Taking advantage of its awesome location right at the corner of Bloor and Arundel, Pappas Grill's huge patio stretches from the front of the restaurant all the way to the back. What's even better is that the patio is extremely spacious and not narrow at all - it could easily fit three rows of seating with ample room in between tables.
Who wants to be stuck inside during the Taste of the Danforth? Especially on such a beautiful day and that lovely patio? Nevertheless I figured I should go and take a picture of the decor inside. I really like how all the windows let in all that natural sunlight.
Watch Nicki's Eye on the Vibe Blog of our dinner :) Man did we ever have a tough time with the Greek names O_o The vlog will also show us having gelato for dessert at Dolce Gelato (@DolceGelatoTO) (Dolce Gelato will be a separate post).
The complimentary bread was dry so I only had one piece.
Greek Dips with Pita:
Melanzano ($8) - Dip of baked eggplant, red onion, garlic and olive oil.
Tzatziki ($8) - Creamy Greek yogurt blended with garlic, fresh dill, cucumber and olive oil.
I have never tried a Greek dip aside from Tzatziki so I was excited to try the Melazano. I ended up really liking it as I'm a big eggplant fan to begin with. The Melanzano tasted very fresh and had a texture similar to a tartare (sorry it's the best way I could describe it). I first ate it with the pita but afterwards I just ate the Melanzano on its own =)
Saganaki ($12) - A wedge of Kefalotiri cheese lightly floured, pan-fried and flambéed at your table. OPA!
My favourite dish of the night! I've had saganaki once before but it was many years ago and taking my first bite into it during dinner made me remember just how much I love this pan-fried cheese. The best part of it all is eating the hot cheese with that thin crust!
Spanakotiropita ($9) - Greek filo pastry filled with spinach, leeks, and feta cheese baked to a golden brown.
The times I've had Spanakotiropita was at Messini and they looked extremely different from this one at Pappas Grill (here's a picture of Messini's Spanakotiropita). Compared to the one at Messini this one looks so gourmet with the round spiral shape and presentation. I was fooled by the shape and size of it; I thought it was going to be all pastry and hardly any spinach but I was glad that wasn't the case. Personally, I still prefer the thinner version of the Spanakotiropita and a creamier spinach filling.
Mousaka ($18) - Ground beef layered in eggplant and zucchini baked under a béchamel sauce, served with Greek salad.
Although I've heard of Moussaka before this was my first time trying it. I liked the béchamel sauce on top and the sauteed eggplants buried in between the layers. It seems like there were onions, green peppers, and tomatoes as well with a variety of herbs and spices. The Moussaka was not bad but I can't say it made an impression on me.
My favourite dish of the night was definitely the Saganaki and the Malenzano.
