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July 7th, 2008
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Predictably uneven

Greek standards don't always measure up at Delphi
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By Dave Faries
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
April 9th, 2008 issue

JAN PŘEROVSKÝ/THE PRAGUE POST
Antiquities are kept at arm's length in this clean banquet-hall space on a less-than-scenic stretch of the Vltava.
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FROM THE MENU



Tzatziki 50 Kč
Taramas 60 Kč
Stuffed grape leaves 85 Kč
Spanakopita 90 Kč
Souvlaki 240 Kč
Kleftiko 385 Kč
The oracle at Delphi presided in a columned temple part way up Mount Parnassus, surrounded by structures celebrating her prophetic powers.
Restaurace Delphi sits adjacent to a scrubby playground on the banks of the Vltava. Inside, it resembles a VFW banquet hall — except for a few replica statues and a number of travel guide–style photos of ancient ruins.
So if one were to venture a prophecy about this year-old Greek kitchen, “less than impressive” or “certain intestinal discomfort” would be the most likely guesses.
Ah, but the great priestess of Apollo was unpredictable. Once she promised Croesus that his invasion of a neighboring territory would cause “a great empire” to fall — meaning his. The restaurant likewise confounds expectations, at least to some extent.
Delphi’s interpretation of the classic tzatziki brings a gentle and creamy sour note to the fore, held aloft by sweet cucumber shreds. This tranquility is soon threatened, however, by a bitter storm of garlic, sparked by pricks of black pepper. Wedges of spanakopita dredge up musky flavors similar to those picked up by pastry sizzling in old oil. But a moment of reflection reveals something quite different: an earthy, meaty and brackish filling of spinach and feta creates the deceptive first impression.
The deep, golden brown shell merely tastes fried, adding a nice, brittle texture to the dish.
Stuffed grape leaves, known as dolmades or dolmathakia, wallow along a simple path — teetering neither toward the starchy filling nor the sharp green wrap, instead maintaining a pleasant balance. The lemon-egg sauce also settles into an intriguing parity, with the zestier citrus hanging back, hardly deigning to show its true, piercing bite. The result is a dense, down-to-earth, almost salty wash, picking up nicely on the dolmathakia’s even flavors.
The menu features a number of seafood dishes, including sardines and cuttlefish, as well as gyros (served, Athens-style, with fries) and plenty of lamb. Taramas — a shrimp paste starter — hits the palate with an initial saltwater blast, that murky, sweet, almost inscrutable combination one associates with shellfish. This is followed quickly by an undercurrent of saline, the residue of feta cheese.
It looks a little like that pink Jell-O and Cool Whip thing grandma kept in her fridge.
Baked in foil, lamb loses the bittersweet depth that simple oven work lends to meat. But it picks up a tender, juicy character usually derived from slow cooking. Melting fat seeps into the core of each bone-in cut used in Delphi’s kleftiko. Thus, while the outer edges fray a bit, inside it’s rich, dusky meat. Beneath a bland, vaguely seasoned crust, there are gamey flavors blending into gentle waft of garlic and other seasonings steamed into the lamb.
Kleftiko makes a well-rounded meal, what with the wine-soaked potato side and the restaurant’s Greek salad. Ultimately, however, the main course weighs heavily — like slogging through mangrove, you lose interest after a while.
Still, if fans of the presumptive “best Greek restaurant in town” — Olympos — reflect honestly, they must acknowledge that the Žižkov favorite’s shortcomings rear up (if and when they rear up) during entrée service. So Delphi sometimes tops, and often measures up to, its rival in expat-ville.
Unless, that is, you stumble onto the souvlaki.
It’s difficult to destroy a skewered meat dish, except perhaps if one first swipes it through an amateurish rub of paprika and salt, obliterating any hint of the meat itself and slathering the finished product in pale orange goo. Or if an errant chef holds a skewer over the heat just long enough for cuts to toughen.
Plate it all up with a watery, mushy semblance of “Spanish” rice, and consider the dish well and truly demolished.
Well, at least servers start each guest off with a shot of ouzo, a welcoming nod to Greek flavors. Three or four, and one might just rise and boldly pronounce Delphi one of the top, oh, let’s say 10 such restaurants in the city.

Dave Faries can be reached at dfaries@praguepost.com


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