Avra Greek Tavern: Midtown

blissfulglutton — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 20:15:00 +0000

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
I went with some friends for dinner on Saturday night to see what the deal was. Our waiter seemed completely overwhelmed. I ordered a bunch of dishes for us to eat family style. I also ordered a nice bottle of Skouras which I really enjoyed. However, the waiter kept trying to get us to buy another bottle and was pouring the entire bottle out in one pour. I got really annoyed by this. The first dish to come out was the Pikilia Spreads. They were really delicious. but, just as good as I have had at any other Greek place. Next was the calamari and pan-fried aged Greek cheese. The calamari was dry but the cheese was very good. Next came the Horiatki which was basic but fresh. I always enjoy this salad. Our mains came next. We ordered the Shrimp Avra which was not good at all. It was unbalanced and none of us really enjoyed it. The lamb kabob and roasted leg of lamb were good but I have had better at Taverna Plaka for half the price. The Greek fries and Gigandes that accompanied the meal were average. We got our bill and I was surprised to see that they charged us for the pita that came with the spreads. I was really shocked. It was just too much money for mediocre food and I don’t plan on returning. I’ll take a Greek hole in the wall any day over this place.
RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address:794 Juniper St.
Phone: 404-892-8890
Cuisine: Greek

Kyma: Atlanta

blissfulglutton — Fri, 13 Jan 2006 03:50:00 +0000

RESTAURANT REVIEW:
I absolutely love Greek food. I feel like it is a completely under-rated cuisine. I have not found anywhere I really love in Atlanta. The food is either dumbed down or not well-prepared. I had never tried Kyma before tonight. I was hesitant because I feel like Buckhead Life Group has really let their food and service go down hill. We decided to go family style. I think this is the only way to eat when you eat Greek. My Dad ordered a great bottle of Greek red whose name I cannot remember. It was bright and so well balanced. We started out with the lamb pie and the pan-fried cheese. The pie was great. Flaky crust and well-seasoned center. The cheese was tangy but a bit too salty. The next courses were a grilled octopus served on pickled red onions. The octopus was not as fresh as it could have been and it was heavily salted. We had a calamari dish next. The batter was too salty and the batter was falling off the octopus. The sauce did nothing for the dish. It tasted like it came from a jar. The chef sent out a shrimp dish. It was skewered shrimp on cabbage salad. Salty. Everything was salty. We didn’t finish it. Our lamb chops and giant beans were next to come out. The beans were great. The lamb was so salty it was inedible. My Dad sent it back. They returned a much better version which was tangy and well-seasoned. The accompanying crisp potato disks were great. Overall verdict? Good wine and average food. I’ll take the octopus and rotisserie lamb at Taverna Plaka over this anyday. It could be what Milos is in New York (one of my favorite restaurants in the world) but it somehow falls short. I had to try it once but I don’t think I will be going back anytime soon.
RESTAURANT INFORMATION:
Address: 3085 Piedmont Road
Phone: (404) 262-0702
Cuisine: Greek

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Avra Greek Tavern: Midtown

Kyma: Atlanta