I have one rule of thumb when it comes to food: If I can’t pronounce it, then I don’t eat it. There are plenty of food choices I can wrap my tongue around, and when I’ve stepped outside of my comfort zone, I’ve left a lot of food on my plate. So it was with slight trepidation that I set a course for The Acropolis Grill, which for 17 years has offered Chattanooga a taste of the Mediterranean.
Although I had reservations, when I pulled into the parking lot of the Acropolis, located outside of Hamilton Place Mall, during the noon hour last Friday, there were only a few spaces available. That was encouraging. Another sign that I was probably going to enjoy my culinary experience ocurred when the savory aroma of grilled meat greeted me before the hostess did. Within moments of entering the Acropolis, my concerns had melted away.
Despite the crowd, my lunch companion and I were immediately seated at a booth and handed menus, and drinks and bread were on our table before our eyes had adjusted to the indoor lighting. Clearly, the crew at the Acropolis is aware that lunch guests might be on a tight schedule, and make prompt service a priority.
I’m never in a hurry to return to the office, so I took my time poring over the Acropolis menu, which contains a lot of accessible cuisine. If you enjoy pan-seared grouper, aged ribeye, center-cut pork chops, chicken kebobs, or lasagna, you’ll find something suitable to your palette. American soups, salads and sandwiches and several Italian dishes are all on the bill of fare. The restaurant also offers Weight Watchers selections, vegan items, and burgers and chicken fingers for kids.
However, if you want to experience the foods of the old country, the Acropolis is ready to accommodate you. My lunch companion and I ordered the saganaki as a “mezethes” (an appetizer). The thick slice of Kesseri Greek cheese comes seasoned and seared, and is then set on fire at your table as your server yells “Ooopah!” Our waiter, Josh, suggested it, and earned a good tip for putting our pleasure ahead of his personal safety. The saganaki is meant to be enjoyed with either the Greek holiday bread or the Bavarian brown bread your server provides when you arrive, and it was delicious. We were off to a good start.
My lunch companion had seen the grouper on the chalkboard in the lobby, and was salivating over the thought of tasting it, but I talked her into ordering the Greek Sampler. (Note to self: Your powers of persuasion are somehow enhanced at the Acropolis. Take your wife there for breaching the topic of buying a new computer.) I selected the santorini - linguini tossed with marinara, parmesan cheese, sliced baby mushrooms and chunks of tomatoes, and seasoned with garlic, oregano and basil. I added shrimp and grilled chicken for good measure.
As we waited for our entrees, I thought about how an unplanned strategy had emerged. I’d ordered pasta - which admittedly was a cop out - while my lunch companion was taking all of the risk with the Greek Sampler. I also savored the Greek salad that came before my meal. As I’ve mentioned before in this column, I could live on Greek and Caesar salads, and the Greek salad at the Acropolis is as good as I’ve had. It came topped with a heap of feta, the vegetables were crisp, and the house-made dressing covered every bite. I liked how the spices didn’t overwhelm the oil, which was light and had an excellent taste.
The Acropolis sells its dressing for about seven dollars a bottle, and I’m considering grabbing some the next time I’m at Hamilton Place Mall.
The santorini was good but did not wow me like everything else. As I fished around in the linguini for pieces of shrimp and chicken, I thought about the other dishes I could have ordered, and made mental plans to return and try the Greek spaghetti and the lamb chops.
The Greek Sampler was a mixed bag as well. My lunch companion raved about the dolmathakia, a traditional grape leaf rolled with seasoned ground sirloin and rice and topped with avgolemono (lemon egg) sauce. She also liked the filo-wrapped cheese pie, which comes with seasoned feta and cream cheese. But her reaction to the moussaka was reserved. The moussaka at the Acropolis is made with baby eggplant, sliced potatoes, seasoned ground sirloin, herbs and parmesan cheese, and topped with béchamel sauce. She picked at it but did not finish it.
Undeterred, we dove into dessert. I ordered the decidedly American strawberry cake, and the “wow” factor came rushing back the moment I took a bite. The generous portion of moist cake, fresh strawberries and sweet icing was the perfect way to end the meal. My lunch companion ordered chocolate covered baklava, and judging by the noises she made while eating it, chose wisely.
If you haven’t eaten at the Acropolis, don’t let our lukewarm reception to a couple of items deter you. As a dining experience, the service was exceptional, there’s just enough Greek atmosphere to set the restaurant apart from the average grill, and most of our food was “MUAH!” Above all, several selections on the menu piqued my interested, and I’ll be going back. While my rule of thumb regarding punctuation remains in place, if rules are made to be broken, then there’s no better place for me to break mine than at the Acropolis.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com