RESTAURANT REVISITED: ON SEVENTH DAY, THE GREEK RESTS.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic When it opened in mid-1990, Never on Sunday joined seven already established Greek restaurants in the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. . It was located in a building known for many years as DiMaggio's, an Italian restaurant run by a family distantly related to the famous San Francisco baseball and restaurant DiMaggios, and then as My Way. Though it served large portions and offered moderate pricing, Never on Sunday's food at the time was not critically acclaimed, its kitchen then and later accused of oversalting. Under new ownership since 1995, the kitchen has gained new friends and is now considered a relatively reliable Greek dining venue. It tends to be much busier on Friday and Saturday nights when there's entertainment, than during midweek evenings when there are plenty of available tables. Name: Never on Sunday. Address: 6304 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood. Phone: (818) 766-4100 When we last reviewed: June 22, 1990. How long in business: Nine years. Never on Sunday replaced My Way, an Italian eatery, in 1990. It was sold in 1995 and continued as a Greek restaurant under the same name. Menu/cuisine changes: Changes occurred when a new owner purchased the restaurant, but they were mainly in cooking style rather than differently named dishes. In fact, the majority of the same traditional Greek entree items remained in place. However, hummus hum·mus also hum·us or hom·mos n. A smooth thick mixture of mashed chickpeas, tahini, oil, lemon juice, and garlic, used especially as a dip for pita. and tabbouli, Middle Eastern appetizers, were added to the hors d'oeuvre category. On the current menu, both skordalia - a garlic and potato puree - and kolokithokeftedes - a pan-fried mixture of ground zucchini, eggs, flour, dill and green onion, served with tomato sauce - listed as appetizers, have been discontinued. Decor/physical changes: A boulevard patio has been added, and the entire dining room and bar area will be redesigned and redecorated beginning in September. Personnel changes: There have been none of consequence since the change of ownership in December 1995. The new owner and executive chef is Mike Goumrouyan. Recommendable dishes: The kitchen makes a tasty avgelemono, the traditional lemon-flavored chicken soup, but with rice rather than orzo or·zo n. A pasta shaped like grains of rice, frequently used in soups. [Italian, barley, orzo, from Latin hordeum.] Noun 1. (a Greek pasta). The assorted appetizer platter for two called ``special Grecian treat'' ($8.95) contains taramasalata ta·ra·ma·sa·la·ta or ta·ra·mo·sa·la·ta n. A paste of fish roe, olive oil, lemon juice, and potatoes or moistened bread crumbs. [Modern Greek : taramas, preserved roe (from Turkish (fish roe spread), spanakopita spa·na·ko·pi·ta n. A Greek spinach pie made with layers of phyllo and a filling of seasoned spinach, onions and scallions, feta, and sometimes eggs. (spinach pie), tyropita (cheese pie), tzadziki (yogurt-garlic dip), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves Noun 1. stuffed grape leaves - well-seasoned rice (with nuts or currants or minced lamb) simmered or braised in stock dolmas dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" ), feta fet·a n. A white semisoft cheese usually made of goat's or ewe's milk and often preserved in brine. [Modern Greek (turi) pheta, (cheese) slice, from Italian fetta, slice cheese, olives, tomato, cucumber and sometimes hummus and tabbouli. Chicken souvlaki Noun 1. souvlaki - made of lamb souvlakia kabob, kebab, shish kebab - cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables is a good choice, and so is the Greek seafood combination plate, a garlicky gar·lick·y adj. Containing, tasting of, or smelling of garlic. Adj. 1. garlicky - relating to or tasting or smelling of garlic; "garlicky sauce" , lemony, tomato and white wine-sauced melange mé·lange also me·lange n. A mixture: "[a] building crowned with a mélange of antennae and satellite dishes" Howard Kaplan. of scallops, shrimp, cod and calamari. Service quality: On quiet nights, this is almost a one-man show with the dynamo owner supervising in the kitchen, mixing drinks at the bar and waiting on tables. Somehow, he manages to make it work. Pricing: Reasonable to low with starters from $3 to $6, entrees from $7 to $17 and desserts at $2.50 each. Wine list/service: Current list (due to be updated) is limited to some 20 labels and no vintage dates. Half are Greek wines, some questionable. Best buy on the list could be the Ruffino Ducale Chianti Riserva ($25). Corkage: $5. Policies worth mentioning: Entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays featuring a Greek musical trio and occasionally a belly dancer. Also, early bird dinners will be initiated after the upcoming redecoration re·dec·o·rate v. re·dec·o·rat·ed, re·dec·o·rat·ing, re·dec·o·rates v.tr. To change the appearance or furnishings of; refurbish. v.intr. To change a decorative scheme. is completed. Miscellaneous comments: This restaurant is often very busy on Fridays and Saturdays, sometimes having the whole dining room pre-booked. Best to check on table availability before visiting on these nights. As the name indicates, the restaurant is not open on Sunday. Our latest ratings: Three stars for food; Two and one half stars for service; One and one half stars for wine. CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: The reputation of the Greek eatery called Never on Sunday has improved in the four years since Mike Goumrouyan took over as chef-owner. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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