MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Who better to eat Greek food with than a Greek?
So I grabbed my friend, Marianna, and we headed to our hometown to dine at Voula’s Good Eats.
A neighborhood restaurant in southeast Terrace, Voula’s serves primarily comfort food to a mostly regular crowd.
It’s chicken-fried steak, patty melt, burgers, liver and onions, Italian pasta dishes and breakfast-served-all-day.
But the specialty is fresh, garlicky and satisfying Greek food.
Voula’s website says that each Thursday is Greek night, featuring specials such as moussaka, which has layers of egglant and ground lamb (cooked with onion, garlic, tomatoes and cinnamon, allspice and pepper), topped with bechamel (savory custard) sauce and baked.
Oh, I was hungry.
So, when we got there and the staff explained that Greek night is only the last Thursday of each month, well …
I was grumpy, too.
No Greek night, although the regular menu features a few classics.
The staff promised to tell the owner to edit the website. Warning, Voula: I will be back on Oct. 30.
Marianna said it was fine with her. Moussaka is not her favorite. However, she can pronounce it correctly. It’s moo-sa-ka, not moo-SAW-ka.
We ordered souvlaki, pieces of pork (for me) and chicken (for Marianna) grilled on skewers. The souvlaki dinner comes with ice cream for dessert, a vegetable (we got mushy peas), garlic bread, a choice of soup or salad and choice of mashed potatoes, french fries or rice pilaf for $12.99.
Where were the Greek oven-fried potatoes?
It wasn’t Greek night.
But the soup that night was avgolemono, an unexpectedly delicious, frothy blend of eggs, chicken broth, rice and lemon juice.
“It’s the best soup for cold and flu season,” she said. “Warm broth, protein and vitamin C.”
Marianna deemed the avgolemono “very good.”
Same with the tzatziki appetizer: Toasted, buttery pita bread slices dipped in the Greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber sauce for $7.49. And enough dip left over to complement the souvlaki.
To make the most of our visit to Voula’s, we also shared a horiatiki, a traditional Greek village salad, with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and peppers, topped with oregano, feta cheese, kalamata olives and a delightful house-made dressing. Along with more pita bread, it costs $12.49.
I took most of it home and ate it for lunch, topped with a few chunks of Marianna’s chicken souvlaki. Even better the next day.
The pork souvlaki was very tasty, but the chicken retained its crispy outside and juicy inside as part of lunch.
Oopah!
My husband tagged along with us. He had a manicotti and cannelloni combination special for $12.49. The meat sauce was delicious, but decidedly Italian. Greek meat sauce would include cinnamon and allspice, Marianna said.
Voula’s Good Eats is situated in the corner of a shopping area, but the dining room has skylights, a fireplace and outdoor garden seating. It’s nice.
You might try the Athenian omelet and the Greek scramble for breakfast, both with gyro meat, green onions, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, hash browns and toast for $10.49. The gyro sandwich, with a mixture of lamb and beef strips topped with tomatoes, onions, tzatziki sauce and all wrapped in a warm pita bread, served with fries, soup or salad makes a generous lunch for $9.99.
Yes, Voula’s restaurant makes other Greek food, but you’ll have visit on Greek night, the last Thursday of the month.
Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427; gfiege@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @galefiege.
Voula’s Good Eats
4306 228th St. SW, Suite 5, Mountlake Terrace; 425-967-5154; www.voulasgoodeats.com.
Hours: Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Alcohol: None
Price: Breakfasts and lunches generally range from $7.49 to $10.49. Most dinners are $12.49 to $12.99.
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