Tasting Journey #17 - Maria's Taverna

Maria's Taverna
2324 W. 4th Ave.
Vancouver, BC
604-731-4722
www.mariastaverna.ca


We were originally planning on going to Chewies for lunch only to find out that they aren't open for lunch. Disappointed, we walked towards W.4th where there are other potential eateries suitable for lunch on a Friday.  Greek sounded like a good option.

I've read up on Maria's Taverna on quite a few online food reviews, and seem to recall that the rating's not too bad.  I think I've even visited their website a few times too.  The restaurant photos posted on their website seems to portray an image of an old family-style restaurant with minimal interior decor.  On the contrary, the restaurant is actually quite well-lit, and portrayed a Mediterranean setting full of blues+whites.  As soon as we sat down, the first thing I noticed was the music playing in the background.  It was loud, and was in a foreign language which I'm guessing is probably Greek pop (though it sounded like Indian pop).

Andrea ordered a vegetarian casserole; Asmin went with baked tortellini, and I decided to have a Greek burger.  Greek burger? I asked if it is wrong to order a burger at a Greek restaurant.  You never know if it'll be interesting different.  That was when we started a Wikipedia expedition to find out the origin of burger, then french fries, then hot dogs... Burgers apparently were founded in Hamburg, in Germany.  Hamburger = people from Hamburg.  Interesting.

Pleasantly surprised, the Greek burger had a Greek twist to it.  Unlike patties sandwiched in a thick bun where there is a possibility that the bun-to-patty ratio could be off, this burger was sandwiched between 2 thinly sliced layers of pita bread.  The bun-to-patty ratio was perfect.  My definition of a good burger consists of the following two criteria:  1. well balanced bun-to-patty ratio (I dread a burger where the bun is too dense and too thick, and that only two bites into the burger feels like you've eaten an entire loaf of bread), and 2. juiciness of the patty.  The Greek burger had juicy, well-marinated patty. Added bonuses are the condiments such as tomato slice, tzatziki sauce, and a melted layer of feta cheese. Awesome.  The only issue I have with this burger is the saltiness of this burger.  I'm not sure if it is normal for Greek food to be salty (just like how I find that all the food I had in Paris was on the salty side), but the first thought that came to mind after my first bite is that the chief had mistakenly sprinkled an excess of salt on the side of the burger. Nope, it was salty the entire way.  Many the patty was really well marinated that it ended up being too salty?  The dish came with a Greek salad on the side.  Comparatively, the salad was blend.  Not enough dressing, nor flavouring.  Andrea also found her salad to be slightly under-flavoured.  However, she said that her vegetarian casserole was very well made, and I assume that Asmin's tortellini was excellent as well since she had cleaned her plate entirely.

Would I come back? Maybe.  There are many Greek restaurants located in the Kitsilano neighbourhood.  I would be more tempted to try out the other ones first prior to commenting on whether it is worth going back.  Well, at least it is decently priced.=)