NYC Dining: Taverna Kyclades

Taverna Kyclades
33-07 Ditmars Boulevard, Astoria NY
(718) 545-8666

Web Site: http://www.tavernakyclades.com

Taverna Kyclades in Astoria, Queens has a nice outdoor dining area and specializes in fresh seafood cooked in Mediterranean/Greek style.

As I have written in my previous posts about Telly’s Taverna and Kabab Cafe, Astoria, Queens has now become my go-to place to eat lunch or dinner before heading out on a trip, given that LaGuardia has now become my preferred airport to travel from.

Astoria has many, many Greek restaurants, some of which are old established restaurants such as Telly’s Taverna, Uncle George’s (Papa Georgi) or Stamatis, and others are newer. One of the “newer” ones is Kyclades, a seafood specialist cafe which I had gotten a few nice recommendations about from Greek friends that really know their food.

Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

NJ Dining: A Taste of Greece 2.0 (UPDATED)

A Taste of Greece
935 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge NJ
(201)967-0029

Back in April of 2005 one of the first restaurants that I chose to profile during my 2-year stint as NJ Quick Bite writer was A Taste of Greece, a tiny Greek takeout in River Edge. One of the things I liked about this restaurant was its attention to detail and authenticity in its dishes, choosing to buck the “homogenized” Greek restaurant trend found in most Northern NJ Greek eateries with its real Pork Gyro and use of real imported Greek ingredients.

The original owners moved on two years later. One of them, Vasili Mastrokostas, went on to open Vasili’s Taverna in Teaneck. For a brief period A Taste of Greece was ran by the owner’s children and retained most of its original staff, and was recently sold to a new owner, Themis, a young, friendly, service-oriented and health-obsessed marathon runner. Themis took a rather unattractive, small takeout and put some money into the place, adding nice ceramic tile and other positive aesthetic changes, such as new wooden tables and chairs.

Themis has kept much of the restaurant’s original flavor (including its signature pork gyro) and has added more fresh and healthy Mediterranean dishes such as more grilled seafood plates. I actually think the place is a better restaurant now and is more compatible with my current lifestyle, and along with my other favorite Mediterranean options in the local area, such as Joeyness and Bennies, has now become one of my favorite places to eat well and eat healthier.

A Taste Of Greece on Kinderkamack Road in River Edge, Photo April of 2005.

A Taste of Greece’s new owner, Themis. Themis is extremely accommodating to special requests (such as low-carbing the entrees) and is himself a health and fitness nut.

You too will want A Taste of Greece. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.

NJ Dining: Adonisa’s (CLOSED)

NOTE: Adonisa’s has closed.

Adonisa’s Greek Restaurant
200 Main Street, Fort Lee NJ
(201)944-9462

Fort Lee is one of my favorite dining destinations in Northern New Jersey, because it is an incredibly bustling town — practically a micro-city in itself, and home to a diverse ethnic population, which includes a large group of Asians, which includes Koreans, Japanese and Chinese. Traditionally Fort Lee was home to a very strong Italian-American population, but in the last 20 years, its demographics have swung towards the previously mentioned Asian group, whose affluence have transformed the Northern New Jersey town and the surrounding area into a mecca for Asian eating.

However lately, a number of new Non-Asian eateries in Fort Lee have popped up, Mediterranean-style in particular. My current favorite is the two-table takeout Joeyness on the far end of Main Street which specializes in Lebanese Falafel and Kebab sandwiches. However a new Greek restaurant/cafe, Adonisa’s has just opened up across the street from the Main Street Borders bookstore. It should be noted Fort Lee has had a Greek restaurant for many years now — a local branch of the It’s Greek To Me chain which recently moved to a bigger location on Palisades Avenue, but I never thought the food at any of the branches was anything special.

Adonisa’s is a legit and wonderful small Greek restaurant in the heart of Fort Lee. Click on the “Read the rest of this entry” link below for more.