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As far as I
know, the Papadakis Taverna is the oldest Greek restaurant in Los Angeles
and perhaps the first Greek restaurant in California. Papadakis has
received many awards, including the .."best Greek food outside of
Greece, " by the Zagat guide.
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Tom Papadakis in one
of the private dining rooms.
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The quality and success of
the restaurant are undoubtedly due to the Papadakis brothers, John and Tom.
From the beginning of our contact with the
Taverna, John was extremely friendly and courteous on the phone. The
evening of our reservation, he greeted us warmly at the door. As I
watched him throughout the evening, he went that special mile to make each guest
feel like they were the person he was waiting to have walk in the door.
Our service was done in a kind of
round-robin approach. One waiter showed us the meat tray and another
took our order. Although they do not list Roditis by the glass on the
menu, the waiter opened a bottle for me. Although we were tag-teamed
when it came to our waiters, we never went for lacking. Even with a
full house, there was enough bus help to make sure everyone was happy.
We had a young busboy who missed picking up our plates when we were finished,
but he was obviously learning the ropes and did a fine job otherwise.
All dinners come with a cup of avgolemono soup and a green salad, both of
which you should enjoy. I should also mention that as you are seated,
tzatziki and taramasalata are put on your table, along with bread, and
refilled as needed.
My partner had the lamb tenderloin and
exclaimed it magnificent. The waiter told us the cut was the filet
mignon of lamb and we were not disappointed. For myself, I had the
combination plate, with a bit of moussaka, pasticcio, a slice of lamb and a
large dolma alongside green beans and a potato wedge. I really enjoyed
the pasticcio and the green beans and potato were also very good. The
slice of lamb on my plate was good but not great, albeit I had been jaded by
the quality of my partner's better cut of lamb.
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There is no doubt in my
mind that the Papadakis brothers are in magnificent shape because, night
after night, they put a good deal of effort into their show. The
whole restaurant comes alive as they dance and shattering glasses hit the
kitchen door.
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There was also a belly
dancer ( I'll never understand why Greek restaurants have belly
dancers...must be a keeping up with the Jones thing, or pehaps a legacy of
the Turkish rule years) and John also
introduced and energetic young tap dancer.
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While there was no live Greek
music, the rest of the evening we were graced with the new album from Anna
Vissi I believe, or another, similar sounding modern Greek artist. The
music was not an issue, and plays second fiddle, as guests at Papadakis
Taverna enjoy each others company in the friendly atmosphere.
There must be a catch you say. You're
right. Papadakis Taverna is expensive. I'm not just talking about
a little on the high side. I'm talking about high on the high
side. Although there are some fine cuts of lamb on the menu, the prices
are high all around. Be prepared to pay. For us and others I have
spoken with, the average is about $35 - $40 a head. You might get out
of there in the $25 - $30 a head range if you don't have desert or wine and order
one of the lower priced meals, but realistically, expect the higher range.
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The
location will always mystify me. San Pedro has been an ever changing
neighborhood and it now seems to be in an upswing. Papadakis Taverna
is located at 301 West 6th Street in San Pedro, California. There
telephone number is 310-548-1186.
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The best time for dinner is
between six and eight o'clock and I suggest reservations as early as
possible.
Despite a fluctuating local economy and
great distance for most people, Papadakis Taverna has endured due to the
hospitality of everyone there, especially the Papadakis family and the high
quality food. As for the light of wallet, however, consider yourself
warned.
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