Writing a restaurant review by committee is usually about as easy as whipping cream without a whisk. Not the case with Zorba the Greek.
After several orders of takeout — with more planned in the future — my co-workers and I gave the new restaurant a collective thumbs up, with all of us in hearty agreement that this cute place has added another delicious ethnic dimension to the dining options in Everett’s downtown core.
Of course, you don’t have to order just takeout.
Once you locate the slim storefront on Colby Avenue, go inside and be charmed by the exposed brick, retro tables with black tops and red chairs, and the blend of historic photographs and hanging plastic grapes on the walls.
Have a seat and pick something on the menu or order one of the daily specials because either way, you’ll be satisfied. Whether gyros or falafel, Zorba delivers the goods no matter the dish — and at prices that are remarkably low.
How often can you buy dessert for 50 cents?
But starting at the beginning of the meal, sample the chicken lemon soup, or avgolemono ($3.50). It’s light despite its quite creamy appearance and it’s buoyed with lots of chicken and soft rice in a not-quite-sour lemon broth that held a sublimely subtle note of ginger.
The sizable portion of Greek chicken salad ($7.95) with the poultry nicely marinated to a moist and slightly spicy finish also works fine as a starting point.
Ordering the hummus in any way at all is a winner. The crushed garbanzo beans are creamy and rich and when ordered as an appetizer plate ($4.75) come with a heavenly supply of warm garlic pita.
Other appetizers run the gamut of Greek delights, including the broiled eggplant, bell pepper combo of baba ganoush, the dolmades — a mixture of ground beef, rice and spices wrapped in wine leaves — and the tabbouleh. The combination platter provides a one-stop survey of all the appetizers ($9.50).
Main courses can come in the form of a falafel, crushed garbanzo beans deep fried and combined with onions and spices.
A co-worker warned that one should be prepared for the falafel sandwich, which comes man-handler size and stuffed with lots of falafel that was cooked with a wonderful crisp outside layer, served on a thicker type flatbread and doused with just the right amount of tzatziki sauce, surrounded by fresh lettuce and tomatoes ($4.75).
Zorba sometimes offers a beef kebob plate with rice and salad as a special ($8.50) and that’s certainly an apt word for it. The beef was tender and the rice was light and fluffy and sprinkled with mizithra cheese. The cooks even paid attention to the side salad, topping it with fresh green pepper, red onion and olive.
Other plates include the souvlaki plate, two skewers of beef or chicken served with Greek salad ($8.95), or the gyro plate of a traditional beef and lamb combination served in a pita bread with rice and salad ($8.50).
If you’ve got time after your meal, try the Turkish coffee ($2.75) — a strong brew you’ll want to drink sweetened — that is made by simmering finely ground coffee and serving the liquid with the grounds.
It takes between five and six minutes to make, but once you are sipping slowly from the demi cup, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Crete.
A piece of Zorba’s baklava (50 cents) pairs well with the coffee, but one piece is so rich that you’ll want to share it with friends — or your co-workers.
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