Egg & Dart

Egg & Dart's whole grilled fish, photo by Michael Pisarri

 

Sara Liss8/6/2011

The goods: Bringing Greek home cooking to the Design District, Egg & Dart co-owners Costa Grillas and Niko Theodorou are blending their restaurant experience with a menu created by Theodorou’s mother and Greek restaurateur, Vagia Theodorou.

Ambience: Polished concrete floors, white lacquered tables and khaki-covered benches brighten the old Q American BBQ space. The wrap-around bar is now clad in Brazilian cherry wood and polished concrete and adorned with wire baskets filled with lemons and blue glass vases.

The grub: Greek staples like hummus and taramasalata share space with hearty mains like rack of lamb and whole grilled fish. Prices are neighborhood friendly: small plates are $6-$14, mains are mostly under $30 and carafes of house wine can be had for $19.

Dinner starts with a complimentary plate of rustic bread and olive oil flecked with capers and sun-dried tomatoes. Among the many mezze options: spicy feta dip, garlicky almond spread and roasted eggplant dip. A meal can made by pairing the phyllo cheese pie doused in honey with the shrimp saganaki in a tomato and feta sauce. Salads include a dill and romaine platter topped with a slab of fired haloumi cheese. Mains like grilled whole fish dressed with Cretan olive oil, lemon and oregano and massive lamb shank, accompanied by sides like spaghetti and garlic potato puree, are large enough to share.

Desserts include a fluffy vanilla orange custard cake with a phyllo shell and a bowl of thick Greek yogurt topped with dried apricots, honey and walnuts.

The verdict: Authentic Greek cooking in a hip atmosphere.