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| - I've been wanting to try Ilios Noche for quite some time and decided to take the plunge tonight.
I was surprised at the strip-mall location, and by the deafening cacophony of chatter of a large number of people packed into a small area. This is not a huge restaurant, but obviously quite popular.
A more pleasant surprise was having my 8:45pm reservation honored immediately. We were walked and, due to the crowded table-space, occasionally sidled, to our table without delay.
Getting to our table was a bit like working out a maze. Only this time throw in factors for your own dexterity, flexibility, and girth.
The wine selection appeared to be quite large, and the beer selection quite small. Nothing on tap. Only cans and bottles.
Our first course was a cheese assortment: feta and olives, manouri and figs, gorgonzola and walnuts, and fresh mozzarella with confit tomato served with what I believe were triangles of wheat pita. The mozzarella was the least flavorful but the tomato and a balsamic drizzle countered that. The other cheeses were all simply stellar on their own and their own pairings of figs, walnuts, and olives did nothing but improve them. A fantastic start.
My second course was imported Italian Agostino Recca white anchovies with celery. The anchovies were, unsurprisingly, anchovies, though without the overpowering saltiness of the kind I have usually had out of a tin or on pizza. There was also a delicious, almost vinegary, flavor present, and the celery added just the right amount of crunchy texture.
My wife ordered the Mageiritsa Soup; consisting of braised lamb, egg-lemon broth, spring greens, dill, scallions and e.v.o.o. I had a good portion of this soup, myself. The lamb was a bit over-cooked, but the soup itself had a distinct, tart, lemon flavor that left me craving the next spoonful as soon as I'd downed the last.
The main course for me was Striped bass served with lemon, e.v.o.o., and capers with a side of asparagus grilled with black pepper and e.v.o.o. The bass was grilled whole, then fileted before serving. I was assured by our server that this dish melted in the mouth and she was absolutely correct. As a small, pun intended, bonus; the capers were apparently grilled as well, which was a treat compared to the usual fresh-out-of-the-bottle approach. The asparagus was also fantastic, but you can't really go wrong with grilling asparagus.
The main course for my companion was Lamb chops, which were served with "Greek fries" and tzatziki. Greek fries being not much more than very thick cut potato chips, but however they cooked and seasoned them - they were perfect. Again, the lamb was a bit over-cooked but the tzatziki sauce was the best I'd ever tasted.
She also ordered a side of Baby Potatoes, roasted with caramelized onions, e.v.o.o. and herbs. Another fantastic side dish- the onions added such a sweet flavor you wouldn't have known they were onions if you hadn't read it on the menu.
My wife opted for a gluten free chocolate tort with cinnamon ice-cream. "gluten free chocolate tort" being a fancy way of saying "not quite as thick and rich as fudge but awfully close". It was, admittedly, extremely good fudge and paired perfectly with the cinnamon ice-cream, which was stellar.
Things, unfortunately, did fall apart a bit on the dessert side for me. I love tiramisu, and I was sure it would be fantastic. I also like Turkish coffee, and they had Greek coffee, which is the same thing.
Unfortunately, the coffee hadn't been prepared properly and was extremely weak and watery. As for the tiramisu, it was fairly bland, and worse, just on the wrong side of completely thawed, as if it had been frozen, or at the very least kept much too cold. I don't really care for ice-crystals in my tiramisu. I ate it anyway, but we did note that someone at another table sent their tiramisu order back.
I'm still going to give the place four stars, based on the strong start of the meal alone. I will definitely be back.
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