Taverna Greek Grill

The menu changes every now and then. They used to have a great braised lamb shank, and a great mediterranean pizza, and I was sorry to see them go. Recently, they changed the menu again, and dropped another favorite: the stuffed peppers. On the other hand, they added an excellent grilled salmon and mediterranean sea bass. Nonetheless, many items seem pretty pricey for what you get.

When I was in Detroit, I had two friends who were Greek-Americans, and they turned me on to some really good food, and steered me away from tourist joints (if they serve flaming cheese and go "Opa!" it’s a safe bet that it's not the real McCoy). One friend was a fellow Biochemistry major [although to save my life I can’t remember his name right now], and he claimed to be a cousin of Jeff Pinkus, who played bass for the Butthole Surfers, which is the best name ever devised for a rock band [best song: I Saw an X-Ray of a Girl Passing Gas]. My other friend, Tim Phillipos, was a total nerd and geek as I was (and still am). We would hang out late into the night discussing whatever it is that geeks as we do, from Jimi Hendrix to particle physics. I remember once, Tim and I went into the Traffic Jam, which that night featured a Moroccan lentil dish: he took one bite, and exclaimed "This is how my mother made it!"