Ariston Restaurant - CLOSED

• Cuisine(s): European, Greek, Mediterranean
  Hours: Sun 1:30pm-10pm, Mon, Wed-Fri 6pm-10:30pm, Sat 12:30pm-11:30pm
  Price: $$ $$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: Casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Catering, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly, Vegetarian Friendly
  Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted, Recommended
  Parking: Meters

Description

The cuisine is billed as "Greek-European," and the Old World influence can be gleaned right away via a basket of thick-cut, black-crusted slices of sourdough bread rather than pita. The only other Euro-based items are pasta dishes such as spaghetti Bolognese; America is represented via caesar salad, New York strip steak, and Colorado lamb chops. Ariston is mostly Greek, and that's the food this place does best. Dip enthusiasts will enjoy the traditional array of tarama fish roe, hummus, tzatziki, and smoked eggplant spreads ($5.95 to $7.50), which also come on one platter, with some olives thrown in, for $12.95. Three other platters can likewise kick-start your meal, best being a collection of warm meze -- little meatballs, grilled sausage, triangles of phyllo loaded with creamy Greek feta cheese, charred peppers, lima beans in tomato broth, and "pie of the day." Other traditional Greek starters encompass kasseri cheese saganaki, fried smelts or calamari, and char-grilled octopus. Entrées are good, too, but less consistently so. Weighty wedges of roasted loin of lamb were as dry as the Acropolis on a scorching afternoon, although a side of quartered potatoes -- pan-roasted in olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs -- was terrific. So was roast baby suckling pig (served Thursdays through Saturdays), which consisted of two hefty hunks of rich, juicy meat. Moussaka also impressed, as did a rich, creamy chocolate mousse and moist walnut cake for dessert. Solid, friendly service and diverse Greek wines are two more reasons Ariston is off to a good start.