in the old Epazote space. Jason Maitland was the opening chef. We didn't like Arterra after he took it over from Carl Schroeder, so saw no need to try it when it opened. But the new chef, Brian Redzikowski, is getting lots of raves from critics and Yelpers. So we gave it a try.

PLUSSES: I found the food very flavorful! I was ready to add it to my fave restaurants list (maybe at #5) after the first course.

Bread was delicious (whole-wheat, warm and yeasty, with a quartet of flavored salts).

Salad looked humdrum/plain but was spectacular. Super-fresh greens, very light dressing. Peppadew peppers: never ate one, so delicious - just perfectly spicy. Nice mozzarella. Huge portion for $9.

Wine: yummy and super-generous pours. My glasses (of viognier and albarino) were $12 each, but they were very good and I was pleased.

Tuna tataki: This was a very good dish, and totally carb-free (and cold and a little small), but very nice.

Dessert: liked the "chocolate bar," though it wasn't humongous.

NEGATIVES

Very slow service: Waitress was friendly but spend a long time at each table and there weren't enough wait stuff compared to bussers. So you would wait forever for her to finish at a table and have to flag someone down with requests. My salad arrived before my wine - I had to wait another 8 mins. or so for it to show up. Not cool.

CH's sous-vide jidori chicken: He thought it was nasty - tough and and weird tasting. he ordered another dish (steak), which was fine, but the aftertaste of the bad chicken is still with him hours later and he thinks the place is vile.

More on the service: after 25 mins. of waiting for our (cold) dessert, they finally brought it with apologies - and comped it. I'd still give them another chance on this basis, but this was the last straw for CH, who was still grossed out by his chicken and wanted to go.

Bill: At first, they charged us for the chicken AND CH's replacement entree. As soon as they saw us looking unpleased and trying to flag someone down, they figured it out and brought a replacement bill. But this was definitely not top service.

Cocktails: I'm sorry - the mixologist may be doing very respectful farm-to-table this time of year. But the whole list was citrusy and did not call to me. Didn't want a tangeriney, orangey or grapefruity cocktail. The only other alternatives were not appealing (cinammon apple? sounds like dessert).

I'd try Flavor again at lunchtime with a girlfriend, esp. because they take passport. But CH won't be returning with me ever.

For Valentine's Day we're heading to Grant Grill, where we haven't been in almost 2 yrs. Hope we have a spectacular dinner, with great service, fantastic cocktails (Jeff Josenhans, don't let me down!) and delicious food like last time. I still remember the wonderful bread and quiet chill atmosphere.

Eda-Mami (Del Mar)/too many losses

Well, my week of mourning for Naomi Wise is over....But it's replaced with the death of a close and beloved friend. While she was sick I told her about the blog and promised her I'd take her anywhere she wanted. She had picked out Bayu. We never got to go. Life ain't fair.

Instead of silence this week I'm going to blog again. She'd want me to, and I need distractions....

Hit Eda-Mami tonight in Del Mar for the first time in a while. Love this place! We need to remember to go there and dump Katana. The food is so much better! And before 7 pm they have great happy hour pricing. We ordered way too much food.

*Delicious*, healthy and generous salad: we ordered 2 for the three of us and had plenty left over (about $4)

Edamame: perfectly fine (about $4)

2 miso soups: SB scarfed his up, CH did too

Agedashi Tofu: $3 I think with the happy hour special. OMG - this is the best A.T. I have had in my whole life. Fabulous broth. Just delicious.

Sake Fusion roll: $7.95 w/happy hour. Huge. Delicious. Why did I order so much food?

Salmon roll: $3 with happy hour. OMG - I don't need this much food. Yet I finished it.... :)

SB got a lolli from sitting so nicely. He loved the wide array of choices. And he spotted 3 coasters while we were sitting there.

And tonight we had great service, much better than our previous visits. It was quieter too.

Eda-Mami has got to enter our regular rotation - LOVED IT!

(oh and I left out my wine - I am tasting my way through New Zealand Sauvignon blancs from the Malborough Valley - tonight I got a Star borough - not as good as what I had on the cruise, but still tasty)

(end of wine-induced gushing about food - back to the sad new normal.... :( )

Postscript: The meal didn't sit while with CH. :( Eda-Mami may not go into the rotation after all. Minor bad news in the scheme of things, but oh well.

Roberto's Del Mar

Have I never reviewed Roberto's? We went 2x over the holidays. Excellent "Lite Burrito" not on the menu. It's veggie. Ask for it with whole pinto beans.

SB likes their kids' cheese quesadilla meal. Comes with chips, rice and beans, a drink, AND jello - all for about $3.

Cute Husband likes the carne asada plate.

Plus there is Coaster-spotting for the train-crazed toddler. (and a hint of ocean). We love Roberto's!

New and improved Del Mar Farmers' Market! + Viva Pops and Sicilian Thing again...

ST and I were heading to the Flower Hill Farmers Market this morning....when we realized there was no FHFM this morning! A web check at home confirmed that that market is RIP as of two weeks ago. Well, we only went once, so we weren't keeping it in business. We decided we'd either hit Del Mar this afternoon or Fairbanks tomorrow.

Whoa!!! Who took the Del Mar market and put it on steroids? Today's market was much bigger than I remember. Plus they had a scavenger hunt for kids, which included a prize of a free fruit drink from Gina's (ST, ever the gourmand, selected watermelon lemonade). There are some new vendors, so we had some wonderful choices. We came home with a lot of fruit and veggie loot. Oh - and Randy Gruber of Americana was on hand cooking up fresh food with market goodies. I have been to Americana 2x and never got overly excited about it....but my oh my, he did a fabulous job with black cod and the market vegetables (green beans, corn, tomatoes). Loved it! We saw Mr. Manvite and his family there - he said he is a happy customer of Americana. We should probably try it again!

We also visited Sicilian Thing recently, where I was reminded how delicious its pizza is (I think it's better than Bongiorno's consistently, but CH says when Mike Bongiorno himself is on hand, Bongiorno's still wins). Loved my nino espinosa + barack-oli ricotta. ST tries Sicilian for the first time, and declared that he preferred it over thin-crust. That's my adventurous eater!

And at viva pops later, ST selected strawberry (he's allowed to choose the familiar now and then). At the next table, a mom had mango-chili and was raving about it. I think I have yet to try that one.

Another visit to Poseidon (Del Mar)

Another out-of-town guest: another fabulous meal with Super-Toddler in tow at Poseidon in Del Mar!

ST: Quesadilla + fruit cup + surfers and trains to watch + lemonade + chocolate gelato for dessert = one very happy and well-behaved Super-Toddler (though some of his silly faces and antics did provide lots of amusement for neighboring tables)

Me: Wild halibut + fennel + edamame + parsnip puree + kalamata olive sauce = one very happy high-protein, low-carb-eating me! (oh - and their house salad is also good, but I loved the sunset margarita I ordered too)

CH: Chicken stir-fry: he thought it was ok, not great.

Always happy to go to Poseidon!

Shimbashi Izakaya Re-Review (Del Mar): Meh....

Since Grandma is here we got a few dates in this week (she just wants alone time with Super Toddler - we would have stayed in!).

Revisit to Shimbashi Izakaya. Was very excited. But it was a disappointing return.

Food: Good but not as good as last time. Very expensive - and not a lot of food. It would be one thing if it was spectacular...but it was not.

Drink: Sake Mojito was very bland (like soda water + lime), gave me no buzz I could tell. (was there really alcohol in it?).

Service: Ok, but then they tried to screw around with our check. The normally mellow dining companion known as Cute Husband was, shall we say, not pleased.

An unimpressive showing after a meal that was good but not great = probably not returning. Too bad = it's a nice view and the salad is still fresh and quite tasty (but not missable anyway).

Eda-mami review (Del Mar)

Trains. Super Toddler loves trains. Coaster trains in particular.

So tonight I headed off with him and CH to one of the Carmel Valley Rd. restaurants where you have a clear shot of the trains going through the valley by Torrey Pines. Too cold for Roberto's - so we hit Edamami.

In brief....

Food: Good. Going before 7 pm you can order from happy hour menu. Loved esp. the Sake Fusion roll and the delicious healthy salad I got for ST.

Service: Harried, slightly slow, but friendly enough and not terrible.

And the Coasters? Well we saw 3 in an hour.

ST's Behavior? Overall it was good. But we did have a little fight over the pink umbrella that came with CH's chicken teriyaki. ST thought it was a good idea to poke it in his eye. Mom didn't. Arguing/tantrums/stuggles to a timeout spot in the corner ensued.

Luckily it's a place where our little moment didn't really bother anyone (people did look over, but it was a reasonable buzz level, so we weren't disrupting anyone).

ST shaped up later, still got a lolli at the end of the meal after serving his time in TO (I'm a sucker, I guess).

Oh - and riesling goes really well with Asian food. :) I never order rieslings with other food, and usually don't get alcohol when I go out for Asian food. But it seemed a good idea tonight....and yum....I do love a good riesling when it's not competing with my meal!

Nothing Bundt Cakes Review (Del Mar)

Got some cakes here today for a family birthday. Verdict: very, very sweet. Ate one sample of the chocolate turtle (bite-sized) and felt a massive sugar rush.

Lemon: ST loved it. For him it was perfect: very lemony and sweet.

Carrot: Split one with a family member. He loved it; I thought it was very moist but again very sugary.

We saved the marble one to try tomorrow.

In the area, I have to say I prefer Cupcake Love cupcakes.

Was worth a try..... (the whole concept is puzzling but the owner claims people thought they would be gone in 6 mos but business is booming....they seem to like it on yelp too. A bit too sweet for me, though!)

Market Restaurant revisit (Del Mar)

Carl Schroeder used to be my favorite chef in San Diego. LOVED him at Arterra, LOVED him at Market.

Only one problem: CH can't stand his food. I don't know what it is, but there is something Schroeder uses in his cooking that just does not sit well with my sweetie. He always thinks it's ok at first, and then gets this horrible aftertaste. (Happened tonight again.) So despite having considered it my favorite restaurant, I haven't been there in at least 2 years, and even then CH hadn't been my dining partner there since it opened.

Well, that's ok, because I went tonight (CH agreed to go for my birthday) - and though it's good, it's not in the same category as my current top 3:

--Searsucker

--Alchemy

--Farmhouse Cafe

Wine by the glass: A delectable alborino, $9.50 is a decent price

Amuse bouche: They brought us something without shellfish: a strawberry with champagne sorbet. Seemed too sweet for an amuse, but the champagne sorbet was to-die for. Thought about it as a palate cleanser and loved it.

Appetizer: CH was excited to try the Thai chicken soup, but then they said it had some fish broth (he's allergic). He wasn't excited by any of the other options, but settled for the off-menu Market fresh Chino vegetable salad. It was fine - I enjoyed his cauliflower and beets.

I got the hamachi-ahi minus the uni shooter. Delectable. Was scooping up the spicy remnants of the red peppers that had been on top of the hamachi.

Entree: CH not that into his jidori chicken - and then that aftertaste he seems to get from Schroder's flavor profiles hit him (it's very individual obviously - I love his food but CH gets it every time).

--my Vegetarian tasting: This used to be Carl Schroeder's forte: always some incredibly delectable and creative vegetarian dish that was cravable and better than anything in SD. Tonight: it was ok. I liked the little tortellini and the mushrooms. The goat cheese tart was meh and I didn't eat very much. Ricardo Heredia is killing the vegetarian category right now in San Diego: not really special here.

Bonus birthday dessert: Raspberry sorbet with olive oil cake. Neither component interesting at all.

We ordered one regular dessert to share: Smore. This was actually the standout of the whole meal. I wish we had gotten two. Salty, sweet, every texture. Loved it.

Verdict: Still like Market, would happily go with someone else, but it ain't in my top 3, and I'm not missing it if I don't go for a while. Carl Schroeder still gets the great press in SD, but at this point other people are doing even better, IMHO. (and see my review on his Bankers Hill Bar and Grill from the summer, which was not a very exciting meal at all!)

Shimbashi Izakaya (Del Mar)

Date night: super-yum!

Have been meaning to try an Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar) for a while....There are some good ones elsewhere in SD but also this fancy cocktail-y one in the Del Mar Plaza. Mixed reviews on Yelp, but when we got unexpected babysitting tonight (yeah, grandma!) we decided to give it a shot.

MMMMMM-YOSO (to borrow the name of another SD restaurant blog).

Super-fresh veggies - they apparently use Chino. Maybe we ordered all the right things but we loved everything.

Atmosphere: Cute. Very uncomfortable chairs (no backs). Mix of Japanese customers and other Del Martians.

Service: Very friendly, efficient Japanese women.

Food: Forgot about the chairs once it came!
--Green salad: Such fresh delicious lettuce and other veggies, with a good dressing....A big cut above green salads in other Japanese places.

--Miso soup: CH says it was ok, nothing special.

--Amuse bouche (they called it free mini-appetizer): grated seaweed and black mushrooms in a ginger-sesame broth. YUMMMMMM.

--Green beans and eggplant in sweet miso paste: I don't even like green beans - I thought this dish was just eggplant. BUT I LOVED IT! Green beans were super fresh and perfectly cooked; sesame miso paste was divine. They have a bunch of eggplant dishes but this one was starred as a must-try. Thank you, menu-writer!

--Shabu-Shabu: CH got this, super-fresh veggies, cooked his own beef in his choice of broth. He really enjoyed this. They say they have this only in winter.

--La fresca roll: Was deciding between this and miso cod (another starred must-try). Was excellent choice: spicy tuna, avocado, yellowtail, cilantro, and a fresh diced tomato-onion-pepper conconction on top (like a fresh salsa). Not traditional but super-fresh and delicious

Oh, and did I mention my $5 sake colada? (like a Malibu with pineapple except made with coconut sake). LOVED IT!

Not super-cheap but was a great price/value ratio. Not a place to go with Boy (other kids were there but the chairs and atmosphere are not for our roaming boy). Hope to get there again another time.

(oh - and there were lots of other veggie choices I didn't get to try - they're starred with Vs on the menu)

Del Mar Rendezvous and other quick takes

Have been sick and ST is keeping me busy, so just a few quick takes.

Del Mar Rendezvous: yummy! large vegetarian/vegan menu! Same family as Dumpling Inn and lots of the same dishes! Hooked on vegetarian konnayaku noodle soup - super-delish for Foodie Mom with a cold! We have done take out twice in the last week. Dumplings, black bean fish (which ST loves), mmm....We went once a few years ago and weren't impressed but we'll be back.

Tender Greens today: super-good. It can be inconsistent sometimes. But today the albacore/tomato-based fisherman's soup was awesome, the albacore was perfectly seared, the grilled veggies were awesome (ever seen a global carrot?) and of course the mashed potatos were awesome as ever.

Awesome seems to be my word of the day....

Restaurant Round-Up I: Kitchen 1540 (Del Mar)

We've had good babysitting lately so have had one date night a week. Plus I met a friend for drinks on Friday while CH was home with ST. So I have a bunch to report. Here's the first one!

Kitchen 1540: My friends who love this place, I am sorry to disappoint you with this report. I *loved* my cocktail (delicious hibiscus margarita - very strong). I *loved* the beet salad with pistachio brittle and carmelized yogurt. About this point of the meal, I declared to CH that this was now my favorite restaurant in San Diego. He reminded me that I hadn't gotten my entree yet. I don't care, I said - this is way better than I thought. No pretentious Del Martians, just outstanding food.

CH liked his salad too.

Around this time my stomach began to hurt but I was sufficiently drunk that I kept eating anyway. *Loved* my salmon (not on menu - had seen it on restaurant week menu even though they changed their mind and didn't do restaurant week). *Loved* my red velvet cake - not quite as good as entree and app, but still very creative.

So why will you be disappointed, my friends? Because that pain in my stomach (from the pistachio brittle, maybe?) stuck around all night. I would have possibly still given it another chance....but then CH felt violently sick after the meal. Maybe we just have sensitive stomachs, but Kitchen 1540 is no longer my favorite restaurant in SD. (It was fun while it lasted for about 30 min.). I still think the flavors are awesome and it's lovely, but just don't want to take a chance there again. CH keeps coming up with unprintable parodies of the name (____ 1540, ____ 1540), all stemming from his post-meal stomach troubles.

Alas - it was super-yummy!!!!!!!

Alborz (Del Mar)

So it's about time to blog about Alborz. I'm not a Persian food expert, but friends tell me it's the best Persian in SD. It's a longtime takeout favorite of ours.

The boys both like the chicken-lemon-lentil soup. Dad loves the chicken barg kebab. Boy loves the rice, Greek salad (cukes, tomatoes, lettuce, feta and a yummy dressing), and bread. Mom usually gets veget. gheimeh bademjan (lentils/eggplant) or the regular eggplant stew; I also like the veggie dolmeh, the crispy rice and the eggplant/yogurt appetizer. Portions are huge, the owners are friendly, and the food is yummy.

Eat in is probably fine too, but we've never ventured a try with Boy (not sure how fast the food would come and whether he could wander as much as he likes).

Definitely worth a visit/takeout if you haven't been!