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Good Eats What?
Where?
Owners: Nick & Voula Zontanos
& Family
If you've lived in Hinesburg a while, then you probably remember at least one or two previous incarnations at the present site of Papa Nick's -- the restaurant across from the Elementary School. Before Papa Nick's arrived, it had been The Kali Yuga Kitchen. And before that, a place called The Rendez-Vous that had something of a reputation, though not necessarily for the food they served. Now, however, it's all Papa Nick's. ... And we're glad. ... We stopped in on a Sunday evening, about an hour before closing, after a movie up in Burlington. There were still a fair few folks dining. 'Mrs. Nick' -- Voula Zontanos -- was also sitting at one of the tables, looking through what we thought were the books. But we came to find out later that it was a scrapbook of newspaper clippings and mementoes. ... Papa Nick's was celebrating a 10th anniversary, and she was reminiscing. ...
Linda Fortin was our waitress. She was prompt and very friendly. ... We came to find out later that she and Voula used to work together up at the Lincoln Inn some years back. We also found out from her that Papa Nick comes in each and every morning to prepare and make sure things are set for the day ahead ... He also makes the soups, breads, and lots of other items on the menu. ... Linda took our orders for drinks, then left us to look over the menu. Knowing Papa Nick's touch with just about anything Greek, I was tempted by the braised lamb shanks over pasta, and by the spinach & feta-stuffed filet of sole. But I landed on the grilled beef kabob, with some French onion soup for a starter. Laura went for the Mediterranean Shrimp over pasta, with a house salad to get things going. Our drinks were back in short order, and the soup and salad came an appropriately short while afterward. The onion soup was fine -- hot, and sprinkled generously with mozzarella. And the house salad was good, too -- a nice mix of red leaf lettuce, tomatoes, cukes, onions, carrots, and radish. The Grilled Beef Kabob, on the other hand, was out of
this world. One of the specials for the evening, the beef was followed by
tomato, onion, green pepper, and bacon strips -- grilled to perfection --
served with a generous side of rice pilaf. In fact, did I say
'perfection'? Well, I'm not generally given to the highest praise, but, in
this case, 'perfection' is an understatement. The beef was, without a
doubt, the most tender I ever laid into. I could actually cut it, and cut
it easily, with a fork. The pilaf, too, was done just right, lightly
flavored, and the juices from the grilled beef and veggies mingled wonderfully
with it. The Mediterranean Shrimp with Pasta was another item
on the evening's specials. The tomato sauce was rich with black olives,
onions, green peppers, and chopped tomato. And the shrimp were tender &
good-sized, as well as generously served. The pasta was a hefty portion,
nicely done al dente. ... The Baklava ... What can we say? The
baklava! Served warmed, the paper-thin phyllo layers were browned just
right, with a delicious nut filling and an ever so slightly zesty sugar
syrup. ... No more words here. Just go try some. ...
The French Silk Pie lived up to its
name -- smooth. Laid in a
full and crumbly crust, the chocolate filling was ample ... the cream, fresh
& sweet ... and the shaved chocolate, dark & rich. I don't
ordinarily lean in this direction, usually preferring fruit pies {which Papa
Nick's also has good rep for}. But in this case, I'm glad I did. ... Beyond all this, there's the standard nightly fare at Papa Nick's -- a solid selection of delectable meat dishes, as well as pastas and more. ... Thursdays at Papa Nick's: But the real reputation, well-deserved, is for Thursday nights -- Greek Night. I'm already dreaming of things wrapped in grape leaves. And I'm definitely heading back to see what Papa Nick's can do with my favorite meat of all ... lamb. In fact, since we forgot our camera last trip, I have to go back and get some pictures. So a little more baklava wouldn't hurt either. ...
When we went back to take some pictures and asked Voula if we could get a shot of her, she was reluctant. "No," she said. At first we thought perhaps she was a little embarrassed. But what she really wanted was for us to get a shot of Nick, who wasn't there. "He's the one you should get a picture of," she said. So we promised that we'd come back the next morning to get a picture of Nick, as well as her & Nick together. But she had a dentist appointment. ... So then we told her that, through the magic of modern digital photography, we could try to put together a composite picture of the two of them. The photo here is the result of our effort. {If we had more time, it would have been better, Voula. But we hope you like it anyway. ... Thanks for your hospitality.} . ******* ******* When we go some place to eat, we don't announce ourselves or our intentions. We want to be sure we're getting -- in quality and otherwise -- what anyone coming in would get. Mange forte! {Roughly translated: Eat heartily!} lmc & lbw If you know of any dishes at restaurants around the area, or if you'd like to submit a review of your own, don't hesitate to let us know. ******* ******* If you would like to submit a recipe or write a feature for our Food & Dining section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at food@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
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