Zenon |
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| 34-10 31st Ave. | |
| Astoria, NY 11106-1433 | |
| 718-956-0133 | |
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Hours:
Open 11:30 a.m. to midnight daily. | |
At Zenon, a cozy Greek taverna, the exact opposite seems to be true. Every day, there are specials that live up to the name.
For instance, when we had dinner on a Tuesday, arni fasolakia, which translates to lamb with string beans, had been a special but had proved so popular that it sold out. We were, however, in time to get a giant wedge of what just might be the best pastitsio, a kind of Greek lasagna made with bechamel sauce, we had ever eaten. Louvia, black-eyed peas cooked with Swiss chard, also was still available, and while it would make a satisfying vegetarian entree, it was a simple, yet delicious, side dish.
But we are getting ahead of the story.
You will want to begin with an assortment of appetizers, or meze, both hot and cold.
Appetizers are, for the most part, not uncommon, but they are uncommonly good.
Loukanika, Cypriot sausages, were garlicky and delicious. Fried calamari was crisp and tender, and sliced "Cyprus fries," freshly made rounds of potato, were addictively good. The calamari or octopus also may be ordered grilled over charcoal.
Cold appetizers and dips were equally appealing: tzatziki made of yogurt, garlic and cucumber; eggplant salad; the garlic-and-mashed potato dip called skordalia; tarama, which is carp roe, made into a dip.
Each day, there is something to look forward to. On Monday, pork cooked in red wine; on Wednesday, spring lamb grilled over charcoal, and stifado, a stew of rabbit and onions, and so on. That splendid pastitsio is available on Thursday and Sunday, as well as Tuesday.
From the regular menu, we chose lamb chops, which were perfectly cooked to order and of excellent quality, and jumbo shrimp scampi simply prepared with garlic and oil. Many entrees come with savory potatoes cooked in the meat juices.
Honeyed baklava, the Greek pastry made with walnuts, and yogurt drizzled with honey and topped with walnuts were fine desserts. But the best finale of all was the Greek coffee, made using a handsome, rustic coffeemaker that heats the fine-ground coffee and water the traditional, requisite three times on a bed of sand. Order it sketo (a plain deep brew), metrio (medium) or glyko (sweet).
Reviewed by Sylvia Carter, 9/12/2003.
