I avoided Greek Taverna
for at least 3 years due to negative reviews I had heard from
unsatisfied customers. About 2 months ago before I went to Florida, my
mom and I decided to try it. We went inside to find a comfortable
environment (low volume music, nice decoration, kind waiters, and
fast service.) We started off our dinner with the traditional Greek
salad “Horiatiki,” (tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, capers, olives,
feta cheese, extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice dressing.) I only
had a few bites because this was the main portion of my mom's dinner,
but it was delicious!
My mother also ordered the
“Patates Psites Sto Fourno,” sliced oven baked potatoes with
olive oil, lemon, and herbs. I tried a few bites of this (which
was a great choice) the potatoes are cooked tenderly with a strong
lemon rosemaryish flavor that makes you want to eat more and more.
Finally when my dinner
came the chef had presented
my meal beautifully. The waitress brought over a clay pot filled with large
chunks of tender lamb in an orzo tomato sauce bath, to finalize this joyous creation the chef melted a creamy cheese on top of the bowl for
extra delight. I put the first piece of lamb on my dish and drizzled some orzo on the top, the aroma was overwhelming and
smelled like Christmas morning. Each bite was filled with strong,
sweet spice. The lamb seemed to be marinated in nutmeg and
cinnamon which blended well with the tomato; it was like an Italian
Christmas marinara. The lamb was tender and juicy and I had enough
to last me for about 4 solid days! The lamb dish I ordered was a
special at the Montclair Restaurant so I'm not sure how frequently it
is offered but it is well worth it!
We finished off our dinner
with traditional “Baklava” dessert (chopped almonds and walnuts
wrapped in phyllo dough with honey on top)
and “Tiramisu”
(ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, and Marsala)
The baklava was great as
most Greek restaurants make wonderful baklava. The Tiramisu was
also delicious and creamy. Over all our
dinner experience was successful and not badly priced for the meal.
Two weeks after my
dinner experience at Greek Taverna, I continued to tell my boyfriend
about how delicious their menu was and that we absolutely had to try
it. One night after dinner as we were sitting at home, my mother called and said she was bringing us dessert. She
walked in with a Greek Taverna bag and I was ecstatic! She pulled out
Baklava and Tiramisu; we quickly separated the dessert onto 3
plates and began feasting. I looked over at my boyfriends face and
noticed he had stopped eating. There was a large spot of brownish
green mold on the side of the dessert. My mother and I decided we
would bring the dessert back to the restaurant and let them know of this treachery.....
The owner apologized
continuously and offered to give us more dessert. He explained due to
the fact the dessert is fresh and contains no preservatives, air
probably contaminated it. We got our money back and did NOT take
dessert home with us. If I do end up eating at Greek Taverna again, I
would not soon be ordering their dessert. I understand things happen but It surprises me that the person who
placed the dessert in the to-go containers missed the LARGE spot of
dark mold on the cream colored dessert.....
Perhaps one day I shall
take another chance and return but for now I'll continue my passion
for Greek food at Greek Delights.
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