Taverna Ouzo
Intended publication: The Index
FOR THOSE of us college kids looking to kick back on a Saturday night and order a drink, or maybe an appetizer or two, before making the rounds to the off-campus parties, Taverna Ouzo is the place to go.
With its mahogany colored banquettes and high-top tables, its low lighting and multi-mirrored walls, and its jazzy, funky soundtrack that keeps the toes a-tappin', Taverna Ouzo is East Michigan Avenue's hidden hotspot, located just a five-minute drive or twenty-minute walk from campus.
Owners William and Katherine Adams opened their restaurant in 2002 in hopes of creating a place where guests could relax, unwind from the week, and experience homemade European/Greek food without leaving Kalamazoo.
But while they have made good with providing a pleasant, comfortable atmosphere to squander away the 7-9 p.m. humdrum of a Saturday night, the Adams' family has yet to make their food anything of consequence.
To start a meal, the best available option is probably the saganaki, a skillet of lightly breaded Kasseri cheese drenched in brandy and flambéed tableside, then extinguished with a good dose of lime juice and a hearty Opa! from the nearby wait staff. Served with toasted Sarkozy's Bakery French bread or baked pita chips, this light, creamy, crispy, $6.75 combination is a good appetite whetter.
But the entrées following this palate-pleasing first course are comparable to the second half of a Nicholas Cage movie: bland, one-dimensional, and a good excuse to order another drink.
The mousaka, layers of baked eggplant, potato, and ground beef topped with a Parmesan béchamel sauce, lack flavor and texture. The beef, desperately needing a hit of salt and pepper, grossly out-proportions the number of veggies creating a dish so dense and heavy, that it is actually laborious to eat. The béchamel, usually a reliable source of sodium and cream, is used so sparingly that it detracts from the dish rather than working to offset the overbearingly meaty entrée.
Though beautifully presented—the mousaka is arranged carefully in a white ceramic au gratin dish and baked until golden brown, then garnished with slices of toasted pita—the novelty unfortunately wears off after the first bite.
The dining room, however, is pretty and inviting. With exposed hardwood floors, original brick walls, and ornate high ceilings, it exudes a 1920’s big-city feeling with a modern twist. Though the eye naturally wanders to the gorgeous cocoa-colored bar, hand carved by local wood-working artist Rock Bartley, the tiffany-style glass lamp, oil paintings, and twinkling Christmas lights also work well to create a relaxed, urban atmosphere reminiscent of Chicago’s Lincoln Park.
Yet the food quality and prices need work.
The fifteen-dollar shrimp ouzo, sautéed in a light marinara sauce served over a bed of orzo pasta and finished with a warm a blend of feta and mozzarella cheese is as impressive as a Sunday night dinner with Sodexo. Severely lacking in flavor and creativity, customers are better off ordering from the Coney Island hotdog stand next door and having the dogs delivered tableside, as the food quality and prices are more reasonably balanced. (The Adams’ family owns both Coney Island and Taverna Ouzo allowing customers to order from either menu.)
The clientele, however, seems unconcerned by the mediocrity of the food.
The 12 different specialty beers on tap, in addition to the other 28 bottled varieties, allows the thirsty customer optimal choice when deciding on how to wash down this semi-satisfactory meal. Beer not your thing? Taverna Ouzo is also home to a wide selection of homemade martinis (26 distinct flavors!) as well as an extensive wine list hailing varieties from around the world.
Too busy sipping on drinks and licking their grease-stained fingers before reaching for another handful of thick, Greek-style fries, no one is paying much attention to dinner.
With the 50+ inch flat screen TV, catchy music, and the prime hours for Saturday night shenanigans drawing near, everyone—from the semi-raucous frat boys to the couple celebrating a 70th birthday— seems to be having a good time.
The wait staff included.
Dressed in all black, the waiters rush from table to table joking casually with one another, throwing in a good Opa! when someone breaks a glass or sets an appetizer ablaze. Together in the family business, brothers Frank, Steve, and Michael Adams take control of both the floor and the bar, letting their sense of humor and dedication to family shine through in their work.
Though very knowledgeable about the menu, and eager to make a recommendation or two, their anticipation of the customer's needs is sub par especially when the floor gets busy (A young woman had to ask twice for a glass of wine, and other customers were observed waiting 20-25 minutes to get their dessert).
The dessert, however, is worth the wait. A specialty of the house, the homemade baklava is like a gift from the Greek gods themselves. Layer upon layer of flakey, golden brown phyllo dough, smothered in honey and chopped walnuts it is enough to appease anyone’s sweet tooth. At $3.95 a slice, it's one of the more reasonably priced items on the menu.
Though Taverna Ouzo is not a restaurant for fine cuisine and service, it is a place for folks to kick back, relax, and kill a couple of hours. The perfect pre- or post-dinner stop, one can avoid the menu and still have a good time. Besides, it’s a great place to come for a Coney dog.
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