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| - I've been going to Avli for years and am convinced it is the best Greek restaurant on the Danforth. The food is uniformly terrific and Lambros, the chef/owner, is a kind and generous host who welcomes his guests like family.
There are lots of highlights, but here are just a few:
1. The Dips. It's worth making a trip to Avli just for the dips. Their taramasalata (a common greek dip made from fish roe) is light and creamy and by far the best I've ever tasted. Melisanosalata (eggplant, onion, mint, olive oil) is delicious and refreshing. Kopanisti is a fantastic dip made from feta cheese, chilis, and roasted pepper. Skordalia is a rich, creamy dip made from roast garlic and potato. Even their tapenade (served complimentary with bread when you order) is unusually good - not too salty and infused with orange zest.
2. The mezes. You can go to many places on the Danforth and get stingy portions of uninteresting mezes ("little plates") but at Avli they are generous and perfectly cooked. Calamari (fried or, better yet, grilled and stuffed) are tender and never overcooked. Chicken livers, sausages, dolmates (vegetarian vine leaves), tomatoey mussels in white wine, octopus, spinach pie...they will all make you smile.
3. The vegetarian options. This is something that also separates Avli from the pack. You can be a vegetarian here and get food beyond "vegetarian skewer" or spinach pie (although the spinach pie is terrific - made with house-made flaky pie crust, rather than the standard filo dough, and packed full of spinach and feta cheese). Their vegetarian moussaka is rich and filling. Their baked lima beans are surprisingly delicious and the baked eggplant with pine nuts is sweet and unusual.
4. The pies. You won't find these in many places on the Danforth. All the pies at Avli are topped with a house-made pie crust and loaded with savoury fillings in the clay dish underneath. Best? The rabbit (I don't eat rabbit, but I've guiltily tasted the sauce. Wow, it was good.) The chicken, mushroom, and rosemary pie.
5. The lamb shank. Served on a bed of orzo and rich with sauce, this lamb shank is so tender, you will eat more of the big portion than you intended.
Most of all, the kitchen staff just care about the food. Some of the bigger restos on the Danforth churn out their food like assembly lines. At Avli, because the owner is also the chef, you get food made with love. And it shows.
Avli is not a place to go if you want souvlaki. While they serve it, you could probably get it cheaper elsewhere. But if you want authentic Greek food, come to Avli.
Vegetarian score: 7/10. Good, solid choices for vegetarians, but it is, after all, still a Greek restaurant.
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