rev:text
| - I think it is clear that there is better mediterranean food in champaign (pasha) and probably also better diners (merry ann's) but my experience at pickles / papa george tonight was AWESOME. There are so few times in life when an anticipated experience can live up to its imaginings, but when I sat down in that still-decorated-like-pickles restaurant and pulled out BOTH the old pickles menu AND the new, printed on paper, completely stylistically different greek menu, and our waitress came over wearing tan jeans and a tie-dye pickles tshirt and accepted our order for both a heineken in a frosty mug and a hummus appetizer, I almost lost it from the surreality of the situation.
It was unique, in an awesome, awesome way, for example, when the manager went over to the register at the bar, printed out a mysteriously long length of receipt tape, handed it to one of the waitresses, and told her that that was the wine list with prices. Or that the specials whiteboard up front (a remnant of the pickles days) proclaimed that the side of the day was macaroni salad, but that the dessert of the day was baklava.
I kind of hope they keep it that way.
My pork souvlaki was actually very good. The bread, vegetables, and rice that came with it were less than fresh but I really can't take any points away from them for low freshness when they are trying to pull off two full completely non-overlapping menus. We ordered a hummus and pita appetizer, and they kept refilling our pita until all the hummus was gone, which was awesome.
We also sampled from the pickles menu; my friend ordered the hawaiian chicken sandwich and claims that it was "actually really good." Again, awesome.
|