It was so good, we ate the garnish.
Two of the best meals I have had in the past year have been -- I kid you not -- in Albany. Which is kind of weird -- and not just because Albany is not the first place you think of when you hear the words "fine dining" -- but because we rarely come to Albany. We only stop by to eat on our way from Vermont to places west, like Syracuse or Geneva, NY. It's all thanks to Yelp, really.
So the first excellent meal was at Provence -- a lovely French restaurant, which I have reviewed elsewhere. But our meal at Athos was just as good -- and cheaper -- and the service was outstanding. The staff was friendly and personal, our waitress (Heather!) well-informed and diligent, and the service was quick as can be. The place was empty when we got their at 6:23 and suddenly packed by 6:32, but the service never suffered or seemed bogged down.
I am going to be honest with you: we never got past the appetizer menu. We couldn't decide on which ones to order, so we ordered 4 of them in lieu of main dishes.
I believe your meal comes with pita wedges (warm and house-made) and a nice red-pepper dip. But you should totally splurge on the option to order 3 of several dips ("pikilia") for about 10$. I loved the yellow pea dip, which had an unexpected but pleasant hint of the sea (anchovies, maybe?) with just the right amount of lemon. But it paled in comparison to the garlic-potato-almond dip, which had an amazingly light texture but deep taste...and just the right amount of lemon. But neither could really compete with the smoked eggplant dip, which I am craving so much right now that I am near tears...complex, smokey, garlicky, and, of course, with just the right amount of lemon.
We also ordered the spanakopita ($7), which was one of the nicest I've ever had, though I could have done with a bit more filling. It's all about the spinach, but lots of folks forget that. Not at Athos! The spinach shines through, nicely complimented (but not overwhelmed) by the other flavors of feta, leeks, and a hint of dill. The pastry was nice and flaky with just the right crunch.
The calamari ($8) was pretty good (I still measure every calamari dish against the York Harbor Inn, and alas, they all fall short...) -- tender meat, lightly breaded, pan fried, and not at all greasy. But what really made the dish was the amazing "spiced tomato sauce," which seems like an understatement. It had a rich complexity I could not put my finger on. There was a hint of some after-taste in the back of my mouth that reminded me of a high-quality honey. I even sent a staff member to ask the cooks, but they said no honey was used. Whatever. It was delicious.
Even though it is just a side dish, I highly recommend the simple but satisfying steamed seasonal greens for $5. Lovely! We ordered this instead of the salad, and we got a heaping plate of nutricious yet delicious greens -- kale? spinach? who knows? who cares? I felt healthier for it.
Finally, we ordered the marinated quail ($12), which was excellent, but nevertheless the least favorite of our appetizers. The menu says it is char grilled, but it was so crispy and moist my husband was swearing it was deep-fried! The meat was flavorful and not even the tiniest bit overcooked. The lemon-herb sauce on the underlying arugula was the perfect foil for each crispy bite of that tiny bird.
Sadly, we found the baklava very disappointing -- the pastry was mushy and stale, the filling heavy and overwhelming. Which made us sad, since it was actually the main reason we choose Athos. But right around then, Chris -- who was playing host but I suspect may be more than that -- came around and asked us how our meal was. So we told him about the source of our grief, and he immediately offered to take it off the bill or replace it with a different desert. He recommended the baklava cheesecake, and it was very good. Not the best cheesecake-of-my-dreams cheesecake, but very good.
Four apps, a side of greens, a desert, a beer, and a coffee...we were stuffed, and all for 71$ (Note, most main dishes range from 18-24$ with a few dishes for 28-32$.)
A final comment to those concerned about the dress code. Yes, most people were dressed nicely -- men in button downs and women in nice pants and blouses. But a few were dressed for an outing to Walmart, or, like us, for a long road trip -- and the staff was wonderful to us all. The ambience definitely suggests it is a place for a special occasion, but don't be intimidated. It is also a great road-side stop for your long-distance travels.
We are definitely coming back the next time we have to drive to upstate New York.
Oh, and because every other review mentioned it, I must, too: the glass floor looking into the wine cellar is pretty cool. read more