Arthur N.
Yelp
Inhabiting the space that had been home to Restaurant Majolica for over a decade, Avlós has certainly proved itself a worthy addition to the Phoenixville dining scene.
The restaurant's interior is minimalist but attractive, boasting the warmth of an exposed brick wall and sea of white tablecloths. Like its predecessor, it is also BYOB. And the cuisine is certainly authentic, well prepared & presented, and generally quite good across the board.
The festivities begin with a complimentary basket of pita bread... And it's certainly no accident that these diminutive triangles are just perfect for dipping into the kitchen's various sauces and starters. Tzatziki is undoubtedly the most familiar, a soothing combo of strained Greek yogurt mixed with cucumber, dill, garlic, salt, olive oil, and tincture of lemon juice. Just right for setting up your appetite... As is the Melitzanosalata - a simple but tasty dish of mashed roasted eggplant, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice - which was also present and accounted for during one of my visits. And although the word is literally translated as "eggplant salad," here it is presented as a dip/spread.
Another "must try" among the mezze (small dishes) is the Dakos. This is barley rusk (double-baked bread) drizzled with olive oil and topped with grated/crushed tomatoes, feta cheese, capers, and Greek oregano. Think of it as bruschetta Greek-style and you won't be far off the mark. An excellent starter. But even more spectacular is the Soutzoukia Smirneika, Smyrna meatballs that were first brought to Greece by refugees from Asia Minor. These are superlatively seasoned with cumin & garlic, and then served up with tomato sauce and splash of Greek yogurt.
There are but two salads listed on the restaurant's menu: the first is Kritiki, a salad that is similar to the Horiatiki Salata, the classic Greek salad made with tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, feta cheese, olives and typically seasoned with salt and oregano and dressed with olive oil; the second is Politiki, a Greek cabbage salad adorned with tomato, cucumber, carrot, red onion, parsley, and ladolemono, a dressing of lemon and olive oil.
The special soup the evening of our visit was Avgolemono. A mainstay of Greek cookery, it is a chicken and rice soup flavored and thickened with egg yolks and touch of lemon just before serving. The end result was a beautifully textured, silky-smooth potpourri with a delicious lemony finish. A benchmark effort.
Entree-wise, the ultimate test of a Greek kitchen, in my opinion, is the Moussaka; and Avlós passes with flying colors. Their rendition features eggplant, potatoes, and a lamb meat sauce topped with a thin layer of béchamel sauce and is presented as an individual casserole... And, I should hasten to add, the kitchen is to be thoroughly commended for not overdoing the béchamel. This is a lavishly rich sauce; and, if too enthusiastically applied, has been known to wreak havoc. In this case, less is definitely more.
My dining partner's Kota Stifado was also first-rate. Stifado generally refers to a type of Greek stew that is prepared with onions and tomatoes. In this instance, the dish incorporates kota, chicken; and the moist boneless breast is combined with pearl onions, pasta, fresh tomato sauce, and sprinkling of thyme. This is a relatively simple dish, but one that works marvelously well. Unfortunately, it no longer appears on the printed menu. Perhaps it will put in occasional guest appearances as a special.
Other main courses range from Pastitsio, baked tube pasta with ground beef tomato sauce and béchamel... to Kotosouvlaki, chargrilled chicken skewer with lemon potatoes, tzatziki and onions... to Moshari Hilopites, braised beef with cinnamon tomato sauce, onions, and hilopitaki pasta...to Arni Lemonato, braised lamb with artichokes, lemon sauce and celery purée. The menu also features Psari, Greek-style fish, chargrilled branzino and salmon.
As for desserts... Baklava, of course, as well as Rizogala, rice pudding with almond milk and cinnamon, are listed on the menu. The nod as my favorite Greek sweet ending, however, would undoubtedly go to the Galaktoboureko, a rich, creamy semolina custard in filo coated with sweet syrup (pictured). Delightfully decadent and loaded with calories... but simply impossible to resist. Also available was the Kormos Chocolate Mosaic, a chocolate biscuit dessert in the shape of a tree log, which we found rather uninteresting.
Bottom Line: The food is of excellent quality, the price is right, the welcome is warm, and the service is enthusiastic and knowledgeable... Just don't forget to BYOB.
