Alison C.
Yelp
I was looking for a downtown restaurant that I could enjoy for a lunch with my colleagues and came across Anassa Taverna's stellar reviews. None of us had been to the restaurant before and were looking forward to giving it a shot. In addition to their spacious sidewalk café, their indoor dining space was quite large...similar to their portions. Before we ordered, we could not help but notice the substantial plates at the tables around us. Everything on the menu sounded terrific, so I was glad that I was there with a group, so that we could sample a few extra items.
We placed our order and munched on some crusty bread with complimentary hummus, which was extremely smooth and creamy. As if that was not enough, we ordered our own set of 3 spreads, which we were able to select from a list. The tzatiki had a generous amount of dill, making it extra flavorful. The tirokafteri was a zesty blend of red pepper and feta cheese, and the eggplant was tantalizingly smoky. The dynamic trio was served with soft pita points. We also decided to share the Greek Meatballs, which I had seen highly regarded on Yelp. The tender balls were a blend of veal, beef, and pork that were served in a sweet, chunky tomato sauce and topped with feta cheese and mint. They were simply divine, and the sauce was remarkable!
We were pretty full by that point, but had each ordered our own salads, which I am proud to say I managed to finish. The Mediterranean Salad started with a bed of romaine lettuce and was topped with regional ingredients like eggplant, zucchini, capers, and more. I had asked for it to be covered with grilled octopus, and it sure was! There were tons of tender tentacles piled on top of the veggies. The light vinaigrette added the ideal hint of Mediterranean seasoning. The whole salad was unreal and one of my favorites ever!
We were all dazzled by Anassa Taverna and simply thrilled to have discovered it.