Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Athena Pallas Leftovers at Home

For lunch, I had some leftover dolmades, with rice pilaf, bread, and an IPA.

No photos. I'm feeling lazy, and it's all pretty ugly, as I didn't bother to re-heat it. The "avgolemono" sauce it came in (really more of a schmaltz-flavored bechamel, if there is such a thing)is grotesquely congealed in a solid mass on the dolmades, and the rest is pretty monochromatic.

The dolmades are mostly filled with meat, and taste heavily of pickle, when they don't taste like dense mystery meat (beef, pork, lamb, or some combination thereof).The bread is gorgeous and probably homemade, reminding me a lot of the recently departed, much-mourned (even from a thousand miles away) Central II. Central II had such amazing food, and the most fabulous waitress in the world; it's tragic it's gone. But Athena Pallas has the potential to become my DC-area replacement.

The IPA is a leftover half glass of Dogfish Head that's been sitting stoppered in the fridge for a few days. Normally I don't feel guilty about drinking with lunch, and think America would be a much better place if we made that normal. However, being unemployed and day drinking is vaguely more awkward. But it balanced the fatty sauce really well, so I stand behind my decision.

Athena Pallas is a great DC-area find- reasonably priced, nice but not stuffy atmosphere, and a gorgeous little patio that will surely become my summer wine drinking locale of choice. Their tarmasalata kicks ass, and their roasted chicken dish is really good. I just kind of wish I'd gotten that again instead.

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