Santorini in
Palo Alto
98 South Bay Accent
REVIEW B y S u s a n H a t h a w a y
If only the city fathers would allow
tables to be set up all the way down
Palo Alto’s Emerson Street, newcomer
Taverna would easily fill
them all. Visiting this boisterous
munchkin of a restaurant downtown is like
taking a quick trip to the Greek islands:
The blue-and-white decor, wooden chairs
and festive atmosphere has turned Taverna
into the “it” dining spot of the moment.
Its piddling size means that the limited
seating inside and at outdoor tables that
hug the white walls of its corner location
are hard to nab without planning ahead.
The modern, fresh take on Greek food
is the major factor filling up Taverna
nightly. This isn’t the place for standard
dishes like moussaka, pastitsio or avgolemono,
but the petite menu of
“bites,” small plates and entrees
is still full of inducements. Despite
Taverna’s casual vibe, the
kitchen also sends out extras like
an amuse bouche, post-dinner
mignardise and a little bowl
of addictive stragalia, toasted
chickpeas here mated with golden
raisins.
Among the “bites,” one of
the stars is luscious little fritters
that can be peas, corn or
something else depending on
the season that come with herbed
feta, skordalia (garlic and
potato spread) and a dusting
of Aleppo pepper. Don’t miss
the fries with feta herb aioli and
oregano or a house creation in
which a moist barley-musk biscuit
is crowned with sea urchin
and caviar. Meanwhile, there
are many bites in the sizeable,
must-order meze platters, one
featuring cheeses and housemade
charcuterie and the other a seafood
extravaganza paired with mayo-free Greek
potato salad and marinated anchovies.
Most popular among small plates is the
smoky, just-chewy-enough octopus that’s
grilled and comes with smears of mashed
split peas and capers. Yum! Raw kampachi
is light and subtle, seasoned with shaved
fennel and citrus with radish slices for
textural interest. For flashy, delicious fun,
order the saganaki plate, in which servers
flame Greek cheese in a pan tableside and
the succulent result is flavored with caramelized
onions and sunflower seeds, then
eaten with hunks of bread.
Also a big hit with diners is pork souvlaki
in which chunks of lean pork are
skewered along with fatty bacon, a deli-
T h e D i s h o n H o t L o c a l E a t e r i e s
ISABEL BAER
New Taverna is Modern
Greek Hot Spot