greek is good

One of the perks of my job is the occasional invitation to a free dinner or reception. Nothing makes me happier than free meals. The other night, my colleague Brian and I got to go to a dinner at a new Greek restaurant in Greenwich Village, Gus's Place. The restaurant is actually a second incarnation of a longtime Village favorite. Gus had lost the lease on the original space, and it took him 2 years to find a suitable replacement. Gus himself is a wonderfully warm man who makes you feel like your long lost Greek grandfather thinks you need to eat more. We enjoyed a variety of starters including classic hummus, tzatziki, tarama salada, spanakopita, grapes leaves, etc, etc. The hummus was especially notable, with a tangy acidic flavor and perfect texture. My main course was an oven roasted rainbow trout with cous cous. The trout was excellent, with a flavorul broth and a nice touch of butter, topped with green onions, tomatoes, and herbs. The cous cous was a little on the dry side, but the pine nuts and currants added nice balance. Brian got the mezedes, a sort of sampler platter of lamb, merguez, shrimp and salad. I of course ate my share of his plate, the merguez was excellent - quite spicy and flavorful without being too greasy. For dessert, I had Bougatsa, a pastry of fig custard wrapped in phyllo dough and drizzled with honey. It was a little softer that I would have wanted it, you could tell it had been sitting in refridgeration for some time, and the fig flavor was more subtle that it should be. But overall, it was all delicious. I was obscenely stuffed. It is a nice return to the neighborhood in a city that is oddly light on good Greek food.

It also happened to be about half a block away from the shooting of two auxiliary police officers that had happened just the night before. Gus pointed out to us the awning and planter boxes across the street that had been hit by bullets, and told how the patrons and staff in his restaurant got down on the floor upon hearing dozens of gunshots, not knowing what was going on.