Last week, Meg, Mackenzi and I hosted our bi-monthly Queens Blogger Social, and this one was in one of my favorite Modern Greek eateries, Ovelia. I haven't been to Ovelia in a while, and therefore I was totally craving their food, including lamb, veggies and their sweets too.
Putting on quite the feast for us, Ovelia provided a fabulous menu, tailored just to us, including shared appetizers, a personalized entree and once again, family-style dessert. Here are some newbies I tried:
Salads - We started with two types of salads, including the village salad, which was Ovelia's take on the Greek salad, as well as the Prasini, with lettuce, dill, scallions, simply dressed with oil and vinegar. I liked both, but preferred the latter, as it was super refreshing, and the dill added an earthy, clean - almost surprising - flavor. It was extra delicious when paired with the triangular pieces of warmed, spiced pita, set at the table.
Grilled Kalamari - Even though this is a staple at Greek restaurants, I've never yet had it here, and it definitely delivered. The squid was cooked perfectly and boasted a slightly charred exterior, which I loved. I liked to see that the pieces were significantly sized, and once again, it was nice to couple this dish with the warm pita. It even made for good leftovers the next day, which is a sign of good quality seafood.
Kontosouvli - This in my opinion was the piece-de-resistance - a slow roasted rotisserie pork, which looked and tasted as if it came right off the spit. It was great to see that its texture was tender on the inside with a really juicy bite, while the outside was a tad crunchy and just like the kalamari, also slightly charred. You can eat as much or as little as you wanted, since the meat was sliced into small cubes, which was good enough for a tasting or indulging in several bites.
Loukomades - A sweetly scrumptious finish to this meal came in the form of mini honeyed doughnuts with a fabulously light middle. Besides being glazed with honey, the loukomades were topped with gooey nutella as well as vanilla ice cream. Creating our own Greek Sunday if you will, you could also layer the chopped almonds on top, which were respectfully served on the side in the event of someone having a nut allergy.
Beer - In addition to all the food, we also indulged in a special tasting of Singlecut Beer from the new brewery, opening up next month. Our friend and fellow We Heart Astoria contributor, Andrew brought in a few samples of it for everyone to try, which we thoroughly enjoyed. I got to taste a bit of their lager as well as a darker beer that was almost like a stout. I enjoyed the latter more, as it had a hearty (almost coffee) flavor that totally agrees with fall. Looking forward to the day the brewery opens, I'm sure there will be lots more delicious brewskis to sample.
Service and Cost:
Not only was our server totally on point and really lovely, everyone else treated us with tons of hospitality and attention. I really felt that we were taken care of very well, all our dishes coming out in good time and our every wish and need fulfilled - and then some.
Costs are moderate to inexpensive and the entire dinner I just mentioned set us back about $40 per person, including tax and tip.
Ovelia Psistaria - 34-01 30th Ave, Astoria, NY 11103
718.721.7217
N/Q Train to 30th Avenue
www.ovelia-ny.com
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