54 The Queens Courier • easter/passover • APRIL 10, 2014 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com dining out THE COURIER/Bradley Hawks Skirt steak is dusted with Greek coffee, and served with a skillet of fresh mushrooms and halloumi poutine. It’s all Greek to me BY BRADLEY HAWKS The Giannakas brothers are the powerhouse duo who have been running one of the most innovative and original Greek restaurants in Astoria for the better part of the past decade. The two men work alongside their mother and father, and the harmony is borderline tangible. Chris runs the front of the house with effortless charisma and charm, while Chef Pete orchestrates delectable and creative spins on traditional Greek dishes. They certainly have lemon potatoes, skewered meats and plenty of fresh seafood — even a raw bar. Or try their Rock n’ Ribs Wednesdays, featuring a barbecue smorgasbord. But the real magic is found hidden throughout the Greek menu in the recipes often masked with the most deceptively simple names. “I was inspired a lot by our childhood home,” Pete explains. It was his mother’s cupboard that suggested the marriage of java and skirt steak on the Greek Coffee Steak. The beef is dusted with Greek coffee, and served with a skillet of fresh mushrooms and halloumi poutine. It is a little Hawaiian, a little Canadian, a little Greek and 100 percent Ovelia. At brunch, guests may order a frittata loaded with French fries and feta cheese. Named after the Giannakas brothers’ grandmother, it is lovingly called Yiayia’s Omelette. A family recipe for Tiropita toast arrives with an array of toppings, from halloumi and cucumbers to fiesta grilled chicken, jalapeño and cilantrolime aioli. An open-faced ham chip-drip steals the show, with thinly shaved slices of ham sautéed with creamy mozzarella and mushrooms, cloaked in a bright, citrusy hollandaise. At lunchtime, an old favorite — the Lamburgini Burger — has been replaced with a Saganaki Burger. “Everyone started doing pretzel rolls,” laughs Chef Pete, “and so I knew it was time to do something different.” The new burger features a juicy patty of chopped veal, crisp ribbons of cucumber, fried kefalograviera and a creamy slathering of Greek yogurt tahini spread, all stacked on a bun of Turkish pide bread. Dinner should begin with an order of fried feta cubes that have been encrusted in black and white sesame seeds and drizzled with Greek honey. Another Ovelia signature is the Parea — a Greek word referring to a group of friends. What better comrades than a carving board loaded with pork souvlaki, chicken breast, monastiraki bifteki, grilled links of loukaniko, steaming pita triangles and french fries sprinkled with oregano. The pan-fried, hickory-smoked sweetbreads are decadent and tender, and the bone marrow is slowly roasted after it has been brined in lemon and oregano, rendering it subtly but distinctly Greek. The complete range of dishes runs the gamut from old-school Mediterranean to trendy and current fare, employing sophisticated techniques. Regardless of what comes from the kitchen, the brothers always offer a broad range of carefully edited international wines and liquors, featuring an impressive selection direct from Greece. Each page of Ovelia’s menu holds several curious, delicious little secrets. The best thing you could possibly say is, “It’s all Greek to me.” View Over 200 Reviews at queenscourier.com GEORGIa D I N E R & R E s t a u R a N t HAPPY EASTER Appetizer Stuffed Grape LeaveS w/ rice included fruit SaLad cocktaiL Supreme .included Jumbo Shrimp cocktaiL ........... extra 9.95 fiLet of marinated herrinG extra 6.95 baked Stuffed cLamS ................ extra 7.50 chicken finGerS ............................ extra 5.95 haLf Grapefruit maraSchino .........................................included aSSorted JuiceS ................................included mozzareLLa StickS ..................... extra 5.95 buffaLo winGS ................................ extra 5.95 potato SkinS (6 piece) ................. extra 5.95 soups creAM of turkey • MAnhAttAn clAM chowder chicken consoMMe with Rice, Noodles or Matzoh Balls entrees roaSt marYLand turkeY with Apple Raisin Dressing, pot & veg ...........................25.95 virGinia ham Steak served with Wild Berry Ragu, pot & veg .....................................24.95 roaSt LeG of Lamb with Mint Jelly, pot & veg ...............................................................26.95 roaSt prime rib of beef Au Jus, pot & veg ................................................................27.95 chicken parmiGiana with Spaghetti ..............................................................................23.95 roaSt chicken with Apple Raisin Dressing, pot & veg ...................................................23.95 broiLed veiL chop ...... ......................................................................................................32.95 chicken francaiSe with artichokes, pimento and lemon sauce, pasta or rice ...........23.95 fettuccini aLfredo with Chicken (with shrimp +$6 ) ................................................23.95 veaL ScaLoppini with mushrooms and marsala wine, pot & veg ...................................25.95 madrid StYLe pork tenderLion Sauteed pork tenderloin w/spicy red beans, spanish rice, tomato and green pepper ......................................................................25.95 duck madaGaScar served with long grain rice and roasted bell peppers ...................27.95 paSta al frutti di mare Angel hair pasta with shrimp, scallops and calamari in marinara sauce...........................................................................................................................27.95 Shrimp & crab caSino Jumbo Shrimp and Snow Crab in garlic butter and mixed peppers with rice pilaf ................................................................................................29.95 broiLed fiLet of SoLe aLmondine topped with Roasted Almonds, pot & veg ..30.95 veaL chop au poive with light demi glazed sauce garnished with roasted peppers and mushrooms ...................................................................................................32.95 broiLed heavY new York cut SirLion with Mushroom Caps, pot & veg .......33.95 broiLed Stuffed fiLet of SoLe with Crabmeat Stuffing, pot & veg ....................34.95 broiLed fiLet miGnon with Mushroom Caps, pot & veg ............................................34.95 broiLed Seafood combination Shrimp, Scallops, Filet of Sole, Halibut and Baked Clams, pot & veg ...........................................................................................38.95 broiLed LobSter taiLS with drawn butter, pot & veg .................................................45.95 beef & reef: fiLet miGnon & tender rock LobSter served w/ salad, potato, vegetables, pot & veg ............................................................................46.95 vegetABles: Green Beans Almondine • Sweet Peas • Glazed Baby • Belgian Carrots • Broccoli Spears • Creamed Spinach • Corn on the Cob potAtoes: Baked • Mashed • French Fried • Candied Yams children’s Menu roaSt turkeY with Apple Raisin Dressing .......................................... $16.95 roaSt LeG of Lamb with Mint Jelly ………………………....................$16.95 cheeSe ravioLi Topped with Mozzarella Cheese ................................ $16.95 chicken parmiGiana with Spaghetti ................................................ $16.95 BeverAges: sodA, juice, coffee or teA desserts: Apple pie, cheese cAke, Assorted dAnish, chocolAte lAyer cAke or Any other pastry PRIVATE ROOMS AVAILABLE FOR PARTIES OuR NEW aND EXCItING MENu aVaILaBLE 24 HOuRs a DaY, OFFERs COCKtaILs, stEaKs, CHOPs, sEaFOOD, Pasta, POuLtRY All Baking done on Premises • Private Parties Available 86-55 Queens Boulevard • Elmhurst • 718-651-9000 (one block west of Queens Center Mall) Large Free Parking Lot Ovelia Psistaria & Bar 34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria 718-721-7217 www.ovelia-nyc.com
QC04102014
To see the actual publication please follow the link above