It's All Greek To Me

1811 Main St. W
Hamilton, Ontario
905-527-0003
 
Type of cuisine: Greek
Date of Review: April, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Good

Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable

Description:  Ranking a restaurant when you've inadvertantly eaten gluten is tough.  In this case, I feel both stupid and angry.  Take this as a lesson as to why you must ALWAYS err on the side of being a questioning pain in the posterior.  In short, in this case I ate the rice without verifying the broth.  It's All Greek uses prepackaged seasoned rice, and of course wheat is listed right on the box.  I was a fool for not asking up front.  The restaurant loses a point for using packaged junk, and it is taking a good deal of self control not to rank them as just 'okay' on account of it.  The food industry loses two points for adding wheat to rice.  Rice, for the record, doesn't need wheat--or anything else for that matter--to taste good.

If you can skip the rice, or if gluten-free eating is irrelevant to you, then this restaurant is good.  You will find better Greek food, but you won't find a lot of Greek food at all in the Hamilton area.  The menu has a reasonable variety for most eaters, and--with the removal of rice from several dishes--the GF eater can partake.  

In this case, my dining partner had the fries.  GF types beware, there will be breading in the oil on account of breaded calamari in the fryer.  The fries were respectable if not fabulous, and the feta topping was a nice addition.  Greek poutine lite?  The gigantes, a dish of oversized beans in a beany tomato sauce with more feta was quite nice.  The grilled octopus was tender, not chewy, and was richly grilled, seemingly over coals.  The lamb chops were also well grilled and tasty, although they were a fairly fatty cut.  They came with poisonous rice and a light salad with an herbacious dill dressing.  The Psari Plaki was a nice white fish with a light tomato sauce but be warned that it sits on a bed of rice.  Alcohol not being an option, I had the usual Canadian hypersweet ice tea.  (If you travel to the USA, enjoy their superior natural ice teas, all of which are detained at Canadian customs.)

Service was pleasant, although the gluten issue was not familiar to our server.  The setting is simple but comfortable, and we enjoyed a booth for this evening's dinner.

In short, I can imagine returning here, but I am angry at the unnecessary short cut the restaurant has taken in their rice.  Rice is simple.  Mixes are a sign of laziness.  It's All Greek to Me should at least make themselves acquainted with a quality rice machine.