Putting the Chic in Greek

A pile of broken plates swept into a corner is testament to the good times to be had at Athena’s Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine in Laguna Hills. Although Sunday mornings lack the belly dancing and ceramic smashing of weekend nights, lunch at Athena’s is almost as fun as dinner.

The best thing about this restaurant is the wide variety of Mediterranean dishes. You could be a regular here and still find surprises. That’s mainly because Armenian owner Avo Kilicarslan will cook special dishes off the menu, especially for his followers, who he claims are addicted to his food.

These “Avo-holics,” as he calls them, even show up when he’s closed (or so he says). And he is sure that when Athena’s moves in March to 580 Anton Blvd. in Costa Mesa as Athena’s Fine Mediterranean Cuisine, his fans will follow.

The current decor is a puzzling mix of Mediterranean prints, swag curtains and tables topped with oil cloths. Let’s just say folks don’t come here for the atmosphere. That will change when the restaurant reopens with a bigger dance floor, patio seating and what Kilicarslan describes as a “million-dollar view” of a man-made lake.

Kilicarslan uses fresh ingredients and his original recipes. They’re all in his head, and one dish will never be exactly the same twice. He may add paprika to the stew one day, lemon the next. Speaking of lemon, Greeks really know how to use it. Although never overpowering, it shows up everywhere--soups, salads and main dishes.

Lunch should begin with an assortment of appetizers: the humus is a tasty blend of chickpeas, garlic and lemon that complements the homemade pita bread; crunchy falafel made of deep-fried garlic, vegetables and ground chickpeas; an excellent spanakopita, spinach baked in filo dough, topped with feta cheese; and a melt-in-your mouth Greek cheese set aflame at your table--a hit with kids.

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I plan to return to try the grilled mussels, fried oysters, stuffed grape leaves and a few of the other 18 starters, each of which can make a meal in itself.

We followed the first courses with Greek salad, a predictable mix of lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives and lemon-garlic dressing. Your money is better spent on the starters since you can get lettuce and tomatoes anywhere. Two soups were offered the day we visited: a flawless lentil and avgolemono.

Hearty entrees of lamb, chicken, seafood or beef follow. Our party of seven ordered family style and made its way through nearly a dozen dishes. Among the best of the nearly three dozen choices are the jumbo prawns in a creamy lemon sauce, tender baked lamb, crab cakes and chicken shish kabob.

As I often do, I dissected the leftovers at home to carefully study the ingredients and found real crab in the crab cakes, as well as bread crumbs and vegetables. Lamb-lovers will find their favorite meat in a variety of forms: shank, shoulder, shish kabob, chops and patties.

Only a few items were disappointing. The Greek chicken and lemon soup, called avgolemono, was over-salted, the stuffed grape leaves were a bit bland, and I recommend the chicken thigh over the slightly dry chicken breast.

For dessert, the only choice is baklava, the sweet honey and walnut multilayered pastry baked in filo dough. This with Turkish coffee is a good way to chase away the winter blahs.

* Athena’s Greek and Mediterranean Cuisine, 24351 De la Carlotta, Laguna Hills, (949) 699-2700. Lunch Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 2:30 p.m. Prices from $4.99 to $12.99.