location: 26-02 23rd Avenue, Astoria, Queens
cuisine: Greek
price: $$
worth it: yes
cleanliness: B+
times visited: 2-Doug, 1-Jen
meal: Dinner x 2
diners: Plenty
forks of shame - N/A
Menu: All the Greek foods . . .
Doug’s Review - 4 Forks. Definitely worthy of (another for me) return visit.
So, strap in, and be prepared for a shock, but we started a club a couple years ago just for . . . . eating. We try to have a group dinner once a month for various and sundry foods. We try so many dishes, it’s glorious, that we figured a simpler format for recapping the dishes would be best. Just a couple of general notes. There are lots of Greek restaurants in Astoria, obviously. This is definitely my favorite full service choice. Astoria Seafood, which is not full service, only has seafood, and I believe is technically in Long Island City is a separate case. The service here is lovely and you can tell it is a family owned spot. It genuinely feels like you are in Greece here, I know you read this all the time, but there were actual dozing Greeks on the premises. There is a nice space for outdoor dining, but we have not been able to take advantage of it. Also, they did a lovely job of making room for our large group in a small restaurant, though we gave them plenty of notice.
On to the dishes:
The Must Gets!
Grilled Octopus - Ye olde Greek standby does not disappoint here. Tender, beautifully charred, and a great clean flavor.
Fried Eggplant and Zucchini with Scondalia - The waitress told us this is her favorite and I am pretty sure she eats there a lot. Greaseless and surprisingly flavorful. Fear not the vampires after eating the Scondalia.
Fried Baby Shark - There is no fryer in the wee kitchen so everything is pan fried. Imagine more tender and deliciously fresh swordfish in a delicate batter.
Grilled Whole Sea Bass - Ridiculously fresh and charred beautifully. It’s healthy to boot. (Pay no attention to the fried food behind the curtain.)
Grilled Pork Chops - This was part of the Meat Mixed Grill which was not our favorite, but the swine was absurdly juicy and tender. Order it by itself.
Cold Appetizer (“The Dips”) - Taramasalata (the caviar one) , tirokafteri (the spicy cheese one) , tzatziki (the one you know and love) and eggplant salad all served with warm, tasty pita. Somehow I forgot to order this both times. Thank goodness for the waitress! The spicy cheese and caviar are especially good.
Ouzo - They offered us Ouzo on both visits. It is said to be for digestion, and it does a yeoman’s job. Drink for function not form.
Not For Me
Fried Cheese - Sorry almost everyone else who loved it, but a bit heavy and oily for me.
Mixed Meat Grill for Two - The flavor was good, but sadly a bit dry on many fronts, and the meatballs were an absolute no fly zone where moisture feared to tread.
Cabbage Salad - Not bad just sort of there. I love cabbage, but not for most.
Greek Salad - Not my thing. Sure it was fine. Have to say the grape leaves were actually good and I never like them. JW totally agree on grape leaves - both counts (go figure).
More Good Stuff
Fried Calamari - Very tasty, and the fact that is pan fried is mind boggling.
Grilled Quail - A personal favorite of mine, beautifully charred but bony.
Fried Smelts - We enjoy them. You may not. Like french fries with bones and eyes.
French Fries - Potatoey, crispy, and (again) pan fried. There is dark magic afoot.
Chicken Souvlaki - Solid rendition, but not an absolute must here.
Grilled Sausage - Very tasty, and a little
akin to chorizo.
Green Salad with Feta - Undersold by the name.
Romaine with scallions, dill and feta. My favorite
Greek salad.
Gregory’s 26 Corner Taverna has a Michelin sticker on the door for a good reason. The product is fresh and delicious, the value is good, the venue is charming, and the service is excellent. Definitely check it out!
jen’s review-ette keeping this short because douglas seems to have been pretty - ahem - thorough and it’s been a while since i was there. i enjoyed gregory’s immensely. we had a very large group (perhaps 1/3 of the restaurant) and they were friendly, accommodating and calm. agree with douglas on the octopus and zucchini - outstanding - and generally i think they do magically things with potatoes (i think douglas unfairly omitted the lemon potatoes). the shark is also exceptional - and something you don’t see everywhere. a final note that i am not an ouzo drinker - ever. but here they offered it on ice - a first for me - which mellowed it beautifully and douglas is spot on when he says it’s digestif powers are not to be underestimated.
definitely 4 forks.