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| Afroditi salad with figs, dried cranberries, and fried halloumi cheese at Faros in Park Slope. |
There are few great restaurants in Park Slope. Happily, there are some solid neighborhood standbys offering satisfying meals that do the trick on a casual Friday evening.
Among those fine establishments is Faros, which offers Greek specialties in a relaxed atmosphere with a warm fireplace and good people watching on 7th Avenue. The menu offers everything you would expect to find at a neighborhood Greek restaurant: tzatziki, spanakopita, various other meze (make some of ours!), fresh fish, octopus, and grilled lamb chops. Most dishes are competent, some are very good, and all are served at affordable prices.
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| Grilled whole red snapper with lemon and olive oil |
One of my favorites is a surprising salad called Afroditi, which offers a wonderful combination of flavors and textures: crisp-tender mixed greens, sweet chewy figs, tart dried cranberries, and firm salty fried halloumi cheese, all tied together with a light vinaigrette. Like paneer, halloumi holds its shape and texture when cooked, giving the salad a nice warmth and bite.
I can never resist the whole fish, grilled simply with extra virgin olive oil, lemon, parsley, and capers. Whole red snapper arrives nice and delicate with a mild sweetness. The greens on the plate are uninteresting, so I suggest a side of lemon roasted potatoes or Greek-style fries. The staff is happy to debone and butterfly the fish for you or leave it whole.
You’ll be tempted to end the meal with a slice of baklava, but instead try the galaktoboureko, a semolina-based custard baked in crisp filo dough and soaked in a honey spiced syrup. You’ll have the opportunity to pronounce the funny name and be rewarded with an excellent traditional dessert.
Faros Estiatorio
84 7th Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11217
Tel.: (718) 623-2767
Recommended dishes: Tzatziki ($7), Afroditi salad ($14), avgolemono soup ($7), zucchini with garlic potato puree ($10), whole fish (MP).
