19346 Rinaldi Street, Northridge, CA 91326 (in the Porter Ranch Shopping Center, 1/2 block north of the 118 freeway (make a right). 818/831-1187 www.cafegraikos.com
Open 11 am - 10 pm Friday and Saturday, Sun - Thurs 11 am - 9 pm
email: management@cafegraikos.com
We discovered Cafe Graikos when we were nearby and decided to go to the new, big, fast Whole Foods Market next door. (Never mind that our idea of a hot time is visiting a new market -- you can make fun, but there were LOTS of good samples.) The market is one of the best and is open late so build in a shopping trip if you like. Porter Ranch Shopping Center is located on the south side of realtor-touted Rinaldi, of which it's entirely preferable to live North because commissions are higher there. This is a GREAT place for vegetarians (and amazingly, vegans -- the veggie meals have little if any cheese!) to take non-vegetarians, and vice-versa.
Cafe Graikos is small, with about 12 tables, and very cozy because they know how to light the place (without blaring fluorescent lights). The inside has blond wood paneling, white walls, and is very calming. It's even more calming when they bring you a basket of pitas and you realize that you will not die waiting for good service.
At first we fretted a little at the prices, but before long I realized that the portions must be large (because the place was nearly filled and did not have the air of a fancy, expensive place). They were. We ordered the Vegetarian Combo Platter with Imam Baldi, Briami, lentil pilaf, Horiatiki salad and Yalantzi (with soup, $11.95). We split this and ordered an extra soup. All of the dishes represented a second cousin to Indian food without the hot spiciness but with all of the warmth in seasonings. So what is all this stuff?
Imam Baldi: Long eggplant stuffed with walnuts tomatoes, onions, garlic and cilantro (alone as a platter, $10.95). Deelicious.
Briami: The winner. Eggplant, potatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini in a tomato sauce. (served alone, $10.25). This was just amazing, didn't taste high in fat, and was spiced superbly.
Lentil pilaf: Steven just went nuts for this, and I liked it a lot too. Rice with lentils and wonderful, slightly salty spicing.
Horiatiki salad: dilled, vinegar marinated cucumbers and tomatoes. Eat these first, very refreshing
Yalantzi: Stuffed grape leaves with rice, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers and spices (served also as an appetizer for $4.45). This was particularly excellent, as I have had many stuffed grape leaves that were sour, overmarinated, oily, etc. and this was just perfectly spiced, easy on the taste buds, and you can really taste the goodness of the grape leaves.
The soups: I got Lentil and Steven got Fassolatha, a lima bean soup. Both were very, very tomato based, but not the diluted, acidy tomato base that usually repels us both. Instead both soups were hearty, chunky and not unlike Indian food. Both went very well with pitas.
Other vegetarian items we'll be trying soon: Falafel sandwiches, served with soup, small Greek salad or French fries (lunch price, $6.75, or ala carte, $5.50, Vegetarian Greek Pizza ($8.95), which is actually vegan, featuring spinach, eggplant, onions, mushrooms and bell peppers. Baked on a Greek pita!
For non-vegetarians Cafe Graikos touts "the best chicken, filet mignon and lamb kabob in town". We'll test that theory with some carnivores and get back to you. A typical chicken plate: Souvlaki Chicken Plate ($12.45): 2 skewers of marinated chicken breast served on a bed of rice with steamed vegetables, hummos, and Tzatziki sauce. (Please see the above link for a complete menu).
Dessert, well we were stuffed, but just for you we tried the rice pudding. It was very good, but uses a lemony rosewater sauce as a sweetener and would not be for everyone (it's very floral). The desserts are small, but you will probably be stuffed so it's okay to share (and they're cheap -- $1.75 - $2.95 for moussecake). Next time we'll be trying the baklava ($1.95), which, if it's indicative of the rest of their food, will be lovely.
I cannot stress enough that the seasonings in these meals make them what they are: unique, tasty and satisfying without an overabundance of fat or sodium. Yum!