“We’ll have to park across the street and walk,” we said as we eyeballed the small, overflowing parking lot at the Paradise Beach Resort, home of Taverna Milos.
“Well, getting there is half the fun” we thought, working our way across traffic and into the restaurant, our mouths already watering for Greek feasting.
We discovered a sprawling oceanfront taverna — a sea of white butcher paper over white linen, an inside bar that lines the back side of the dining room, an outside bar, patio dining and a typically Greek menu. The focus is on grilled items and fresh seafood with daily fish selections on an ice display at the front of the restaurant.
You may not be asked if you want wine (service slacks here and there), so be sure to check out the back pages of the menu where you’ll find a wine list sparkling with interesting Greek offerings. By-the-glass picks range from $6-$9; bottles are $12-$65. Even if you don’t have wine with dinner, finish with a glass of Samos Muscat sweet white dessert wine ($8), as smooth as satin and not overly cloying.
Octopus is standard in Greek spots, but it’s exceptionally good, remarkably tender and sushi-quality here. The kitchen grills it with oregano, balsamic and extra virgin olive oil, then partners it with tomatoes and onions. The drippings from the grilled octopus, the bite of the balsamic film on the bottom of the plate are delish. A plateful is $9.25 — great for sharing as a first course or an entrM-ie if you’re a real octopus lover.
Don’t miss the keftedes (char-broiled beef patties with mint, parsley, scallions and herbs), $5.95 as an appetizer, though we almost missed ours because the order was overlooked. We reminded our server and it finally arrived when we were well into entrees. Grilled fresh sardines ($6.95) made it in a more timely fashion, though some at our table wish they’d been forgotten altogether. These are big, meaty and especially fishy-tasting. One small taste is probably enough for most.
Mussels Milos, with herbs, tomatoes, feta cheese and an ouzo and wine broth ($7.50), didn’t arrive in a clay pot as the menu said; instead it was in a covered steel pot. We no sooner lifted the lid when we knew we were in for a lusty experience. It came with so much ouzo it overpowered the fresh thyme sprigs trying to perfume the dish. Too bad, because the kitchen did a beautiful job with the mussels, cooking them perfectly tender.
I’m a big fan of Greek restaurants. I love belly dancing and plate smashing as much as the next guy. Noisy groups in Greek restaurants are one thing. Uncalled-for rowdy behavior disrupting everyone in the dining room with ear-splitting chanting, obscenities and bar pounding is quite another. When situations like this come up in a public place, especially restaurants, (this is a restaurant with a bar, not a bar that also serves food), it’s management’s responsibility to handle it. There we were, mid-octopus, our table fully outfitted, trying to enjoy our food, in a dilemma over whether to stay or leave after an hour of an unacceptable situation.
We persevered right into the moussaka ($12), only to find it past its prime. Skip it and go for excellent lamb chops (five for $22), marinated with Greek herbs to beyond delicious, cooked textbook perfect. Masterful cooking also makes whole fresh fish, lobsters and shrimp worth your time. Our striped bass ($21, market price) was luscious, dotted with capers, its edges nice and crispy, the meat as sweet and delicious as it gets. On the other hand, we sent the chicken souvlaki ($15) back because it just didn’t taste right.
Management comped us a couple of desserts (I’m not sure if was to make up for some of the food or our complaints about the bar crowd), but we would happily pay anytime for the warm orange-scented custard pie wrapped in a thin layer of crisp phyllo ($4.50), as well as honey puffs that taste like just-cooked Greek doughnut holes ($4.50).
Taverna Milos’ food can taste fresh or tired. Order well and you can enjoy your meal, providing you hit it on a night when the crowd is mellow.
Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
If you would like to contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks, e-mail her at judithstocksreviews@yahoo .com or write to her in care of the Sun-Sentinel.
** (OUT OF FOUR STARS)
Cuisine: Greek
1380 S. Ocean Blvd.,
Pompano Beach
954-9425-996
Cost: moderate
Credit cards: all major
Hours: breakfast, lunch, dinner daily
Reservations: accepted
Bar: full service
Sound level: moderate to noisy (belly dancing and live Greek music on Saturday nights)
Smoking: outdoors
Children’s facilities: high chairs
Wheelchair accessible: yes
