A food porn moment.
Jan. 19th, 2002 10:04 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rivkaBen and I tried a new restaurant last night - Opa, a Greek restaurant that specializes in seafood and is a substantial cut above most of the restaurants I've been to in Greektown.
I could have ordered everything on the menu. I was stuck for a long time on the lamb fricasee with egg-lemon sauce, artichoke hearts, and portobello mushrooms, and the marinated grilled octopus. Obviously I'll have to go back and try more entrees. But we did pretty well with what we got.
We started with an appetizer - choose three from this list of cheeses and spreads - that would've made a fine dinner in itself. We had taramosalata (a creamy spread made mostly from mashed potatoes and fish roe, which tastes much better than it sounds), tzatziki (cucumbers and yogurt, with a hell of a garlic bite), and cubes of kefalograviera (which I had never heard of before, and turned out to be a hard cow's milk cheese with a complex flavor and moderate sharpness). It was served with both pita wedges and bread. Then we shared a Greek salad, which got major extra points for being made from a mix of greens and herbs rather than iceberg lettuce, but lost points again because they apparently forgot the Greek olives. The crown jewel of the evening was an entire red snapper, crusted with lemon and herbs and grilled with the head and tail still on. ("Are you sure you wouldn't like us to fillet that for you?" "Yeah, I think we can manage.") The whole snapper is apparently intended to serve one, but it was hanging over the edges of the plate at both ends, and much better sized for two.
The service was incredible. I've found that Baltimore restaurants tend to have mediocre service - adequate, but hurried and not terribly attentive. (Or, alternatively, the overly familiar waitperson will want to join in your conversation.) Our waiter was exquisitely attentive, but unobtrusive about it. He made good wine recommendations, he kept our water glasses full, and he made sure that we were never kept waiting for the next course or confronted with a new course before we were finished with the previous one. It was the perfect final touch.
What a shame that it's snowing so hard. I'd love to go back there tonight.
I could have ordered everything on the menu. I was stuck for a long time on the lamb fricasee with egg-lemon sauce, artichoke hearts, and portobello mushrooms, and the marinated grilled octopus. Obviously I'll have to go back and try more entrees. But we did pretty well with what we got.
We started with an appetizer - choose three from this list of cheeses and spreads - that would've made a fine dinner in itself. We had taramosalata (a creamy spread made mostly from mashed potatoes and fish roe, which tastes much better than it sounds), tzatziki (cucumbers and yogurt, with a hell of a garlic bite), and cubes of kefalograviera (which I had never heard of before, and turned out to be a hard cow's milk cheese with a complex flavor and moderate sharpness). It was served with both pita wedges and bread. Then we shared a Greek salad, which got major extra points for being made from a mix of greens and herbs rather than iceberg lettuce, but lost points again because they apparently forgot the Greek olives. The crown jewel of the evening was an entire red snapper, crusted with lemon and herbs and grilled with the head and tail still on. ("Are you sure you wouldn't like us to fillet that for you?" "Yeah, I think we can manage.") The whole snapper is apparently intended to serve one, but it was hanging over the edges of the plate at both ends, and much better sized for two.
The service was incredible. I've found that Baltimore restaurants tend to have mediocre service - adequate, but hurried and not terribly attentive. (Or, alternatively, the overly familiar waitperson will want to join in your conversation.) Our waiter was exquisitely attentive, but unobtrusive about it. He made good wine recommendations, he kept our water glasses full, and he made sure that we were never kept waiting for the next course or confronted with a new course before we were finished with the previous one. It was the perfect final touch.
What a shame that it's snowing so hard. I'd love to go back there tonight.
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no subject
Date: 2002-01-19 08:59 am (UTC)For some reason, I can't eat octopus. Maybe it's because they seem so danged smart. They impress me.
Sheep don't.
I know that's a warped ethical choice, but there it is. ;)
Re:
Date: 2002-01-19 09:14 am (UTC)They offered lamb prepared about five different ways: the fricassee I mentioned, roast leg of lamb, baby lamb chops, baked with vegetables and hard-boiled eggs in phyllo dough...
Clearly you'll have to come and visit.
no subject
Date: 2002-01-19 11:58 am (UTC)Where else have you gone in Highlandtown? My wife holds a fondness for Ikaros, which her family used to visit periodically when she was a child.