It's All Greek to me? Zorba's Cafe

I went to have a quick dinner with a friend from college on Wednesday evening.  She works in Dupont Circle and wanted to do something close.  We headed over to Zorba's Cafe on Connecticut Avenue, just north of the Metro Station. 

The first thing I noticed was the spacious patio.   The real estate is prime for people watching; the street is filled with passersby to entertain you.  The best part about the patio, but sadly about the restaurant in general, is the flower and herb garden that surrounds it.  For someone as in love with food as I am, there is nothing more exciting than to see basil, rosemary, mint, sage, and Italian parsley being grown right in the middle of the city.  I hoped to get some of this fresh flavor in my food.  I am not so sure that I did.

It is important to note that Zorba's is a no-frills eatery.  The inside is full of tchotchke that may have been stolen from the prop room of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding".  There is no way for you to forget you are in a Greek restaurant.   There are menus by the door for easy access.  You order your food at the counter a few steps below the doorway and wait for your number to be called; there are no servers and the dining area is self seated.  There was very little way for me to know this if I had not gone with a friend who had been there before.

I was not as hungry as I should be around the eight o'clock hour, so I only ordered babaghannouj and a greek salad.  Easy order, right?  Wrong.  The babaghannouj was at first bite good.  As I continued to eat more and more I realized there was enough garlic in the dish to kill every vampire in the world, if only they had enough pita to share with me.  I love garlic as much as the next guy, but there is validity to the "Too much of a good thing" line.  Good food is all about balance.  Make your roasted eggplant dip with lemon juice, salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic, fresh herbs, a little tahini if you like it, but do not over do it.  If Zorba's put less garlic and some of that fresh parsley from the garden in it, I would have raved.

The Greek salad, I must say, was good.  I do not agree with some of the choices made with the salad, like thin half slices of tomatoes instead of diced or wedges, or cramming the salad into the smallest bowl they could find.  Yet the fact remains that the salad was exactly as I wanted it.  The dressing was herbaceous and balanced, the feta was salty and not piled on, the lettuce crisp, and just enough olives to make my mouth happy.

My friend got the dish she always gets, the chicken reganato.  An oven roasted half chicken basted in olive oil and crusted with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.  A roasted chicken is not to be taken lightly.  Simple dishes can be the hallmark of a menu.  This chicken was flavorful, albeit a bit dry. 

It was great to see an old friend that night.  I love nothing more than catching up over a good meal.  My mind is so food focused that I often remember the meal we had together as much, if not more, than the conversation we had.  Unfortunately Zorba's may be one of the exceptions.  As busy as it is and considering how long it has been around, maybe I was just there on the wrong night.  Perhaps when I visit D.C. next they can give me something a little bit more memorable.