Barba Yianni - Greek Food in a German Neighborhood

On an unseasonably mild February night, we set out with a Bosnian restaurant in mind.  It must be good, because when we got there, they were full for the evening already!  I'm sure we'll be back, but luckily for us, on the bus out there, we saw a number of interesting looking restaurants, some of which I'm sure we'll make it back to (that Philipino place looked good!).  As we looked the various ethic offerings, we decided to pick a Greek place in Lincoln Square in keeping with the region we originally had in mind.  It looked pretty empty for a busy Saturday night, but we didn't let that deter us.  In we went to begin our Greek experience at Barba Yianni, which translates to Uncle John.  I hope he's back there cooking!



Drinks
This place had a full bar, which always a nice option.  The wine list was pretty long and included some interesting Greek wines.  In the spirit of the place, we got a bottle of Tsantali Makedonikos, which was a tasty marriage of Merlot and Xinomavro, which we later learned is the most commonly grown grape in Greece.  In addition to coming in a different shaped bottle, this wine was a great compliment to the food.  It had some fresh fruit and floral notes and soft tannins that didn't overpower the food.  A nice selection and a good price!

Food
The menu is includes a number of Greek dishes and from the descriptions, they sound pretty authentic.  We started with a baby octopus and calamari salad.  It was served cold and the squid and octopus were mixed with celery, onion, bell pepper, carrot, and lettuce and the whole thing was marinated in an olive oil and vinegar dressing.  We asked about how it was prepared and the squid and octopus had been boiled before marinating, which gave it a great texture--firm but not rubbery.  It was fantastic!  The flavors, while simple and straightforward, were great and the textures mixed well.  I've never had squid that was this great in texture.  Not rubbery at all, it was tender but not mushy.  It was just right and really nice.  Beth agreed that she could eat this dish for lunch every day (although the tentacles made her a bit squeamish).  A great start to the meal! 

For entrees, Beth went with giouvetsi, which was described as a baked lamb, but when it came it had definitely been braised in a tomato sauce (rosa marina) and then paired with orzo.  It was fall off the bone tender and had a simple, straightforward flavor. 

Neil had the combination plate because he couldn't decide what looked best.  It included pastichio, mousaka, dolmades, roast lamb, rice, potatoes, and a vegetable medley.  The highlights were the pastichio, mousaka, and vegetables.  All were seasoned really well and weren't too heavy since these things can sometimes be like eating a brick.  The veggies were mix of greens, carrots, squash, and who knows what else.  They had been cooked together a long time and the flavor was fantastic.  The mousaka may have been my favorite and the spinach layer mixing nicely with the seasoned beef.  It was all great! 

For dessert, we had a homemade baklava.  It was a bit thicker than the Moroccan version we had tried a few weeks before but just as delicious and a great way to cap off the meal.


Overall
For food and drink, this place was great.  We didn't have anything we didn't like.  The service was attentive and our waitress checked with the kitchen to answer our questions about how things were prepared.  The bus boys may have been a tad to eager when refilling Neil's water, but if you've ever eaten with him before, you know that he would never complain about that.  The decor was nice, with white walls and paintings featuring a seaside views to give the place a Mediterranean feel.  The crowd was certainly interesting.  On a busy Saturday night elsewhere, this place was almost empty.  All the servers seemed to be related and their kids where present as well.  It almost gave it a homey feel and was nice, but still begged the question of how this place stayed open.  The answer to that may have laid in the middle of the restaurant where they had an area set up that looked like it was ready for a wedding reception style party.  As we were leaving, more Greek speaking folks were showing up and I wouldn't be surprised if they were going reprise My Big Fat Greek Wedding in there later with some dancing, ouzo and flaming cheese.

Foreign Factor
4 of 10  While Greek was definitely being spoken by the staff and some of the guests, this place was very inviting while not feeling too American.  They kept lots of Greek items on the menu but gave enough description that the wimpiest of diner could feel comfortable.  This place was a nice mix of ethnic and comfort food.


What We Learned
First and foremost: make reservations for Bosnian restaurants on a Saturday night.  Also, all Greek wine is not equal.  Up to now we had mainly had the retsina stuff that was generally underwhelming.  It was nice to branch out and try something new. We saw similarities with some of the dishes here to a few of the Serbian dishes we've enjoyed at Three Brothers in Milwaukee, particularly in how the lamb was prepared.  Lastly, despite the current tension between Germany and Greece over EU finances, these two cultures co-exist peacefully in Lincoln Square.  Come for a visit, Angela Merkel!

More
For a quick primer on Greek wine, try Jancis Robinson's web site