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 Athens On Fourth Is Still Serving Food Fit For The Gods. By Rebecca Cook DURING OUR ANNUAL deliberations for The Weekly's Best of Tucson issue over this past few years, I've had nothing to offer when the subject of one of the city's most popular Greek restaurants inevitably comes up: Athens on Fourth. It had been probably four years since I last darkened the doorway of this establishment, and while I remembered the experience as basically pleasant, I didn't think I could speak with any certainty on its current operation. As many of us have discovered to our everlasting sorrow, restaurants often go through bizarre metamorphoses over time. Changes in ownership, chefs and kitchen staff, revamped menus, interior redesign and remodeling efforts have all conspired to alter some of our most beloved culinary alcoves...sometimes beyond recognition.
Inside, the restaurant is quintessential Old World country charm: polished wood parquet floors, white brick walls, lace curtains and some cornice-height shelves filled with delicate knick-knacks. Blue-checked or solid white linen covers each table, and music from the Greek Islands fills the air. Andreas and Helen Delfakis have attempted to give their restaurant the feel of the "Plaka," an area in the heart of Athens where stone-covered streets, colorful little markets and cozy restaurants that serve some of the tastiest food in Greece can be found in abundance. Entering our local Athens' doorway immediately put us in mind of moussaka and ouzo, rendering the Delfakis' efforts to bring a bit of the Old World to the New enormously successful. No visit to a Greek restaurant can properly begin without a serving of the classic appetizer saganaki, served at Athens with dramatic flourish. Quarter-inch thick slices of kasseri cheese (made from either sheep or goat's milk and possessing a sharp, salty flavor and hard texture not unlike American cheddar) is soaked in Metaxa brandy and then quick-fried in olive oil. Still sizzling in the pan, the saganaki is ignited before your eyes with a pleasing and head-turning poof of flame, which is then doused with a generous squeeze of fresh lemon. The kids will love this one.
Another stellar meal starter was the house Greek salad (dubbed "eliniki salata" on the menu). Fresh romaine and green-leaf lettuce with onion slices, wedges of tomato and cucumber were tossed with chunks of feta cheese and pepperonccini in a lightly herbed olive oil vinaigrette. Menu choices include a respectable and varied sampling of Greece's most famous dishes. In addition, the owners recommend the daily specials, which provide an even greater representation of the possibilities of Greek cuisine. Bypassing the braised lamb shank special, I opted instead for the gyros platter, those succulent strips of meat that are the true measurement of any Greek restaurant worth its weight in baklava. I couldn't have been more pleased with Athens' take on this Hellenic specialty: The lean slices of beef and lamb not only possessed the full flavors of the meat, garlic and fresh ground pepper, they were also tender enough to cut delicately with a fork. Scooped onto a wedge of pita bread and topped with a smear of tzatziki (shredded cucumber and yogurt sauce), this was a heavenly repast. Recognizing the role of the sea in the course of Greek history, my constant dining companion elected to try the garithes pasalimani--large, butterflied shrimp, sautéed in olive oil with tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and then generously dusted with crumbled feta cheese. Although the shrimp was a little tough, the flavors of the dish were exquisite: sharp cheese parried by the sweetness of tomato and herbs, and the whole mellowed elegantly by the buttery taste of the shrimp. Scrumptious. Sautéed sliced potatoes and a lovely rice pilaf, served with a cinnamon and allspice-tinged tomato sauce, completed our ample meals. Although by rights we should have called it quits and asked for the check, I couldn't depart without a nibble on something sweet. Athens on Fourth gives the serious dessert devotee but three choices: rice pudding, baklava and a daily special, in this case a tempting ouzo cake with whipped cream. I couldn't resist the latter. (It seemed such a painless way to satisfy an ouzo fix.) A moist and honeyed spice cake laced discreetly with the notorious licorice-flavored liquor was an appropriate ending to what had been a fabulous meal.
The next time decent Greek food is the subject of debate, I'll
have more than a mouthful to say--Athens on Fourth Avenue remains
one of the best.
Athens on Fourth Avenue. 500 N. Fourth Ave. 624-6886. Open for dinner only, from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Full bar. V, MC, AMEX, checks. Menu items: $5 to $15.
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Fortunately, this is not the case with Athens on Fourth Avenue,
which has come through the years with its heart and soul firmly
intact. My recollection of the physical surroundings was limited
to impressions of a small, outdoor patio with umbrella-capped
tables and a smattering of colorful flower pots. In warm weather,
this is still an option at Athens on Fourth; although the lunch
that used to be served has been eliminated in favor of a dinner-only
approach.
A more sedate appetizer might be an order of the scordalia, a
dip or spread made with bundles of fresh garlic and served with
wedges of warm pita bread. Athens' version has the consistency
of mashed potatoes rather that a smooth, creamy dip, but is every
bit as delicious as any version sampled elsewhere.
