Patxi's Pizza

Location: Palo Alto, CA
Cuisine type: pizza! Chicago style deep dish
Atmosphere: casual, modern design
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.4

Nina

Chicago style deep dish pizza is one of those timeless classics that’s simple in essence, but hard to get right. I find it almost poetic how well it brings the words “pizza” and “pie” together. What can be so difficult about deep dish pizza, you may ask? After all, it’s just dough with high edges, cheese and sauce (extra toppings entirely optional). Well, everything. The crust is quite unique, it has to cook through while loaded with toppings, and develop a crunchy crust on the outside while remaining moist and flaky on the inside; it has to absorb enough of the sauce to blend smoothly, but not enough to become a soggy mess and lose its texture. The cheese is not as complex (basic mozzarella is all that it takes), though it simply has to be much thicker than a regular pizza can withstand - half an inch is not uncommon, and while it may sound obscene it is exactly what needs to happen to make the experience complete. Finally, the sauce - this isn’t much different than any other pizza sauce (in fact, many places serving Chicago style pizza also make regular and thin crusts using the same sauce), but the quality and flavor matter so much more when you expect it by the cupful rather than a thin film on the bottom of each slice. Strong herbal flavors and rich, slowly cooked tomatoes are a must and the right consistency is important to hold up to the thick layering.
Now that I went to such great lengths to explain why Chicago style deep dish is so sublime, it will make my job much easier to talk about Patxi’s. After suffering a couple of bitter disappointments elsewhere in the area, we had almost resolved to saving our deep dish cravings for our next visit to Chicago, when I heard about this place. On an evening drive from SFO, it was actually not too far out of the way (and we were so hungry), so perfect excuse to stop by this spot in Palo Alto. Pro tip: chicago style pizza takes a *long* time to bake, so call ahead. Because it’s, well, deep dish, it can take almost an hour between the time you place your order and the time the pizza is ready to serve. If you’re going for a casual, fun meal with a group and are planning to order drinks and appetizers, that may not be such a big problem. However, if you’re hungry or just want to get in and out more quickly, you can call ahead and place your order and they will get it started for you. That way, we waited less than 20 minutes between the time we entered the restaurant to the time we had a hot, steamy pizza in front of us.
We ordered something a bit unorthodox for a Chicago style deep dish - mushroom and prosciutto (usually, you see them in cheese only or pepperoni for a kick). I realize now there is a good reason why the more strongly flavored protein is usually preferred, since the delicate and subtle prosciutto gets a little lost in the midst of all the rich flavors of the pie. However, getting back to our meal, I can say I am very impressed with what I was presented. The crust had just the right texture, and the flavors were rich and balanced. The layer of cheese and the layer of sauce were both a little lighter than what I have had in the Windy City, but on the other hand that made the pizza overall feel lighter and we were able to finish a small pizza between the two of us, leaving us satisfied but not hopelessly stuffed by the end.
Huge props to Patxi’s for doing justice to such an amazing Chicago staple. I will definitely be recommending them to anyone looking for a taste of the Midwest, and I will return when I miss a taste of the Chicago deep dish wonder.

Food 9
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 9
Value 8

Ben

We finally found a legitimate Chicago style pizza in the bay area. A vibrant place in downtown Palo Alto, the place is really hopping with a good mix of younger and older crowd. The food is truly authentic chicago deep-dish style, thick, gooey, and generous. My only comment is that the ownership may have been in california a little too long and forgotten about that next level of possible decadence (though I understand some might perceive the amount of cheese given at pizzerias in chicago as “obscene” rather than decadent). The food was definitely as good as could be expected outside Chicago, and at reasonable prices for the location and quality of the restaurant. The inside is well decorated with Chicago icons, and is a lively and fun place. A good drink menu of craft beers and wines rounds out the selection of pizzas and italian classics. Like any good quality pizza restaurant, it has a good range from a low-key / intimate pizza meal to a large group meal / informal business dinner place.

Food 9
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 7
Value 7

Chef Yu

Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Cuisine type: Chinese
Atmosphere: authentic, family/banquet style seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.75

Nina

We seeked out this restaurant on the hearty recommendation of a friend who declared this was the single best Chinese place he’s ever tried in the Bay Area. On first impression, it certainly looks more authentic and more welcoming than many other places we’ve tried. The restaurant is composed of two large dining areas with a few small tables and many more large, banquet style round tables (with lazy susans in the middle to facilitate family style sharing). The walls were decorated with mirrors and framed calligraphy scrolls that really gave an authentic feel to the space. When we entered, we were quickly and courteously seated at one of the small tables, and shortly afterwards we got our teapot with green jasmine tea and glasses of water.
I just had to order the Shanghai soup dumplings, and they were definitely worth it. The dough shell of the dumplings was delicate and very thin, to the point where they would break if not picked up gently enough, but that really gave them a lightness that was quite enjoyable. The broth was flavorful and savory with an earthy tone, and the pork meatball inside was tender. At this point we also ordered a carafe of house white wine (Chablis), since it was incredibly cheap. The quality was mediocre, though I wasn’t expecting anything different at $6 for 3-4 glasses of wine, and simply the mild acidity of the wine was a welcome complement to the rich flavors of the meal.

My entree of choice was the Mushu pork, which turned out to be the single most delicious Chinese dish I’ve ever had - and I don’t say that lightly. At a high level, there was nothing too far out of the ordinary about it - a stir-fry of pork, cabbage, egg, carrots and scallions, served with hoisin sauce and thin, tortilla-like wraps (which they called crepes on the menu). However, the balance between the ingredients, the uniformity of the cuts, the textural variety and perfect flavor they achieved in this dish made it just divine. I finished the very last bit of food on that plate, and really enjoyed the crepe and sauce combination with the meat and vegetables.
Going back to the reason why we tried this restaurant, at this point I certainly agree with my friend that this is the best Chinese restaurant I’ve ever tried. I am looking forward to going back to try other dishes to check if this qualifier holds, or I just had a very fortunate experience.

Food 10
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9

Ben

This is clearly a favorite among the local Chinese population, and is a giant, multi-room place with probably 50 tables. The whole restaurant is impressive, from the dozens of host/wait staff running around to the elegant walls decorated with a variety of calligraphies and murals. There are lazy suzan seating tables for larger groups, as well as standard tables. For how huge it is (we ate in the entrance room, which was a large room, and just saw the entrance to what appeared to be another large room) it is extraordinary how packed it is. We started out with some shanghai soup dumplings served in the bamboo dumpling steamer. They were fresh and really perfectly made, soft and slightly sticky on the outside - no chewy or rubberiness at all - and a tasty, fresh pork meatball on the inside. Nina and I shared Mushu Pork (pork, cabbage, egg, carrots, scallions) served with thin crepes and hoisin sauce, while I ordered Marni’s Chicken to try out their Szechuan specialty (spicy chicken with scallions, bell peppers, jalapenos and carrots). The mushu pork struck me as a dish I would happily eat every day for lunch.It has a light, airy feel, with all ingredients cut to about the same size and shape and a look almost like a salad, and is a really tasty, crisp, fresh, yet hearty bite with a subtle sauce with just a little acidity and salt ties it all together. It’s really a great dish in its simplicity and much better than it sounds (I don’t know what is hidden in the magic sauce) on paper. The Marni’s chicken was exactly the powerful, spicy kick I was looking for in a reputed Szechuan restaurant, and I absolutely loved it (the portion size was big enough that I had a spicy, delicious start to the next day). I found the cheap table wine (only $6 for a half carafe, about 1.5 glasses each) we purchased to be the absolute perfect wine for the occasion - a white wine (chablis) that would be nothing to rave about on its own, but crisp enough to refresh the palate, and I believe a more refined wine would really be lost next to the intensely spicy food. There’s a reason why this place is such a hit among the local Chinese, it is 100% authentic (looks, feels and tastes like restaurant I went to in Shanghai) and I really enjoyed their food and found the price was good for the quality (Appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 wine tax and tip for ~$45-50).

Food 10
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9

Cha Cha Sushi

Location: San Jose, CA
Website: www.chachasushi.com
Cuisine type: Sushi
Atmosphere: cozy cafe
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.3

Nina

Small space, cafe style seating with sushi bar option, unassuming facade on a strip mall, I didn’t really expect anything exceptional. However, I was in for a surprise, the food really delivered and the lunch menu value was great.
Without necessarily planning it this way, I picked an all salmon menu. I ordered the lunch combination meal with two components($10), teriyaki salmon and salmon sashimi. In addition, I couldn’t resist also ordering the salmon roe sashimi, which despite the general sashimi descriptor of “4 slices” came in a pretty pile of pink-orange gems.

The lunch combination included a small salad and miso soup, pretty routine for many Japanese sushi restaurants. The salad was quite bland, with a few watery iceberg lettuce chunks topped with a small amount of shaved carrots and drenched in a ranch-style dressing. The miso soup was more flavorful, though nothing out of the ordinary. I was, however, surprised, when the server came to our table with a small plate with two very large mussels dressed with a pickled spicy dressing and explained that it was an appetizer on the house. It was quite a delicious bite, striking a good balance between the tender mussel meat and the bright acidity of the dressing.

Finally, it was time for the main course. The teriyaki salmon was fairly pale in color (so I can eliminate wild sockeye as an option), but perfectly cooked, to the point where it had a smooth and almost creamy texture on the inside and a very slight crunch on the outside where the teriyaki glaze caramelized on the grill. The sashimi was even better, with the meat clearly fresh tasting and well cut, with a melt-in-your mouth texture. Last but not least, the row was also very fresh and well presented. I was impressed that none of the pearls were soft or oozing, which indicates both freshness and care in handling.
Overall, this place is quite the hidden gem in the busy parking lot of this strip mall. The many positive reviews it received are well deserved, and it’s a great value particularly for lunch combinations.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 6
Service 8
Value 8

Mission Bowling Club

Location: San Francisco, Mission
Cuisine type: classic American with modern twist
Atmosphere: casual, loud (also a bowling alley)
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8

Ben

A unique place - this is a legitimate bowling alley with 6-8 (?) lanes, that places a real emphasis on their food as much as the bowling. The place has an attractive, hip interior with modern looking seating and bowling lanes, and is located in the middle of the Mission neighborhood in SF. The bowling prices (on the order of ~50-60$ / hr / lane) almost certainly preclude bowling outings for the average family.The target demographic, and resulting clientele, seems to be a very yuppie / hipster place - of which there is, fortunately, no shortage of in SF. The menu is a single double sided sheet, including all the entrees (bar food, burgers / sandwiches), appetizers, beers and wines. I went with what I was advised as a favorite, the “Mission Burger” (1/2 lb aged and granulated beef patty, Monetery Jack, grilled onion, caper aioli). It was juicy and, pretty much, perfect (I had had a couple of beers at the time and I was really digging in at the moment). The fries were hashed and thinly fried to a crunchy sort of fusion between fries and potato chips that, as far as fried potatoes go, I wouldn’t call my favorite. The place is definitely lively and a lot of fun, the food was overall tasty to me and also seemed popular with the rest of group. The beer selection is a great mix of local and international favorites (be warned: $26 / pitcher adds up), and the full bar has a large selection of quality spirits. The service was timely and friendly, and the bowling section appeared to me to be as good as any. This place is definitely a lot of fun if taken for what it is; a courageous ( visionary?) type of modern upscale bowling alley / restaurant & bar attracting generally a young-professional crowd, quality bar foods and great drink selection.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 6

Nina

Judging by the name, this place would not have been my first choice for dinner - I was surprised they even served food. However, I wasn’t the one who made the reservation, so I am glad I was able to discover this unique spot. Think bowling lanes meet classic American eatery with a modern twist. The atmosphere is casual, the decor is tasteful and bowling themed (pins on the bar shelves and the menu), and the dining area is grouped at the front of the restaurant, though the noise level is pretty high due to a combination of the bowling lanes and people getting into the competitive spirit. The price for the lanes was surprisingly high ($55/hour), though I don’t really have a term of comparison in the city, while the food was reasonable though not cheap at $10-$18 for most entrees.

I shared in on some of the draft beer pitchers that were ordered at our table, and I enjoyed the variety that they offered. My entree was a jerk pork shoulder sandwich, which had a nice, deep smoky flavor from the figwood chips they used on the pork. It was topped with a fresh and crunchy jicama and grapefruit salad which created a nice balance in both texture and flavor. The citrus was more reminiscent of tangerine on my palate, though it was too dim to tell for sure which one it was - it worked great either way, so I didn’t think it mattered too much. The sandwich came with a side of home fried crispy chips - an handful, but enough to go along with the sandwich.
I couldn’t resist ordering dessert since their entire selection was quite unique - even though it was really hard to decide, I was glad I ordered the buttermilk panna cotta with baby fennel and rhubarb. It looks like they make seasonal variations to this dish in terms of garnishes, but what stays the same is the tart and sweet delicate cream of the panna cotta. The baby fennel was thinly shaved on top, with a crisp and flavorful touch. Finally, the rhubarb had a mildly pickled flavor that complemented the buttermilk tartness quite well. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this simple and small dessert despite the sweetness level being quite low.
The Mission Bowling Club is a cool trendy spot to hang out with friends, grab and drink and get competitive over a game of bowling.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 6

Thai Idea Vegetarian

Location: San Francisco, Little Siam
Website: www.thaiideaveggie.com
Cuisine type: Thai vegetarian
Atmosphere: modern cafe, authentic decor
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.4

Nina

After a good experience at a vegetarian restaurant in Mountain View, we were intrigued when we ran across this little place in Little Siam. This restaurant went even further with an almost completely vegan menu and a only a handful of vegetarian selections (which could be ordered in their vegan version, that is to say egg free). The restaurant was very small, with the typical cafe style seating we are used to for Thai places, but with tasteful decor and comfortable benches along the walls. Then again, for the real estate prices in San Francisco it’s not surprising that businesses have to do more with less - these guys did it well.
The water they brought us tasted a little off, at first we suspected soap. Turns out they actually have sliced cucumbers in their water before they pour out in glasses, which does add a fresh touch (which we enjoyed once we realized it was intentional). They also brought us more water in a green glass bottle, which actually went well with their color scheme. The tea we ordered came in a cool looking teapot, though the actual tea was a Trader Joe’s packet of jasmine green tea - tasty nonetheless.

I ordered the yellow lamb curry (medium spicy), which came out in an artsy bowl adorned with a beautiful fresh lettuce leaf. The onions maintained some of their crunch, but unfortunately so did the potatoes, which were a little bit undercooked. The curry liquid was creamy and rich, with a small kick and the mild and smooth flavor characteristic of yellow curry. The “lamb” was just ok, the texture and density were pretty close to the real thing, and the flavor was rich and savory, though not quite lamb-like. Overall, the dish was pretty tasty and the menu was comprehensive and reasonably priced, so Thai Idea was a good find for a quick and satisfying lunch close to the Civic Center.

Food 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 9
Service 9
Value 8

Ben

A vegetarian thai place with all the classics except the meats (standard entrees of beef, pork, chicken, shrimp) were all artificial and vegetarian. I was a little disappointed to hear the standard meats were all soy based. I had the “beef” Pad woonsen. The noodles were delicious, the “beef” was not so great. The presentation was gorgeous (see pictures) - topped with stringed beet noodles over the dish. The dish was a pretty good portion and the mushrooms, egg, onion and tomatoes were all fantastic as well. The beef had a rubbery tofu texture and a bitter tofu taste. The drink menu was very small, and the Jasmine tea was a bagged Trader Joe’s.

It is a cozy, tame and pleasant atmosphere, an easy place for conversation. I really enjoyed Nina’s yellow curry (a thick, heavily flavored slightly spicy broth), though the lamb meat was also pretty bitter - though better tasting than the beef. I found the prices a little higher than expected(~12-15$ / entree), though they do an excellent job on presentation and preparation, aside from the meats. Overall a decent place if you are of the vegetarian persuasion … I might advise just ordering a dish and tell them to omit the “meats” altogether - as in my opinion it only detracts from what otherwise were great dishes.

Food 7
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 7

Wang's Kitchen

Location: Milpitas, CA
Website: wangskitchenusa.com/
Cuisine type: Chinese Indian fusion
Atmosphere: cafe style seating, open dining room
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.5

Nina

We stumbled on this place on its grand opening day - it’s a medium sized restaurant with cafe style seating and glass walls on three sides which identifies itself as a Chinese Indian fusion. There wasn’t a big crowd as one might expect on an opening day, even though they were offering an amazing deal - 50% off the entire bill today and tomorrow to launch their new place. The down side was that with this deal they didn’t offer carryout for these two days, but we were intrigued enough to change plans and eat at the restaurant. The menu seemed more Chinese than Indian, but there were a few dishes that seemed to represent the fusion aspect nicely.
The service still needed some kinks ironed out, as one might expect from a brand new place with new staff. The waiters were a little awkward, there was a guy walking between the tables collecting dishes on a rolling cart that was a bit of an eye sore and also making somewhat arbitrary decisions on what to take and what to leave (he took away my tea cup even though I was still drinking from it, but left the dirty bowls on our table for a little while even though we were done).
My first course was a Lung Fung soup - I ordered a little bowl which was definitely plentiful. It was a garlic creamy soup with mushrooms (which seemed like they might have come from a can, but were still tasty), chicken and egg whites, and garnished with parsley and scallions. The flavor was quite a bit richer than any egg drop soup I’ve had before, and the creamy texture contrasted nicely with the crispy scallions and tender mushrooms.

Even though it took quite a while to get the soup (almost half an hour), my entree came 5 or 10 minutes later, so I had both on the table until I was able to finish the soup. I ordered the Manchurian lamb, which seems to be one of the most representative Chinese Indian fusion flavor profiles. The dish, as most others, came with two options - dry or gravy. It wasn’t gravy in the traditional American sense, but rather a thick sauce that came with the meat as opposed to a dry rub. My dry flavored lamb was perfectly cooked and had a warm spiciness that was just hot enough to be fun, but milk enough to not be overwhelming. The Hakka noodles that we shared on the side were a noodle version of fried rice - with vegetables and bean sprouts, and a lightly oily sauce that was just enough to flavor the dish wihout making it too heavy.

Food 8
Drinks 7
Atmosphere 7
Service 6
Value 8

Ben

We were looking to grab a meal by a plaza near our place with primarily Chinese markets / restaurants, and stumbled on this place and saw it happened to be their grand opening. A Chinese / Indian fusion restaurant with locations around the world, this is their first restaurant in the in the U.S. They wouldn’t let us take food to go, since they had a 50% off special for their opening so we stayed anyway. Aside from the lack of an option for takeout, there were quite a few other growing pains (which I do find completely forgivable as it is their first night in operation, but I will list anyway). The service was a little awkward between the waiter and hostess to seat us, and they split a double table as we sat down, despite several empty tables. We ordered two soups, a Manchow chicken (which lacked the fried noodles in the description), and an egg-white chicken soup. We did wait about 30 minutes before the soup was out after we ordered. They were both very intricately flavored, served with fresh herbs and strong flavors (though with what we presumed were canned mushrooms) , definitely a full step above most soups I ever have at Chinese restaurants.

After such a long wait for the soups, the entrees were brought out only a couple of minutes later, before we were halfway through the soup, crowding the table. We ordered a manchurian lamb (dry, with the option of gravy or no gravy.. they even said they can’t serve the gravy on the side.. weird) and a blackbean gravy spicy prawn dish. They were both very generous portions and I found them to be delicious and both the lamb and prawns were perfectly cooked. We also had a good noodle dish that was randomly brought a couple minutes later. While the whole time we were chuckling at the little awkwardnesses, I have to say they had someone who knew what they were doing in the kitchen, amongst the chaos the food surprised me that it was really spot-on. They serve a fresh oolong tea with the meal, and the drink menu is pretty limited, with tea/coffee, salt lassi, sweet lassi, mango lassi, milk, and soda. The restaurant is one large open room with several tables, which gives it a little bit of an empty feel despite having a good amount of customers. The decoration is a little in-progress, with oriental panel walls along the entrance, and the rest of the restaurant sparsely decorated. The value is pretty good (even without the 50% discount), with most entrees around $10. Overall I think it is a pretty quality place, especially once they iron out a few of the small issues, and think based on the food itself, they have a chance to establish themselves among an area so densely populated with restaurants.

Food 9
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8

Bistro Siam

Location: Santa Clara, CA
Website: bistrosiam.com
Cuisine type: Thai
Atmosphere: chic cafe
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.6

Nina

Even though this is an unassuming looking restaurant (from the outside) in a row of small restaurants in a small strip mall, the inside it quite charming. The dining room is adorned with modern chic panels with an authentic feel. It felt like the staff was a bit overwhelmed, as they were really only cleaning tables as they needed them freed up for new customers (and towards the end of our meal, as the dinner crowd was dwindling and closing time was nearing they started catching up). We were first thinking of taking out, but the cozy cafe atmosphere enticed it to sit down and enjoy dinner there.

Drinks were pretty standard - hot tea, sodas and water, didn’t seem like they had a liquor license. I was a little disappointed that they were actually out of duck, but instead I ordered a medium hot seafood green curry with eggplant, carrots and green beans. I mentioned that I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the bell peppers that were listed on the menu and the server volunteered to place in a special order to keep out the peppers. Unfortunately, that didn’t actually happen, there were peppers sprinkled throughout my dish. The curry was very creamy and rich, with a mild flavor and slight spicy kick. The crunch of the vegetables contrasted really well with the luscious curry, and I ate every last bite.
This restaurant is a hidden neighborhood jewel, with a solid menu, good food and very reasonable prices.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 8
Service 8
Value 9

Ben

A strip mall restaurant of one large open room. The walls are covered with assorted and colorful ornamentation, and is actually pretty interesting collection. There were two servers and a decent crowd. The menu is a pretty typical thai place, though the drink selection is tiny (no wines, sodas available in cans). The service was a little slow but friendly. They did mistake our order in two ways; the first they gave us both mixed seafood instead of one with shrimp, and after an extended dialogue about how Nina didn’t want bell peppers they were shockingly served in her plate. I ordered a Pad Krapow stir fried seafood with bamboo shoots, bell pepper, onion, carrot and basil leaves. The seafood was all pretty well cooked and a good variety as well - definitely worth the upgrade versus beef or pork. The portion was pretty small, but extremely spicy (I asked for the hottest option and was not disappointed). Nothing remarkable to say about the restaurant, but the food was overall flavorful and it is a solid option for some authentic and pretty low-priced Thai food if you find yourself in the area.

Food 8
Drinks 6
Atmosphere 7
Service 7
Value 8

MYTH Taverna & Lounge

Location: San Jose, CA
Website: mythsj.com/myth-greek-restaurant
Cuisine type: Greek, Mediterranean modern
Atmosphere: modern decor, dim lighting, patio lounge style seating
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.9

Nina

This place is lost somewhere on the back streets of downtown San Jose and looks very unassuming from the outside. However, on the inside it lives up to the name of lounge - the dining room has a chic decor, with comfortable table seating and a long, modern bar stretching the length of the dining room. On top of that, they have an outdoor patio (not really visible from the street, since it’s protected by a tall fence), which has space heaters surrounding the cafe style tables, and also features very lush wicker and pillows armchair and couch seating.
We ordered a cocktail to start out our late dinner experience - I got an Achilles Heel, which was a vodka based cocktail with limoncello, grenadine and egg white (don’t hold me to that exact composition, but it’s pretty close). To my slight disappointment, this cocktail served in a tall collins glass was presented with no fuss or decorations, and it was tasty but not amazing.

We ordered two things at once - a gyro saganaki and a pizza since we were starving and were hoping that the food would come sooner this way. After waiting for quite a while for our drinks, we waited some more for our first dish, the saganaki. It reminded me of a raclette, with a twist. The Greek cheese was gooey, creamy and really the star of the plate, it came with a good amount of gyro meat and also enough cherry tomatoes and red onion to give it a burst of freshness and even out the richness with some tanginess. Pita triangles became the vehicle for eating this dish, and it was really delightful.
After our plate was empty, and taken away, and some more time passed, it was becoming clear that our pizza was not coming. We finally caught our waiter’s attention and it turns out that the table next to us ordered the same thing around the same time, and only one pizza made it out of the kitchen (and they got it). After apologizing profusely, he made it that our chicken, bacon and mushroom pizza was out on our table in less than 10 minutes. I was a bit disappointed that the crust was not really crispy, it was basically a pita topped with cheese and generous chunks of meat and mushroom. The toppings were tasty, though the cheese became a little greasy and made the pizza just a tad too rich for me. The waiter tried to make up for the order mix-up by applying the employee discount to our bill, so we appreciated his effort.
As we were getting ready to leave, the were laying out a DJ stage and setting up a line along the sidewalk for the entrance. Unless they were over-preparing, it seems like this place really comes alive at night. Their food is pretty good, their bar selection is quite extensive and the atmosphere is relaxed and modern, so I would definitely recommend this place for a casual dinner and a cocktail.

Food 8
Drinks 8
Atmosphere 9
Service 8
Value 7

Ben

A greek restaurant / lounge with a good amount of outdoor seating mixed with an almost club lighting and feel on the inside. It was pretty surprising that around 7-8 PM on a Friday that it was so empty (2 -3 other tables with people), as I saw it as a pretty cool looking place. The food menu is a pretty elegant greek selection, though we were there mainly to try a couple of appetizers and cocktails. The Gyro saganaki was great - a melted cheese with onion and tomatoes served with dipping pitas. The chicken / bacon / mushroom pita crust pizza was a creamy, tasty dish as well. My manhattan was decent (though not that strong), and though I didn’t enjoy Nina’s ultra-heavy eggwhite cocktail “achilles heel.” The place did seem like it might light up a little more at night - they appeared to be setting up a stage, and based on the number of employees running around and bartenders I hope/assume they pull a larger crowd later at night than they do for dinner. The service was a little awkward - we ordered just 2 appetizers and the cocktails as he listened (and we were seemingly his only table), and even after he commented on the great choice we made in the pizza it wasn’t served with the appetizer. When we later questioned it appeared he had simply completely forgotten (though our cocktails were eabout finished and we were about ready to move on). The prices were around $11-13 for cocktails and $10-15 for appetizers, so it’s aiming for a higher end lounge. Overall it’s a pretty nice place to go, it just seems the popularity is not that high, and it was definitely a strange feel to be such a large place with so few people at peak dinner hours.

Food 8
Drinks 9
Atmosphere 9
Service 6
Value 7