To me, Greek cuisine inherently makes for quintessential fine casual. It’s hearty, affordable, simple, and for the most part healthy and lite. It all lines up perfectly, at Saloniki, the Jody Adams co-founded Greek eatery with locales in Harvard Square and the edge of the MIT campus and Boston.
Sure, Saloniki is best known for their pita pockets with pork, chicken (crispy or grilled thigh) and zucchini fritters. You can also choose your proteins as salad or plated with rice and pita. Plus, Saloniki has killer sides (spicy lamb meatballs, chicken souvlaki skewers and spanakopita). There are addictive Greek donuts. New for summer is beat the heat treat: Greek froyo. The donuts have toppings choices, and the froyo has its own variations: sour cherry, honey and baklava, Dubai chocolate (my daughter’s a fan) and sea salt and olive oil. When we were in the midst of that mini-heat blast last week, I dialed in on the sea salt and olive oil. It felt more genuinely Greek, plus sea salt has always been a hot draw for me. The choice was righteous, first, because the vanilla-ish froyo base was smoothly rich and creamy but not sugary, best because it’s shockingly lite. The sea salt and adorning drizzle of olive oil played in flavorful symphony with the froyo, while offsetting it, and at moments, each took center stage as it all pleasantly melted in my mouth.
Other summertime menu adds include new sides. The lightly crispy lemon potatoes offer a combo of zest and pucker, with all the herbs and light seasoning, while a loaded version brings Greek cheese crumble, Kalamata olives and scallions. The Greek chicken sub is similar to the chicken pita, swapping out tzatziki sauce for feta and a puffy, warm and pliable bread not too far off from the house wrap. Think of it as a Greek salad wrap with chicken and French fries, though I usually skip the fries. The chicken thigh meat that they use is spiced just right, with well-practiced grilling that seals in the dark meat’s natural juiciness and savory flavor.
On the affordability front, Saloniki (from the Greek port of Thessaloniki, where Adam’s co-founder Eric Papachristos grew up), offers a three-side nosh for under $15. The spicy lamb meatballs come atop a smear of tzatziki sauce with chili oil are out of this world, and Yia-Yia’s soup — a thick, savory white bean and tomato blend — makes for homey, rib grabbing comfort. Your other choices among the many are those newly added lemon potatoes — loaded or not — and a chopped Greek salad. Combo up to your desire and mood, you can’t lose.
Saloniki is part of the A Street Hospitality Group, started by Adams and Papachristos with Jon Mendez. Adams, a James Beard award winner, famously ran Rialto in the space in the Charles Hotel where Bar Enzo has set up shop. Saloniki currently has five locations — the two here in Cambridge and then across the Charles in Fenway, Newbury Street and Beacon Hill. The decor is fairly universal, open and spare, inviting, but not homey. The Harvard Square outpost on Dunster Street has a bar where you can get Greek-themed cocktails — the menu rotates — and Greek beer and wine. The MIT branch serves only beer and wine.
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Have a favorite dish or dine out spot that we’ve not covered and think we should? Email Tom Meek at tmeek@cambridgeday.com.
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