Zaro's Cafe

Small and unpretentious, Zaro's Cafe offers a happy mix of Italian and Greek cuisines at bargain prices. For close to a decade, the little eatery has been satisfying appetites with pizzas, spinach pies, and an assortment of homestyle Mediterranean specialties.
Begin with a hearty bowl of kale and sausage soup, the flavors deep and assertive. Greek egg lemon soup is citric but not harsh, soothing but not a bit boring.

Pastas here are portioned to feed at least two and priced at less than what it usually costs to feed one. Linguini Bolognese is delicious, the strands of al dente pasta coated with a lusty meat sauce. Ziti with broccoli comes in a red plum tomato sauce punctuated by lots of garlic; the bright green florets cooked to an optimal crisp-tender doneness.

Finish with baklava, made with either pistachio or walnuts. Both are sweet and fragrant.

Joan Reminick