The sun is shining, and we are finally approaching the end of the law school year. It must be time to break plates and luxuriate! It’s time, in other words, for Greek food!
Venue: Kalyvia – 420 Danforth Ave (just east of Chester station)
Cuisine: Greek Food
Food: Dolmades ($6.99), Prix Fixe Combo ($15.00): village salad, homemade chicken and pork gyros, roast potatoes, rice, Greek cheese cake, baklava, coffee.
LCBO Licensed: Yes sir.
The Pick:
Luke: As we are nearing the end of 3L and our Obiter food adventures, this week I felt drawn to familiar territory – the Danforth. This neighbourhood (four stops east of Yonge station) has been my home for almost a decade. My bias is obvious, but I think it is one of the 3 or 4 best restaurant strips in the city. You can find any type of cuisine here, but Danforth is the place to go for the best Greek food. In fact, after Rob Ford’s famous drunken exploits here, even Jon Stewart wanted to know “what the hell goes down on the Danforth?”
Dan: I’m glad we finally got out here. I like the roaming nature of our exploits. Also, we haven’t done the Danforth yet, and it’s a huge cultural hotbed for Toronto. What’s the deal behind this particular eatery selection, chief? Because there are about a thousand to choose from out here.
Luke: There is definitely a range of Greek restaurants on the Danforth. If you want high end go to Pantheon. If you’re looking for a quick bite (especially post-bar) Messini is a great bet. But, if you’re look for authentic food and affordability, Kalyvia is the place.
Dan: Cheap and legit: everything my York experience hasn’t been. Amazing. Lead on.
At the restaurant:
Luke: Sun lit table, Mediterranean melodies, nautical murals – I know you’re feeling the vibe here Dan.
Dan: I honestly can’t tell if you’re joking or swooning that we finally came to the Danforth. We are literally across the street from your house. And, are they playing Yanni? It’s 1 pm, and we’re the only ones in here! Luckily the octogenarian all-male server staff is here to keep us on the straight and narrow.
Luke: Kalyvia has a family-run feel, but they are also quite professional. I appreciated having a pitcher of water and menus right away. At the same time, they didn’t make us feel rushed at all. Maybe it was your customary Friday afternoon hangover, but I could see you straining to understand the waiter’s thick accent as he rattled off the specials.
Dan: You’re not wrong on both accounts. I arrived with a fresh Wendy Babcock Drag Show headache and had zero clue what the waiter was saying at first, but he was super friendly so I just smiled and went for the combo platter. Many more customers arrived once we were seated; maybe the Danforth crowd dines at a more continental hour.
The Food:
Luke: Kalyvia pre-fixe offers an insane amount of food for $15. The feast began with Greek salad which, though one of my favourite salads, is very easy to screw up. It can be too soggy, too cold or too oily. The salad here definitely is a winner, however. The lettuce and peppers were crisp and the dressing nicely balanced sharp and smooth flavours. Readers are going to be impressed by our discussion of salad Dan. There is more to a meal than meat, you know – even for Albertans!
Dan: I won’t even respond to your veiled slights against Canada’s ‘have’ province. But, yeah you’re right. You should talk about the salad as it was the only vegetable in the meal besides a potato. I’ll talk about the appetizer: The dolmades were something I was really looking forward to. I’d never had them except from Jimmy the Greek in the wild west saloon we call York Lanes food court. They arrived and were amazing. The grape leaves were super tender but remained intact enough that their contents didn’t fall out. The sauce was something I didn’t expect – kind of a light lemon cream sauce. It was really complex and refreshing. I was impressed. Not as impressed as I was when the rest of the platter arrived though. I was honestly blown away by how much food we got for $15.
Luke: My God they serve healthy (read terribly unhealthy) portions here. When the elbow-deep pile of homemade rotisserie chicken and pork showed up, you are definitely wondering how it constituted a wrap of any kind. As you eat your way down the pile, though, you do find pita bread that can be folded over. Some pieces may have been slightly overdone, but the savoury-sweet flavour more than compensated. Besides, I think gyro meat is kind of like bacon; can it really be overdone?
Dan: Yeah my experience with gyros has generally been as drunk food, and those iterations always come wrapped up. So yeah I’m a boor for assuming what they serve drunk people in Alberta is what Greek people serve in restaurants in Toronto. However, that assumption held true for poutine in Quebec, so I’m not completely off base here. I don’t think my gyro meat was overdone, and the crisp edges just compliment the overall flavour of the dish. I loved the mix of chicken and pork and building little mini wraps is a fun way to not realize you’ve overeaten until it’s too late. Speaking of overeating, what’s with the potatoes served with Greek food? How do they cook them so that they’re this delicious? How do Greeks eat this and not get enormous? Olive oil?
Luke: I agree the sides are outstanding. Triple carb combo anyone? I would only add that the tzatziki – thick and garlicky – is the perfect complement to the meal.
Dan: I packed half my food to go. So. Full. And then, dessert. My god I forgot the combo came with dessert. The baklava was so dense it was difficult to cut through. Just layer upon layer of walnuts, honey, and pastry. Unbelievable. What was that other dish? It was sort of like New York cheesecake, but lighter.
Luke: Greek-style cheese cake. It too was homemade, delicate and (big surprise) very indulgent.
Amenities and service:
Dan: The server was so friendly and wanted to make sure we enjoyed everything. He seemed really genuine. It was almost a nice break from the caustic attitude of the hipster service staff at places like Grand Electric, the Drake, or the JCR Bar. The Kalyvia staff are great.
Luke: Funny fact about the Danforth: almost all servers are middled aged men. I don’t know why this is so, but the gentleman who served us was definitely gracious and competent. The courses were well-paced and we wanted for nothing.
Dan: I loved that we had the window table and got to take in the street traffic during lunch. So many characters roaming the Danforth are worthy of a few moments observation. Beautiful weather didn’t hurt Kalyvia’s appeal at all either. A RoFo sighting would have put this lunch into the Hall of Fame.
Luke: I also appreciated the free coffee to top it all off. I left feeling very satisfied and more than a little bit sleepy. I think our first and last food adventures might just have been our best!
Score:
Dan: food: 4, service: 4.5, atmosphere: 4
Luke: food: 4.5, service: 5, atmosphere: 4
Overall: 4.5 sossbosses out of 5!! #thatsasossybailout