Greektown Grill & Takeout

Today's episode of #roadfill comes from Greek Town in Kingston, Ontario Ensuring this restaurant convinced you it offered Greek fare, the restaurant featured white columns in the front window, pictures of Greek Gods and Greek Coastline on the walls along with mandolins and a faux barrel of Ouzo up in the rafters. Yanni wasn't spotted but the sound of traditional Greek music wafted through the sound system. My server cheerfully welcomed me as I entered and escorted me past their display cases of ridiculously sweet looking baked goods. I perused the menu and found that the authentic Greek theme did in fact carry through to the menu as well. So many restaurants in the US I have visited may have a theme or ethnicity to their dishes, but when you look at the menu it often seems the majority of dishes are typically North American with the minority actually fitting the theme. American restaurateurs can be a tad less adventurous with the tastebuds of their patrons. The souvlakis and kebabs were present as well as the Moussaka and the Gyros, and a sprinkling of others with a Grecian flare. A few Italian pastas managed to sneak their way onto the menu as well. Italy and Greece are neighbours so I guess that's allowed. Amidst all these Greco dishes my eye was drawn to their special of the month. Nothing says Greek cuisine like Canadian AAA Ribeye Steak. I grew up in Canada's Mecca of Beef. I have travelled all over the globe and I can honestly and quantifiably say, Alberta has the best tasting beef on the planet. Sadly, I haven't had a good cut of meat in a long time, so it was up to Greek Town to end my suffering. Whilst my meal was being prepared I went to speak with the owner and when he started telling me that he had butchers in the family and the number of days his Beef would hang, then I knew I was in for a culinary delight. My server arrived with a starter salad; Greek Salad of course, sans olives. I don't do olives but that's a whole other story... It was quite tasty. Slices of fresh baked bread also arrived. Then it was time for the arrival of tonight's featured performer: the Ribeye. I must admit, it looked a bit odd. I'm assuming it was served Greco style as it had an au jus slathered across the top of the cut. I never pour a juice on my steak. That, and the addition of a steak sauce, is for crappy cuts of meat where the beef itself either has little taste and/or natural juices. The cut was also markedly thinner than I usually get when I BBQ. I can understand that when I'm in a restaurant, but this steak was about half the thickness I'm used to. If this was a crappy cut or god forbid, corn fed, then it would be likely impossible to cook the meat properly when it is too thin. My tongue quivered at the thought of potential disappointment. I cut in and studied the colour of the first piece on my fork. This is a process I do every time I eat steak. I study each piece to see that it was cooked correctly. If it is, my tastebuds perk with delight. If the piece looks overcooked, I try to prepare my gullet for disappointment by producing extra saliva. Piece number one looked good. In it went. Glorious. Piece number two... Glorious. The meat had a great taste and was nice and tender. I would eventually get around to eating the accompaniments which were Greek inspired rice, lemon-roasted potatoes and nicely tender crisp beans and carrots. Those were really just distractions from the steak. Greek Town had delivered with its entree so I thought I would partake in a cuppa and a slice of Chocolate Suicide: chocolate cake, custard and butter cream. I don't have much of a sweet tooth these days but I figured I'd give it a go; the tea could help dissolve the sugar. I made it 3/4 through before I had to surrender; much to the chagrin of my dentist I'm sure. Overall I was well satisfied during my short stay in Greek Town. About $33 CDN (~$25 US) inc tax and before tip. A small price to pay for a taste of heaven.