At Dmitri’s, the atmosphere is immediately inviting. The wallpaper is a nonthreatening orange and yellow and a fully stocked, comfortable bar stretching across the front of the restaurant is great for a pre–dinner drink. The Greek restaurant (which does not accept reservations) is not a bad place to hang out in the event of a wait.
Dmitri’s had the perfect level of bustle — lively but not too loud, the crowd relaxed. The restaurant seems ideal for a special occasion, yet the bottles of hot sauce on the table and t–shirt uniforms gave the place a more casual and comfortable feel than a typical upscale restaurant might bear. Although it took a while for us to get noticed in this busy little place, once we ordered, our food came very quickly.
The minimalist menu did not include descriptions and left us with a lot of questions, yet most of the dishes were fairly self–explanatory. The waitress suggested sharing the food family–style, ordering a combination of appetizers, meats and entrees. We began with the Mediterranean platter ($15), which included warm pita slices and a combination of lentils, beets, hummus, baba ganoush, skordalia and tzatziki sauce. This large platter was a great starter to share, but the flavors — particularly in the lentils and baba ganoush — were lacking. The avocado citrus salad ($8.50) had a refreshing blend of avocado slices, grapefruit, oranges and roasted sliced almonds, all served on a bed of fresh lettuce. The juicy fruits and blend of textures balanced the lack of dressing.
Our grilled octopus ($12) was delicious — the flavor noticeable, but not overpowering and the texture perfectly chewy. If you love spicy foods, go for the shrimp pil pil ($12). This dish was lightly battered, hot and flavorful with an excellent texture.
The scallops was our group’s favorite dish. Crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside, they were pan fried to perfection and presented with a slice of lemon. The chicken kebob ($15) was the last dish to come out because it takes the longest to cook. Though a good choice, it was rather boring and safe compared to the rest of the dishes.
All of the portions were generous and everyone left the meal stuffed. So stuffed, in fact, that we didn’t have enough room to try the creme caramel ($4.50) or the orange almond cake ($4.50) desserts. Dmitri’s was well worth the trip. Reasonably priced and sufficiently tasty, this was a meal we were talking about for the rest of the weekend. DMITRI'S 2227 Pine St. (215) 985–3680 Don't Miss: pan fried scallops. Skip: chicken kebob. $$$$$
