You’re stuffed to the gills from all the Thanksgiving feasting, but Black Friday and the malls call. It’s an American ritual of shop-’til-you-drop engineered chaos that feels not too far off from one of those dystopian “Purge” flicks, and you won’t catch me fighting the masses for 30 percent off – for me Friday is a day to ruminate, rest and catch up on movies. That said, if you must venture out and you find yourself at Somerville’s Assembly Row, let me steer you to an oasis for a quick, zesty change-up from turkey and gravy gorging after bumping elbows with the deal-seeking hordes: Zo’s Greek.
I fell in love with Zo’s when it was (and still is) a food truck down at Dewey Square in Boston hawking golden griddled pita folds stuffed with juicy chicken gyros and rich, creamy tzatziki. It was a mess to eat, especially considering the feat was done balancing a wrapper on your lap sitting at a park bench with far too few napkins for your gooey fingers. (A problem well worth the minor messy foibles.) Since then, Zo has gone storefront with quick service in the Financial District and a full-on, sit-down restaurant in Assembly Row that opened before Covid.
Zo’s serves lunch and dinner at an inviting bar, smattering of cafe tables, a takeout counter and, during warmer months, a patio space. Gyros, meze and spanakopita are on the menu and consistent and solid, but let’s talk lemon and octopus, cornerstones of Greek cuisine that light up one’s taste buds.
First, the classic avgolemono soup of chicken and rice with lemon – warm chicken noodle comfort with a slightly zesty zing.
Then there’s the octopus, well grilled yet tender and moist, with a combination of lemon, olive oil, onions and capers adding a tangy yum for a succulent indulgence.
A surprise superstar is Zo’s char-grilled chicken wings. Marinated in olive oil, lemon and Greek herbs and spices, they’re super lean, juicy and fall-off-the-bone easy to eat, with a spicy zest that brings what’s familiar to a flavorful newness, addictive yet guilt free because you’re not eating fried.
Another reason to hit Zo’s is a menu of Greek white wines. It’s too bad these are largely ignored outside Greek restaurants, because they’re such excellent (and consistent) dry drinking wines.
Love or hate the food halls popping up, convenient upscale dining embedded in venues of business and retail is a thing. The concept offers diverse tastes and quality – or so that has been the experience at Assembly row, where you can go from Greek (Zo’s) to Japanese (Yakitori Totto) or even Vietnamese (An Nam), let alone the familiar comforts of classic American (Legal Sea Foods, Civility Social Club and Salt & Stone).
Zo Greek, 355 Revolution Drive, Assembly Square, Somerville
Tom Meek is a writer living in Cambridge. His reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in the WBUR ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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