Aegean anniversary

Greek gem Philinos turns five

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

In a city where most newborns don't survive their first year, Philinos, a Greek bistro situated among many other fine Greek bistros, has just beat the odds by celebrating its fifth anniversary. They mailed all of their regular customers--myself included--a coupon for a free bottle of wine, inviting us to celebrate with them. I love a restaurant that pays attention to its customers.

The owners have smartly held on to the previous tenants' décor, which consists of hardwood floors and antique wood panelling laden with mirrors and shelves, a touch that transforms a simple rectangle into a hearth of relaxation and grandeur. On our most recent trip, once seated, we were brought a basket of warm home-made bread with a plate of golden extra-virgin olive oil, spotted with a splash or two of balsamic vinegar. We ordered our complimentary wine, Kouros--a Greek white ($28) and started swirling chunks of bread into our oil and vinegar.

We ordered an appetizer of three dips: tzatziki, copanisti and taramosalata ($8). We all know what tzatziki is, and this was a good one, so I won't waste any space describing it. The taramosalata is an Aegean spread made from bright red carp roe, creamed down to a delicate pink hue to create a taste that transports you to directly to the sea. The third dip, copanisti, is billed as "a Spartan Warrior sauce" and is appropriately made from hot peppers, feta and kaseri cheese. This dip was a perfect match for our tangy Greek wine, and hardly left room for our main course, a mezedakia (mixed grill) for two ($30).

The mezedakia consisted of two chicken breasts, three lamb chops, two pork fillets and a loukaniko (a great big home-made Greek sausage). First thing I did was grab two lamb chops and eat one very quickly so my date wouldn't notice. Mission accomplished. Then I dug in to the spicy sausage and had another glass of wine. When I hit the pork, I thought they had made an error and served me something else, because I had never eaten a grilled pork fillet that was this juicy and tender. My belly said no, but the more- than-substantial rest of me cried "Yes! Yes! Yes!" The next day, cut up into my salad, the leftover chicken was divine.

After browsing their Web site at montrealplus.ca, I happened to notice that the offer of free wine was posted on the Web. I suddenly didn't feel quite as special. But who needs to feel special when you can a have another free bottle of wine! This time around we enjoyed a Greek red from 1995 called Nemea, which was a little like grape juice, but with a bit of a kick in the teeth. I had the calamari ($15) and my date had the chicken souvlaki platter ($11).

The calamari, aka baby squid, were fresh and perfectly cooked, leaving me without the familiar and unpleasant sensation of biting into a tire. Both of our meals were preceded by our choice of salads, mine was Greek, hers was not. The souvlaki was among the best I've had, but that's because souvlaki is usually considered a lowbrow dish, rarely receiving the opportunity to be made from top-quality ingredients and grilled with the utmost patience over a low flame.

This time, slightly ahead of the game, we ordered a couple of pieces of Baklava, also homemade ($3). The phyllo-covered, nut-filled pastry was so rich and so sweet that it took us what seemed like an eternity to eat them, enjoying every last bit--and then mopping up the remaining syrup with our fingers.

Bistro Philinos

Address: 4806 Parc

Phone: 271-9009

Hours: Sun-Thu, 4-11pm, Fri-Sat, 4pm-12am

Alcohol: yes

Best features: great Greek cuisine

Credit cards: yes

Vegetarian friendly: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Price: $12-45 per person, before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH