65 University Ave., Sacramento; (916) 922-6334
• The scene: A bright and cheery restaurant located behind the Safeway on Howe Avenue. There are several outdoor tables, and inside, diners experience Greece through the music, framed pictures of Greek architecture, and of course, the food. Entrees range from $8.50 to $26.50.
• The order: The phone was answered promptly by the helpful owner, who patiently suggested dishes when asked the very broad question, "What is a classic dish to order?" He also asked when we would arrive since the food was to be ready in a quick 10 minutes and he wanted to adjust to us.
• The pickup: The food came out of the kitchen just after we walked in. Everything was packed in foam clamshells except for two containers of soup, which were in plastic containers and then individually packaged in brown lunch bags to absorb spills that thankfully didn't occur.
When we arrived home, everything was still warm, with the pita bread a perfect combination of chewy and crunchy. There was no leakage, and plasticware was included.
• The goods: The pikilia platter ($12.95) includes all the essential Greek appetizers – gyros, cheese-stuffed filo, dolmas, feta, olives and pita, with tzatziki sauce packed in a sauce cup. While the dolmas could have been more flavorful, we loved everything else, with special notice to the garlicky tzatziki sauce and chunks of feta that were creamy and robust in taste.
The gyros sandwich ($11.25) was a good combination of thinly sliced beef and lamb and refreshing tomatoes and onions. While the homemade fries may be good hot, fries never seem to transport well as a general rule.
The recommended dish was pastichio ($15.25), baked macaroni mixed with ground beef and topped with béchamel – basically a delectable Greek version of macaroni and cheese. It came with a mixed green salad topped with a light dressing. We wished we had more greens to eat with it.
Both entrees came with avgolemono, the traditional lemon, egg and rice soup. Not only was it hot, but we noted the surprising creaminess – the result of extreme whisking during the cooking process that keeps eggs from turning into scrambles.
• The verdict: We'll be back often.
• Total: $42.51 for three people.
Call The Bee's Gina Kim, (916) 321-1228.
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