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One of my great childhood delights was visiting Leary’s bookstore. Each week mom and I enjoyed an early dinner and later would browse through Leary’s. I bought a book a week and soon my library was filled with Nancy Drew mysteries, an assortment of Dickens, Mark Twain and Collette. The latter wrote wonderful stories about Parisian life, particularly about a girl named Gigi.
Whenever I think of Gigi, Leslie Caron comes to mind. She starred in the movie version of the Collette classic. When I heard a new restaurant named Gigi opened a few weeks ago in Old City, I thought it must be a French bistro. When I called, the man who answered the phone told me the menu is Mediterranean with a nod to Greece.
"Happy hour is from 5 to 7," he said. "All drinks are half price and all appetizers are half price."
Mom, Edward and I piled into the car. The location has housed a few restaurantt, including a seafood place and an Indian restaurant. The site has been completely gutted and is now a warm and welcoming neighborhood spot.
Our waiter, Colin, showed us to a roomy, well-lit booth. There’s a modern bar where some were enjoying cocktails and appetizers. "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" played on two flat-screen TVs. The room is outfitted in red and neutral tones.
There were a number of Greek dishes on the menu and we decided to share.
During happy hour, a Rob Roy prepared with Johnnie Walker Red cost $3.50. A martini mixed with top-shelf gin is $4.25. This is the best bargain in town. (Cocktails were as generous as the portions of food we enjoyed.) Even wine by the glass is half price. A drinkable Pinot Noir, filled to the top, was just $4. With that said, there were delicious dishes to sample.
Colin, who has experience as a sommelier, brought us a ramekin of olive oil, a dish of assorted olives and warm rolls. During happy hour, we selected appetizers such as saganaki ($3.50), Gigi’s fried calamari ($5) and shish kabob ($4.25). Saganaki is a traditional Greek dish of fried Kasseri cheese usually cooked in a metal skillet and flambéed tableside with brandy. Our waiter told us the cheese was being flamed in the kitchen because the restaurant is so new a server might set the place on fire. Either way, the dish was delicious. Edward cut the round cheese pie into wedges and plated the pieces. The cheese was topped with a homemade, slightly spicy tomato sauce studded with olives. It arrived with warm wedges of pita.
Fried calamari is everywhere. Gigi’s version is so unique and tasty, it should receive an award. Fresh tubes of squid were stuffed with orzo. The latter was mixed with fresh cooked spinach and Kefalotiri cheese, another Greek import, then stuffed into five large immaculately fresh squid. All were coated in seasoned crumbs and quickly fried. I have never tasted fried calamari like this anywhere. It was tender; the filling a fine contrast of tastes and textures. The olive marinara dipping sauce was divine. A small mound of baby greens also was plated with the appetizer.
Patrons have a choice of chicken, steak, tuna, tofu or shrimp kabobs. Kabobs also are available as an entree. We decided to try the shrimp and were not disappointed. They were good-sized and cooked on the grill, imparting a marvelously smoky flavor. Grilled vegetables, such as sweet red peppers and red onions, were threaded on the skewers. Warm triangles of pita bread and an obviously homemade Tzatziki sauce came with the dish. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek "mezze" or appetizer made with fragrant chopped cucumbers and fresh yogurt. The latter was thick and creamy and obviously another import.
Next up was a lamb burger ($10), which arrived rare as ordered. I was not surprised to see lamb on Gigi’s menu; it is the national meat of Greece. Our waiter told us the chef grinds the lamb fresh each day with garlic and mint, two other popular Greek ingredients. It was formed into an 8-ounce patty and grilled. The burger arrived on a fresh onion roll topped with poppy seeds. Slices of red ripe tomato, lettuce and Skordalia sauce came with the burger as did crisp, hot french fries. Skordalia is made with hot whipped potatoes, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar and chopped parsley. It is an excellent dip and went well when I topped it on the burger.
Chicken roulade ($18) is one of the tastiest chicken dishes I’ve sampled in a restaurant in recent memory. A boneless whole breast was pounded thin then filled with sliced artichokes, spinach and Kasseri cheese. It was rolled jellyroll-style and baked in a light white wine sauce with sautéed mushrooms. Once the chicken was out of the oven, it was sliced into six generous portions – delicious. The chicken was moist and tender. It arrived piping hot and came with one-half of a roasted eggplant filled with orzo.
The service was excellent. Our waiter changed the silverware for each course, filled our water glasses and "crumbed" the table.
There are sometimes glitches when a new place opens. We experienced none at Gigi. The menu was carefully planned and the food so tasty, I would return in a minute to try the mussels, rib eye, Greek-style scampi – even when it’s not happy hour.
Three tips of the toque to Gigi.
Gigi
319 Market St.
215-574-8880
Credit cards accepted
Wheelchair accessible with a step up into the restaurant
