What arrived wrapped in a parchment sleeve hardly resembled the wannabe souvlakis found in greasy sub shops around town. Instead, the folks at Greek Corner wrap their charred chunks of marinated lamb in a soft, warm pita and top them with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, parsley, and a cool cucumber-yogurt sauce ($5.25).
The second indication that we had come to a first-rate Greek establishment came from the crowds of diners that started pouring in shortly after 7 pm, when the July air outside the Cambridge restaurant had mellowed to a temperature reasonable enough for eating again. Crammed around modest tables, large families dove into bowls of tangy Avgolemono soup ($2.45/cup; $3.65/bowl) with strips of torn pita bread, followed quickly by the stuffed grape leaves, flaky spanakopita, and garlicky hummus-drizzled falafel spheres from the combination vegetable plates ($9.50).
The third indication that this was food to be taken seriously: even the under-10 crowd took breaks from handfuls of hand-cut, skin-on Greek fries ($3.50) seasoned with grated cheese, oregano, and lemon juice and honeyed triangles of baklava ($2.25) to eat falafel. How many restaurants (or, for that matter, parents) can say they get kids to eat chick peas?
Greek Corner Restaurant, 2366 Mass Ave, Cambridge | Mon - Sat, from 11 am - 10 pm; Sun, noon - 10 pm | 617.661.5655.
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