Don't skip dessert at Cedars Italian and Greek Cafe
By Cindy Watts (tloyal@dnj.com)
Daily News Journal
Originally published February 21, 2007
Cedars Italian and Greek Cafe opened in Smyrna less than a month ago, but the establishment wasted no time whipping its extensive menu into tip-top shape.
Every offering is handmade from traditional recipes, and the food is so good that the only thing left over will be money in your pocket. Cedars prides itself on affordable prices.
A recent trip to the restaurant revealed appetizers starting at $1.49, salads priced at $2.99, sandwiches such as a gyro pocket or chicken parmigiana are priced at $4.99 to $5.99, and entrees such as eggplant manicotti, a falafel plate, chicken shawarma, Cajun shrimp pasta and grilled salmon can be had for as little as $6.95. Then there's the specialty pizzas and calzones for $7.99 and up.
But my favorite discovery was the dessert menu. I didn't eat dessert first, but I'll start there.
For $2.25 I got the flakiest, lightest, most delicately sweet piece of baklava I have ever had the pleasure of eating. There's no way the baklava on my plate had ever encountered the inside of a mass-produced cardboard box. My piece of baklava was the size of a pie wedge, and I consumed the whole thing. This dish is worth the calories. Other dessert items include cannoli, cheesecake and tiramisu.
But that was the end of the meal, and I have to say the beginning and the middle were more than noteworthy, too.
I started the evening with an order of hummus. Served in a bowl with fresh pita bread, the hummus is by far the best I've ever had. The chickpeas were so finely ground that every bite was creamy and lacked the grit I've experienced in the past. The dish was highlighted by a slight citrus flavor and topped with an olive.
For my entree I selected the gyro plate - thin strips of specially seasoned beef and lamb, rice, more hummus, salad and pita bread. The meat had an amazing, rich flavor, and was so tender it could easily be cut with a fork. The salad, which consisted of mainly tomatoes and cucumbers, was chunky and obviously fresh. The second round of hummus and pita bread was consumed with glee.
But for people who still aren't sure about Mediterranean food, Cedars offers an extensive selection of Italian cuisine and seafood. Options include angel hair alfredo with seafood, snow crab legs, eggplant manicotti, meat and five-cheese lasagna. Pizza choices consist of meats, three-cheese white, Greek pizza, stromboli, seafood, California-style and veggie.
I must admit I don't have the most adventurous taste buds in the world. In fact, I've been fearful of traditional Greek food in the past. But no more. Go to Cedars Italian and Greek Cafe, next to the Physicians Plaza off Sam Ridley Parkway, with confidence and know that regardless of what you order, it will be prepared fresh with care and pride. And by all means, don't skip dessert.
