Last week, a new restaurant quietly opened in Belmont, MA. With no fanfare, advertisement, or even a website, My Other Kitchen opened its doors and began serving comfort food with a Mediterranean twist in a cafe setting focusing mostly on takeout, and eventually (not yet) on delivery as well.
Also not advertised is the fact that the family behind the beloved Andros Diner, which closed its doors in 2011. Andros was a long time favorite of the residents of Belmont and surrounding areas, and was renown for its amazing Greek salad dressing. I am just speculating, but the reason for not promoting the connection to Andros may be the contemporary cooking George is pulling off in the kitchen. However, what is known and is fact is that the famous Greek dressing is back and is as good as ever!
The menu at My Other Kitchen is still evolving, and I am happy to say that everything I tasted should enthusiastically stay on the menu. I arrived at the restaurant not knowing what to expect. The bistro feel was unexpected, but after see the menu and speaking with the owners, it made perfect sense. It is a small space with some counter seating and outdoor seating in better weather. However, you can look back into the kitchen to see where they invested their space…it is a massive kitchen! And what they produce in that kitchen….yum….
We ordered the Chicken Souvlaki Dinner with oven roasted potatoes and green beans. The chicken was grilled to order and bursting with flavorful marinade. The potatoes had just the right amount of lemon that you expect from a good Greek-style potato. The green beans were fresh, blanched, and then sauteed with a perfect spice blend.
On the advice of the young man working the registered, I tried the vegetarian grape leaves. These may be the best grape leaves I have had…and that is saying a lot because I have tried a lot of grape leaves! I am not sure what all was in them, but they had an amazing lemony marinade that really meshed with the yellow raisins. That’s right…there were yellow raisins in the grape leaves and they were spectacular!
The spinach pie was another shining star. It is a large serving and can be a meal in itself. The filo pastry was flaky and buttery, and the inside was bursting with spinach, egg and dill flavor.
I am so excited to welcome such a great new restaurant to the neighborhood. Their menu also includes breakfast, and I was told that they are starting Sunday brunch this week. I look forward to seeing how My Other Kitchen settles in, and until then, I am happy to taste all of their trials along the way!
