Agnanti

Agnanti Is a Beguiling Greek Spot for Groups on a Budget | Eater NY

"Across the street from Astoria Park, we found Agnanti, run by Maria Lambrianidis and Spiro Sidorakis and situated at 19-06 Ditmars Boulevard (at 19th Street). The corner restaurant has an antique taverna feel with a glassed-in dining area that opens to the sky, rustic white walls hung with Greek movie stills and painted pottery, arching brickwork, and sound-damping ceiling tiles that keep noise low enough for conversation; many patrons still speak Greek. The seafood-heavy menu is reasonably priced: a Greek salad ($17) omits lettuce in favor of crunchy cucumbers, tomatoes, creamy feta and dried oregano; the dip plate ($30) with warm pitas includes taramosalata, tzatziki, spicy tyrokafteri and a garlicky skordalia; Turkish-influenced small plates we tried include sigara bourek ($13), and there are yogurt kebabs ($17) and kefte ($14) as well. For mains we had a charcoal-grilled black sea bass with coarse, smoky white flesh and a plate of fried whiting (four for $17); a companion’s beef bourek ($17) with seasoned meat and rice between crisp filo was also a highlight. Mains come with lemon potatoes or Greek fries sprinkled with dried cheese—both are excellent for sharing. We washed the meal down with a bargain half-liter of retsina ($18) and finished with the complimentary desserts (cinnamon-dusted semolina halva politiko and nut-filled squares) and sweetened Greek coffee, and left convinced we’ll return for the inexpensive fish, liberal use of garlic, low noise level and the serene evening views." - Robert Sietsema