Waxing Hellenic on Astoria's Aliada

I may not have expressed it thus far, but my love for Greek food runs deep. The mountainous salads…the super salty feta…the skewered meats…the warm pita…the jumbo gyros…and of course…the coffee. Dark, ominously opaque, gritty, and sumptuously sludge-like, Greek coffee is an elegant elixir that will make you a man on the inside and out. It is Minoxodil for the soul. It is the nectar of the Gods. It is the zeitgeist of the zeal of Zeus….alright, that might be pushing it, but I could extol the virtues of Greek coffee forever. This time, I won’t.

As with most of what I roll around my mouth these days, I’ve been grappling with Greek grub for as long as I can remember, having enjoyed a multi-level education in this ancient cuisine. This was a culinary curriculum that began with unashamedly sucking down greasy Saturday morning gyros at “Acropolis” in the Willowbrook Mall food court, and ended with tableside flaming Saganaki, Spanakopita, and Kafterie in the heart of Chicago’s historic Greektown neighborhood.

As much as I appreciate the refined end of this cuisine, I find myself reverting back to the simpler, more traditional Greek dishes that are light, zesty, and tangy. Saganaki, Spanakopita, and Stuffed Grape leaves are all quite good, but none seems to quell my appetite the way a giant Greek salad does. And this brings us to my recent trip to Aliada in Astoria.

First off, I have to say that in terms of casual, rustic Greek food, Aliada is by FAR the best I’ve had in New York City to date, and probably better than some of my favorite joints in Chicago. In a neighborhood known for its strong history in Greek culture, there are as many phony wannabe’s looking for a piece of the proverbial baklava as there are genuine, mom and pop establishments that care about quality, made-to-order food.

Like most of Astoria’s major streets, Broadway is a perplexing mish mash of unkempt corner bodegas, local fast food joints, and polished restaurants that could very well sit on the other side of the East River and fit right in; Aliada being one of them.

Beyond the small open kitchen area to the left, the dining room is a fair size and was just beginning to fill up at 7 pm on a Friday night. Our order of Tzatziki and Kopanisti arrived promptly, and with a basket of warm pita bread for dipping of course. The Tzatziki was one of the best I’ve had, mixing tangy yogurt with diced cucumber, and a healthy dose of fresh lemon. For such a simple preparation, Tzaztiki is notoriously messed up; whether it’s too soupy, too gloppy, sorely in need of cucumber, or rendered ridiculously rank by somebody who went crazy with the dill (some versions call for dill). At Aliada, the Tzatziki is simply awesome, and at $4.95 is incredibly affordable. As good, was our second dip the Kopanisti (just $5.45!), which arrived as a thick, pasty mixture of roasted pepper and salt-laden feta cheese that was, in my opinion, just perfect. As if this wasn’t enough, pita basket refills are free! It just might not get any better than this.

Yet while the pita was indeed, unlimited, the luscious dips were not, and before long, I was staring down my salad known as the Horiatiki on the menu. This mountainous masterpiece combined tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, arugula, cabbage, cilantro, caper leaves, olives, and of course feta cheese; all of which was tossed in a delicate lemon vinaigrette dressing. This was an excellent salad, bursting with flavor and tongue-tickling acidity. At $10, I’ve yet to find anything comparable to it in the city.

Of course, I washed it all down with a classic Greek coffee (you should take only 1 sugar). Again, still thrilled over the unlimited pita, I was just tickled pink when the Management told me the coffee was on the house. These are the connections that fuel my soul.

I realize I’m raving at this point, but this meal was incredibly satisfying on all fronts.

Remember, expensive great meals are enjoyable. Inexpensive great meals are unforgettable.

I think Zeus said that.



Aliada
2919 Broadway
Long Island City, NY (Astoria Border)
(718) 932-2240‎

Food: A
Ambience: B+
Service: A
WILL BE BACK!