1. We must find a way to be outside today; weather is permitting.
2. Somewhere quiet, tucked away, and patio seating.
3. Must have visual and auditory interest.
4. Food has to be hot, beers have to be cold, and the service....perfect.
(Spontaneous and cognizant. Somewhat absorbed but occupied. Foreboding yet inconspicuous.)
A tall order indeed, and with a criteria as specific as this one, I have a confession to make...I already know where we are going. It is our "go to," ace in the pocket, fits all occassions, never let us down kind of location. Home of the Blue the White and the Blue, The Greek Corner. Many memories for LBC start and end here and we will share with you the latest entry. If you are one of our followers on Facebook ( lunchboxcrew.oralndo) the picture to the left was our check in photo, find it...and you will be at the best seat in the house. Go, go now...
Complimentary ouzo for the table and as one of our followers on twitter said, "Nice! That ouzo looks straight up too cuz it usually turns milky when mixed w/water. @Skylahnite" Good eye we said, our followers know their food and most certainly know their booze. On to the food.
I introduce to you, the Hot Mezze (Lg) In front, you have dolma's; grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs. You can taste the quality olive oil they use for the leaves and rice, almost fruity. To the right, taramosalata; red caviar whipped with olive oil and lemon. Fights break out when this plate hits the table over this stuff. Salty but cut by the richness of the extra virgin and the acid from the lemon. The texture is similar to whipped cream cheese with the roe studded all throughout, perfect with gilled pita bread. To the left, piles of gyro meet; one of the best vehicles to eat beef and lamb all in one shot. There is something to be said about the crispy exterior from the rotisserie and the heavily seasoned interior of the loaf; how about "flawless?"
As you pan over the bowl of tzatziki, you will find thin slices of roasted lamb leg layered up next to the gyro meet. Full on lamb flavor with a hint of familiar Mediterranean herbs such as garlic and oregano and just the right amount of salt. At 11 o'clock, gilled Greek sausage with orange peel and fennel seed running throughout. Orange and fennel has to be one of my favorite flavor combinations, lay on a layer of smoke and that buttery emulsion of animal fat and protein, then you really have something phenomenal. 12 o'clock, melitzanosalata; you would never guess how sweet an eggplant could be until you roasted it, then muddled it with generous amounts of lemon, garlic, olive oil, and herbs.
As we come around the bend you will find stacks of marinated feta cheese. Feta is an LBC top 5 favorite cheese. You just cannot top that briny flavor of the sheep's milk curds. You will find feta again in those wedges of spinach and phyllo also known as spanakopita. I think frank g said it best when he said these particular ones were like Greek grilled cheese sandwiches. The amount of filling was spot on, like patties of spinach and feta and just enough phyllo to hold it all together. Last on the plate was grilled chicken breast, I think to break things up; good flavor, cooked perfectly, no complaints there. Be mindful of the olives dotting the plate...they have pits! Oh, did I mention all of this can be had for only $20! Everything on this plate was solid! So, if your looking for a dish of individual proportions, choose a plate that showcases the same make but a different model; get our drift? Sausage Souvlaki, Marathon Sandwich, Gyro, you get the picture.
We order a round of Mythos, take a trip down memory lane (a story about Frank's whole broiled snapper and the consumption on an eyeball) Ask us one day or better yet, go there, order up some ouzo's, and let us know who in your group ate the eyeball. Speaking of ouzo's, our server brought over a second round, bid us adieu, and we left the "unofficial" offices of LBCstudios with yet another memory to talk about over our next occasion.
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