Evvia Estiatorio is located in downtown Palo Alto, just a short drive from Stanford University. This upscale Greek sensation has left its mark on my tongue as being my favorite spot to dine. The ambiance of the restaurant is superb – proper lighting, cozy yet roomy, and amazing service. It also has rustic beamed ceilings and an open kitchen. The manager is very personable, as you can see him continually circling from table to table to check on the meals.
I went to Evvia with a few friends while living in Silicon Valley. It’s common to see the presence of top executives from Google, Apple, HP, etc. We started off with some amazing appetizers that included (menu): Dolmathes, (grape leaves stuffed with rice, mint, dill, tomatoes & olive oil), Kolokythi (roasted butternut squash with sage, brown butter & pumpkin seeds), Tiganita Kalamarakia (crispy calamari with lemon, parsley & anchovy aioli), and Kolokithokeftethes (crispy zucchini cakes with cucumber & mint yogurt). All of the appetizers were delicious, but the calamari was marvelous! I have always been a calamari-connoisseur, and they have the best I’ve ever tasted.
For my entree, one of my friends recommended the lamb chops. They were rib-cut, mesquite-grilled lamb chops with olive oil served with roasted potatoes. They normally give you three large chops, but the manager came around and thought I needed a fourth–I was not complaining. To this day, I have never tasted a more tender and flavorful lamb chop. They were perfect, and the fourth one was definitely necessary.
We were all a little full for dessert, but the manager insisted on bringing out some complimentary dessert dishes. He served everyone a dish of traditional baklava drizzled with honey syrup topped with vanilla ice cream. We thought this was a grand gesture, but then he surprised us and brought warm chocolate cake with sour cherry ice cream and chocolate sauce, as well as homemade yogurt topped with walnuts, medjool dates, and honey.
This is an ideal spot for a combination of quality food, atmosphere, and service. Located in the heart of downtown Palo Alto, Evvia is surrounded by numerous restaurants and lounges. Evvia also has a sister restaurant, Kokkari, located in San Francisco.
Photo Credit: Evvia Estiatorio
