Conscious Choice Seattle: Vios Café and Marketplace

January 2007 | Conscious Dining

Vios Café and Marketplace

Deli by day, cozy family dining by night

By Amy Pennington

This New Year, I didn’t exactly make any resolutions as the clock struck twelve, but I did swear off butter. And champagne. And cheese. Well, maybe not champagne, but you get the idea. It’s that time of year when we all strive to live a bit cleaner and healthier, without forsaking those things that, truth-be-told, help make life worth living—carbs, spirits, sugar. This month, tired from the rich, three-hour dinners I’ve been eating, I set out to find the perfect spot to stop for a quick lunch or healthy dinner. On the prowl for a restaurant that doesn’t break the bank and won’t have me rolling to my car after a meal, I found the answer tucked into the quieter East side of Capitol Hill.

I walk into Vios Café starving and am immediately greeted by chef and owner, Thomas Soukakos, distinguishable by his Greek accent and welcoming presence. The dining room sounds more like a family party than a restaurant, with voices competing to be heard and children running about everywhere. It’s bright in here, and I’m immediately thankful I didn’t get Saturday-dolled-up and wear heals. Thomas takes my name and walks away leaving me to stare longingly at the deli shelves filled with exotic looking salads, and the gelato case. A young boy runs up to steal a glance, runs away and comes back with his older brother. “What is that?” he asks, pointing at the frozen dessert below. “From the looks of it, I’d say Cookies ‘n’ Cream,” responds his brother. “Straticella,” I correct them. “It’s vanilla with little flecks of chocolate chips.” Why did I have to stand next to the gelato case? My mouth is watering.

Greek food traditionally begins with meze, or small plates. Once seated, my dining companion and I order the Trio Sampler of hummus, tzatziki and baba ghanoush ($10) and the boureki ($7.50), simply because it sounded exotic. The sampler arrives in three neat piles separated by pita and adorned with marinated olives. The baba ghanoush is so smoky it brought visions of charred eggplant flesh to mind. The tzatziki, flecked with mint, provides a nice smooth coolness to contrast, and the boureki turns out to be an über-flaky pastry shell filled with oven roasted tomatoes, Ipiros feta cheese and potatoes. One should never underestimate the power of a simply roasted tomato.

For dinner, Anderson Valley Lamb Chops ($21) arrive on a spoonful of puréed celeriac, alongside roasted garlic cloves. Warned by our handsome server “Americans don’t usually like this,” I take it as a challenge, and order the Salt Cod Cakes ($15). I dig in with abandon and savor every bite. The cakes arrive crispy and brown from the kitchen on a generous salad of shaved fennel (yummy fresh licorice!), thinly sliced green apple (juicy and tart!) and strewn pomegranate seeds (antioxidants and vitamin C). It may not be traditional, but it is delicious and satisfying.

A seeping, honey-sweet ending

Baklava ($5.50), naturally, serves as the perfect ending to this Greek meal. Taking a fork to the layered phyllo triangle, honey seeps out from beneath the ground pistachios. I slide my finger slowly and heavily across the plate to lap up the last bit of sweetness.

Don’t walk here. Run. You’ll burn an extra 300 calories, making way for carbs, spirits and sugar. Happy 2007!

Amy Pennington is always on the prowl for something good to eat. Whether it’s a deli, a fancy schmancy restaurant or a Farmer’s Market, you can bet she’s on to something good.

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