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“Loi by Dara Pollak”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Greek	Upper West Side	Moderate	Great

he papoutsakia reminded me of Greek eggplant rollatini; tender and sweet, topped with the tangy smoked feta mousse - it was an elegant appetizer that was devoured in a less-than-elegant manner.

The pita bread is served toasted and warm from the oven, with plain greek yogurt and olive oil for dipping. This was one area where I felt slighted - I love tzatziki sauce, and this wasn’t that. Tzatziki is greek yogurt mixed with cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice and dill. It’s a classic dip served with pita bread and/or meat…this was just plain yogurt. The dolmades made up for it though; tiny, briny bites of grape leaves stuffed with a lemon and olive oil-soaked rice mixture.

Normally, these are not very exciting to me, but I could have eaten ten of them from Loi. The lemony punch makes a huge difference, as does the diminutive size – they’re like a tangy amuse bouche.
Like Italians, the Greeks have a love for meat and carbs. I was torn between the pastitsio, a classic Greek-style lasagna with pasta, béchamel sauce, beef and cheese. It’s heavy, but worth it if done right, and I hate to say this, but Loi’s version rivals my Moms. Yes, I said it. Honestly, I thought it was perfectly portioned, seasoned and cooked. The layers blended beautifully and it wasn’t overly salty, a common affliction of pastitsio. Sorry Mom.  

If meat is your go-to, then don’t pass up the rack of lamb – some pieces were fatty, but like my Yia Yia would say, that’s where the flavor is. Only disappointing accoutrement of this dish were the “mashed lemon potatoes”. Bursting with lemon, garlic and oregano, lemon potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes in Greek cuisine, so I thought these would be the same potatoes, just whipped down into a creamy side. Unfortunately, these were “smashed” lemon potatoes, meaning whole baby potatoes roasted or broiled in the oven and “smashed” slightly with your palm after they’re done cooking. Guess that one got lost in translation...

Greek desserts are symbolic of their idea of hospitality: sweet, sometimes excessive, but always reliable. Baklava, the classic tower of phyllo layers and chopped nuts soaked in honey syrup was sticky, sweet and crunchy. Galaktoboureko (good luck pronouncing that one) is a semolina-custard soaked in lemon-orange or lemon-honey syrup, then topped with kataifi (shredded wheat ... [more, click below]

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Posted: December 18, 2011

Other restaurants in Upper West Side :
+ 'Cesca   + Asiate   + Blue Hill Stone Barns   + Per Se   + The Neptune Room   + Spigolo   + Telepan   + Aix Brasserie   + 'Cesca   + Bar Boulud   + Dovetail   + BarBao   + Dinosaur Bar-be-Que   + Kefi   + Bar Luna   + Ed's Chowder House   + Red Rooster, by Rachel Barbarotta   + Loi by Dara Pollak   

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