Aug
28, 2003 — We
always seem to pick Mondays to go out for review meals. More
often in this drooping economy, we find ourselves in deserted
dining rooms on the historically slow night. No matter how good
the meal we're served, there's something about the quiet that
invariably brings me down.
A recent Monday-night visit to Eleni's Greek and American
Family Restaurant found the eatery
— which I'm told does a brisk breakfast
and lunch business
— nearly empty.
Owners Jim and Eleni Zourkos have been serving up authentic
Greek cuisine in Bellingham since 1984. First from a restaurant
nestled between shops in the Lakeway Shopping Center and, since
1997, in the current building on Meridian Street, right off the
interstate.
The casual restaurant serves up a strange dichotomy of decor
— the building was clearly home to a
Denny's- or IHOP-type establishment in a past life. But the
Zourkoses have shined up the place, adding an abundance of silk
flowers and Greek-themed artwork.
The menu offers a wide variety of Greek items, as well as an
array of American dishes, ranging from barbecued ribs to a
deluxe cheeseburger.
|
Eleni's Greek and American Family Restaurant |
|
Location: 3720 Meridian St.
Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Phone: 676-5555
Serving: Authentic Greek cuisine mixed with
American favorites.
Menu items sampled: Spanakopita $4.95
Arni psito $12.95
Chicken souvlaki $11.95
Baklava $3
Kourambethes $1.50
Corona $3 |
Less than a minute after we'd been seated, our server arrived
to take our order. We weren't yet decided, so my husband ordered
the one Greek beer listed on the menu. Unfortunately none was
available, so he settled for a Corona. By the time it arrived,
finished with the requisite wedge of lime, we had looked through
the lengthy list of Greek delicacies and were ready to order.
We ordered a starter of spanakopita, but we wouldn't end up
tasting it before our entrees. My husband watched the plate
holding the appetizer sit in the kitchen window for 10 minutes,
until our server finally delivered it alongside our main dishes.
The spanakopita was still surprisingly warm, but with the
enormous portions of food on our platters, I wasn't much
interested in it at that point.
I tried a bite or two and found the Greek cheese and spinach
pie appealing, with its layers of spinach and feta cheese
wrapped in filo dough and baked to a crunchy, delicate finish.
But it couldn't compete with my main dish. My husband, who
wasn't half as enamored with his entree, wound up finishing the
bulk of the spanakopita.
My souvlaki was pure pleasure on a plate, easily the best
I've had in the area. Sizable pieces of marinated chicken breast
were skewered and grilled. Each bite was juicy, tender and
flavorful.
The platter was rounded out with Greek salad, rice, a roasted
potato and fabulous tsatziki sauce, made of cucumber, yogurt and
pungent garlic.
Eleni's' Greek salad was also the best I've had in town, with
a mix of tomato, cucumber, green pepper, onion, feta cheese and
kalamata olive, topped with a house Greek dressing.
But my husband had a decidedly different take on his meal.
The arni psito, or roasted lamb, that he'd decided on featured a
cut of meat that was dry and flavorless.
Right after we were brought our appetizer and two entrees,
our server returned with a basket of unremarkable,
room-temperature garlic bread. We wouldn't see her again until
she cleaned our plates away.
She had been friendly and helpful each time she stopped by
our table, but in the end we felt neglected. While there were
never more than four tables occupied during our visit, we
watched our server read behind the counter while we ate, rather
than stopping by to ask if we needed anything or if our meals
were satisfactory.
Eleni's has been lauded with praise in the past, as outlined
in a brief history that's placed on every table. It's earned
multiple mentions in the "Best of the Northwest"
guides and a "Best Cook In Whatcom County Award."
When we got home and unwrapped the desserts we'd gotten to
go, my husband brightened. The desserts were divine.
Eleni's' baklava was a dense square of walnuts and almonds
layered with filo dough and doused in honey. The delicate
dessert crunched as my fork cut through to its soft, syrupy
center.
The equally enchanting kourambethes were tall, moon-shaped
cookies completely covered in powdered sugar.
Now I look forward to another next visit to try Eleni's'
other Greek desserts of bougatsa and kataifi. But I think I'll
stop in on a Friday, in hopes of finding the Greek eatery
enjoying a contagiously happy crowd.
