Gardens of Salonica: New Greek Cafe and Deli
Friday, July 15, 2016 at 9:55PM
Story and photos by Julie Craven
It's always a pleasure, and always informative, to catch Chef Heather Hartman’s cooking demos at the Mill City Farmer’s Market. After a recent demo we had a chance to visit and I asked about some of her favorite restaurants. “Have you been to see Anna at Gardens of Salonica?” she asked. Word of mouth truly is the best advertising!
Anna is Anna Christoforides. She and husband Lazaros are founders and owners of Gardens of Salonica located in the heart of the Northeast. Known for their traditional and modern Greek cuisine since opening in 1991, the emphasis is on local, all-natural and organic. The restaurant boasts a large appetizer section, a varied wine list and an easy going vibe.
We were on the early side and staff asked the next three groups who came in if they wanted their usual tables. A line started to form for takeout orders. Clearly lots of regulars, lots of familiar faces.
“All the entrees are amazing,” our server Brandon explained. Tonight's special was lamb riblets on jasmine rice with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce. “Think lollipop lamb chops,” Brandon advised. His other tip was on the other side of the menu, “it's popular for folks to order from the appetizer section and chose three items for the combination plate.”
According to Brandon, two of the most popular entrees are the Mousakas and the Pastitsio. Doug went with the Mousakas with meat sauce, layered with grilled eggplant and topped with bechamel. I had the Pastitsio, seasoned meat sauce on layers of imported pasta, also topped with bechamel and oven baked. Big hearty servings. Definitely shareable.
Chicken Angel Hair Pasta and Fava Bean soups were on the menu tonight - we both got the chicken soup, which is totally against our rule of not duplicating our orders when we try a new place! Yummy Greek-style chicken noodle soup, full of lemon flavor.
Greek sandwiches, including Gyros, Chicken Souvlaki, Pork Souvlaki and Soutzoukaki, are all wrapped in Greek pita with fresh tomatoes, onions, parsley, tzatziki and a side of hand-cut Greek fries. Gluten free wraps are also available.
Small and large platters that include a variety of the sandwich menu items are great options for family style dining.
Saganaki is a standard (the flambé show is always fun!) but Brandon claimed the Minnesota mushroom version of their saganaki, a frequent special menu addition, is even better. “I didn't even like mushrooms when I started working here, now it's my favorite.”
Dessert is all about the baklava. And in case that rich and flaky dessert isn’t enough, you can have it served with a scoop of ice cream on top. One of the Boughatsa desserts, hand-wrapped fillo pastries with lemon cream, chocolate hazelnut or apricot cream, are another sweet ending.
Anna is herself a noted Minneapolis food influencer. The table tent described an upcoming food tour of Greece she will lead and a recent post on her kitchen blog revealed the secret that beer and bread have in common (fermentation by yeast!) The Symposia Dinners, held on the third Wednesday of the month, are four-course, chef driven, wine-paired dinners with a guest presenter. The topics change, everything from accordion masters to beekeepers to nutritionists.
I forgot one thing though. I have a jar of tahini in my pantry that I meant to ask them about. What am I supposed to do with it?! Well, next time!
Location: 19 5th Street NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
Website: gardensofsalonica.com
Julie Craven can be reached at julie@millcitymedia.org.
