Get us to the Greek (food)

Last week, AS and I were on our way to the movies to see Get Him to the Greek. But we needed dinner first--something light and quick and not too fancy or expensive. Since I always, always insist on eating thematically, we HAD to have Greek food. And there just happened to be a Greek restaurant a block from the theater. To Dafni we went.

I'd been twice, one time that was only okay, one time that was great. Which way would the balance tip after visit number three? Read on, gentle reader, read on.

We walked in and were able to get a table without waiting, which was great. A few minutes of menu perusal, a brief ordering dialogue, and we were off to the races with their basket of pita, warm, as usual. Extra points to Dafni for giving an ample amount of pita to a table for two-- no fighting over the "third piece" here.

Pitahhhhh

Our selections emerged promptly. My choice, as usual, was the Islanders salad-- mixed greens, fennel, dried figs, and grilled halloumi. This wasn't quite as spectacular as the last time I dined at Dafni, but it was pretty darn good. The flavor combination is perfect, the portion is ample, and the price is right. What's not to love?

Yum salad

AS chose the pikilia, a selection of three of their appetizer spreads. When the server took our order, AS asked her to choose the three best spreads on the menu. This request was met with a mixture of confusion, horror, and skepticism. Once she was reassured that he'd eat any of the choices on the menu, she reluctantly agreed, thought for a bit, and took the order. What emerged-- we think-- was tzaziki, melitzanosalata (eggplant puree with garlic, olive oil, and lemon), and taramosalata (fish roe with lemon and olive oil), along with three dolmades and a border of grilled pita points. These selections were met with approval, and once again, it was a huge portion for $10.75.

Pretty!

AS also ordered a side of sauteed spinach, which was pretty delicious. And also- again- a hearty portion ($5).

Mountain of spinach

So does Dafni maintain its four Offset Spatula upgrade, or does it revert to its three OS original rating? I declare Dafni is still a four OS restaurant, mainly by dint of its value. You get good food-- sometimes awesome, always at least good-- and lots of it for a very reasonable price. If you can get past the horrendous location on 42nd Street, you'll agree that Dafni is a neighborhood gem that's a great addition to the neighborhood. Oh, and definitely see Get Him to the Greek-- it's hilarious. Oopa!

Dafni Greek Taverna
352 W. 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues
212-315-1010

Second time's the charm at Dafni

Last Saturday, I met JR for dinner at Dafni Greek Taverna, a restaurant I'd been to once before with mixed success. It was ah-kay, but given how glowing the reviews were, I was kind of disappointed. This time around, however, I was fully on the Dafni train.

Make no mistake-- this restaurant is still on the most miserable stretch of block in NYC, a desolate area of 42nd Street across from the Port Authority. But inside, it's warm and welcoming, if still a little loud. You know what was also warm and welcoming? The basket of warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven pita that landed on our table after we placed our orders. I only wished the accompanying olive oil had a bit more of a peppery bite, but as it was, this was some gooood pita.

Yum

Both JR and I went for salads. He had chosen the Greek Salad with Salmon, which epitomizes one of the things I like most about Dafni: the prices are right and the portions don't skimp. All the ingredients in this large salad were fresh (including the included stuffed grape leaves, which is a nice bonus!), and the salmon was well-cooked and tasty. Thumbs up.

A salad that will fill you up

My choice once again was the Nisiotiki salad, which came with mixed greens, grilled fennel, dried figs, and and the key-- grilled haloumi. This time around the haloumi was fresh off the grill, warm and pliable and savory and not rubbery at all. The fennel was tasty, if a bit oily, and the dried figs were as loveable as ever. Truly a hearty and enjoyable salad.

Excellent

We skipped out on Dafni's limited desserts for some ice cream a few blocks away. This time around, I'd say Dafni actually earns an extra spatula-- for the price, this is actually one of the better four Offset Spatula meals you'll get around town. Check it out, especially if you're looking for an off-the-beaten-path pre-theater option.

Dafni Greek Taverna
352 W. 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues
212-315-1010

Pre-theater ups and downs at Dafni

This past weekend was my father's 60th birthday celebration, and my mom surprised him with a weekend in NYC packed full of fun and family. On Friday evening, we were headed to an 8PM showing of God of Carnage, so we had to grab a Theater District dinner first. While sometimes that can spell disaster, there was a local restaurant I've been meaning to try for a while: Dafni.

Dafni is located on a miserable stretch of 42nd Street, facing the street serenely like an oasis of calm across from the hulking Port Authority. It's a relatively new restaurant, but I remember walking past it a few months ago and subsequently looking it up online when I got home. Surprisingly, it had nearly unanimous positive ratings on Menupages; intrigued, I put it on my list of places to go. On Friday, Mom, Dad, the bro and I headed over.

The dining room is typically Mediterranean-themed, filled with light woods and tasteful decor, and nicely bright. However, we noticed as the meal went on that there are pretty much no textiles in the room, making the noise level almost extreme. People on opposite sides of the table basically relegated themselves to not conversing during the meal.

But more importantly, how was the food? For appetizers, Mom and Dad shared the maroulosalata, a mixture of chopped romaine, dill, and scallions with lemon vinaigrette. I tried a few bites and it had a nice bright, zippy flavor.

Huge portion, too

As a table, we shared an order of tzaziki, which comes with warm, fresh pita. This was notably delicious, touched with garlic and scallions and expertly scooped with the very, very addictive pita. (N.B.: If you're on a date or hope to engage someone of the opposite sex during the night, be careful with this stuff... the garlic is subtle but increasingly powerful in the hours after the meal.)

Thick 'n' creamy with a garlic kick

Our final appetizer was spanakopita, the classic Greek pie of spinach, feta, and spices enfolded in crisp phyllo dough. Dafni's version was hearty and well-seasoned-- well done.

Crisp and creamy

On to the entrees. My selection was the Nisiotiki salad, which consisted of mixed greens, grilled fennel, dried figs, and haloumi cheese. Oooooh, do I love haloumi. I asked for the dressing on the side, and it turned out to be an interesting vinagrette of indeterminate ingredients-- tasty, but the salad didn't need it. The fennel provided a soft contrast to the thick and chewy figs; the haloumi had been pre-grilled, which meant it was tasty but a little bit cool and rubbery. Overall, a good salad, but I was a bit too full from the appetizers to enjoy it fully.

Beautiful, beautiful haloumi

Dad and the bro shared the souvlaki and the tigania, both pork dishes. The souvlaki, offering skewers of meat and vegetables, was a hit, but the tigania was a pan. Even the tigania's "Greek fries" (covered with Oregano and thereby, evidently, Greek) weren't that great. Oh well.

Souvlaki-- yea

Tigania- nay

Dad also inadvertently ordered a side of greens, which were truly gross. What is it with Greek greens?

Eew

Mom chose the solomos, a grilled salmon steak presented alongside bland rice. She gobbled the fish up and voiced her approval.

Down the hatch

We were all too full for dessert, so we paid the bill and headed out towards the theater. I must say, I'm a bit puzzled by Dafni-- our experience wasn't entirely consistent with the overwhelming raves populating their Menupages site. The food was somewhat uneven-- some was superlative while some was subpar. And the insane noise level definitely diminished our enjoyment of the dinner. However, since my own dishes were tasty and the restaurant is quite reasonably priced overall, I'll give Dafni three Offset Spatulas and recommend it as a good alternative to the typical pre-theater options.

Dafni Green Taverna
352 W. 42nd Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues
212-315-1010