It's All Greek to me
by Anna Ferguson
( Gwinnett Daily Post Article - 9/16/07 )

TASTE OF GWINNETT
A little bit of Athens
Greek eatery excels with feta saganaki, dolmades

By LORI JOHNSTON
For AJC Gwinnett News
Published on: 09/01/06


Photos by Nick Arroyo
( Drew Morrison serves dessert to Randi Fisher (from left), his wife, Kim Fisher, his mother
Betty Fisher, and her husband, Ron Winkowski. )

Athens Kouzzina opened in May at Discover Mills in the shadow of construction for the spectacle that is Medieval Times. It's the second Gwinnett location for the Greek restaurant, and a trendy move, with the owners branching out a couple of exits up I-85 from its Pleasant Hill location.

FROM YOUR KITCHEN TO OURS

The word “kouzzina” means “kitchen” in English, and we’re going to try to copy the feta saganaki appetizer in our kitchen. We've had the flaming fried cheese, or saganaki, at other restaurants, but Athens Kouzzina's take on the tradition is a rich treat that would impress folks at any dinner party.
First, it arrives to the table wrapped in a triangle – shaped aluminum foil mini-sculpture. Inside, two thick slices of feta are baked in olive oil and spices, topped with slices of tomato. It's enough to share and is best eaten on bread like the two small yeast loaves that are served on a wooden cutting board.
Another irresistible starter is the Greek salad, which meets expectations of crumbled feta, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives and just the right amount of dressing.

SAMPLE THIS

The Santorini Sampler, which is $23.95, hits all the Greek specialties in a big enough portion for two. The meats — gyro and souvlaki — are well-seasoned and accompanied by the creamy cucumber and lemony tzatziki sauce. Other favorites on the sampler platter are the dolmades — large grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs — and the pastitsio, a lasagna dish cooked with penne pasta, ground beef and a nutmeg-flavored béchamel sauce and topped with tomato sauce.

Photos by Nick Arroyo
( Looking for something to whet your appetite? Try the Dolmades Yialanzi – large grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs )

The Mykonos special pizza has the tangy flavor of sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts along with spinach, chopped Kalamata olives, garlic and feta cheese piled on the thick crust. The Santorini shrimp with angel hair offers quarter-sized shrimp tossed with the strong flavors of roasted red peppers, capers, olives, garlic, basil and artichoke hearts.

Photos by Nick Arroyo
(Or start your meal off with a traditional Greek salad full of crumbled feta, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, onions and olives)

Photos by Nick Arroyo
(Athens Kouzzina’s penne me kota includes artichoke hearts, roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, garlic, capers, tomatoes, basil, chicken and pesto.)


Photos by Nick Arroyo
(But our favorite meal starter is the feta saganaki or flaming fried cheese: two thick slices of feta baked in olive oil and spices, topped with slices of tomato)

The dessert menu includes baklava, chocolate cake, carrot cake and ice cream. We stuck with the traditional and chose the baklava. It's OK, but the phyllo isn't as flaky as expected; the chopped nut and honey-filled dessert overall seems a little too heavy.

THE SETTING

Entering the mall, we immediately smelled the popcorn from the AMC Theater. But once we were seated, we almost forgot about that, because the restaurant's vibrant yellow walls and Mediterranean blue ceiling and tile floors were transporting.
So were the eye-catching menu items, including the Philly cheese-steak we'll try next time after seeing a fellow diner digging into the provolone-smothered sandwich. The weekday night we were there, diners included a group of teenagers, older couples and families.
In addition to booths and tables, there's seating at the stainless steel bar in front of the open kitchen and in a patiolike area inside the mall. The restaurant also has a private dining area that seats 20.

ATHENS KOUZZINA
• Where: 5900 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville, 678-847-0150
• Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
• Entree prices: $8.95-$25.95; sandwiches, $6.95-$7.50
• Beverages: Beer/wine
• Recommended dishes: Feta saganaki, souvlaki, gyro, Mykonos special pizza, Greek salad
• Reservations: Accepted
• Credit Cards: American Express/Visa/MasterCard/Discover
• Verdict: Discover Mills' Athens Kouzzina gives even anti-shoppers a reason to come to the mall.