The Oracle Will See You Now
Delphi in Westwood delivers no prophecies about Greek cuisine
By Richard Foss
When my brother and I have a free evening, we go out for Greek food, a commemoration of a whimsical trip to Athens that we took together. An airline that will remain nameless (because I’m not mad at them anymore) screwed up a flight so badly that they gave me two tickets anywhere they flew, so we decided to take a week rambling around the south of Greece. We spent sun-drenched days studying antiquities and cool nights investigating tavernas, and developed a lasting fondness for Greek cuisine.
There aren’t many Greek places serving anything but fast food in Los Angeles, so we’re always looking for those that are a little more ambitious. We headed for Delphi in Westwood on a recent Wednesday, eager to recapture memories of Attica amid the jumble of Persian restaurants and bookstores. First, of course, we had to find the restaurant – not easy, since it has a tiny frontage and the sign is behind a tree. Once we got inside, the atmosphere was much like the little cafés we remembered – whitewashed walls with blue trim and dramatically lit replicas of amphorae and statues. The menu was a list of greatest hits, including pastas, roast lamb, moussaka, dolmades, and the iconic Greek salad of tomatoes, onions, and feta. One of the only unusual items was “Emam Baldi,” a variant on a traditional Turkish dish of roasted eggplant with tomato, onion, and cheese. Unfortunately, they were out of this starter, so we decided to start with an “Ionian salad” ($10.50) and keftedakia, the traditional pan-fried herbed meatballs ($8.75). The Ionian salad is different from the usual Greek salad and usually served as an entrée, but our waiter graciously allowed us to substitute it for the standard salad that was included with our meals. The mix of romaine with Belgian endive, artichoke hearts, olives, red bell pepper, and scallion with dill dressing used non-traditional
ingredients to good effect – it was topped with good-quality feta cheese and had tangy, zesty flavors. The pan-fried meatballs had the real Greek flavor too, thanks to a healthy shot of green herbs, pepper, and a judicious amount of garlic. Real Hellenic cooking isn’t afraid of big flavors, and this had the authentic boldness. Our waiter also brought cups of avgolemono soup, a tasty chicken stock with lemon that was a bit one-dimensional, but a little pepper livened it right up.
The starters raised expectations that weren’t met by the rest of our meal. We had decided on lamb souvlaki ($19.75) and the Delphi breast of chicken ($15.25), which was described as chicken stuffed with mushrooms and zucchini topped with avgolemono sauce. What actually arrived was a chicken breast that had been grilled, cut into chunks, and then topped with sautéed vegetables and sauce – not the same thing at all. If the breast had actually been stuffed and baked as described, it would have been a much more interesting presentation and flavor. It was good, but it wasn’t as described on the menu. The souvlaki had been well-marinated with wine, oil, pepper, garlic, and oregano, but was served very rare when we had ordered medium rare. The flavor was very good, but the center of each piece was barely warm – it would have been a turn-off to people who don’t like rare meats as much as we do. Our side dishes – peas in a cheese sauce, roasted potato, and rice – were all unremarkable.
Two Greek wines are offered by the glass, Kouros and Semeli, neither of which is in the same league as Boutari, Hatzimichalis, or others that are generally available in L.A. We tried glasses of the white with our starters, the reds with our main courses, and found all but the Semeli red to be dull. At over $7 a glass, all were overpriced – I’d have happily paid that or more for better wine, but this was unsatisfying.
We briefly considered dessert, but neither baklava nor galaktobouriko charmed us, and we had noticed a Persian ice cream store on the same block. The service at Delphi had been friendly, the atmosphere pleasant, and we’d consider a return visit, but we’ve found better ways to satisfy our Greek craving around L.A.
Delphi Greek Cuisine, 1383 Westwood Blvd., Westwood, (310) 478-2900. Validated parking across the street at Borders Bookstore. Open Mon.-Sat. for lunch and dinner, closed Sun. Wine & beer served, wheelchair access OK.
Published: 05/07/2008
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