From Zorba's Grill to Zorba's Brother is but a stroll in both name and walking distance, but the restaurants themselves appear to be worlds apart. Zorba's Brother is a new restaurant in what used to be Ebenezer's Café, located right next to the PNC Bank on Nassau Street.
The atmosphere of Zorba's Brother is strikingly different from Zorba's Grill. As soon as we walked in, the restaurant was a warm haven from the bitter cold outside.
Zorba's Brother offers a brightly decorated, comfortable and peaceful ambience with everything from Monet to Laurie Fields lining the walls. The pleasant purple and gold tones set a calm and serene mood. Subtle and pleasing Greek music entertains throughout the evening.
A charming and charismatic Greek man, Eleftherios Fikaris, owns the two Zorba's restaurants. Fikaris is proud enough about the quality of his food and dedicated to the success of his small eateries, to do the cooking himself at the restaurant.
Who IS Zorba?
Fikaris was born in Greece, and spent a large part of his life there and immigrated to the United States in 1970. His first restaurant, Zorba's Grill - also on Nassau Street – first opened its doors to the Princeton community in 1990. Zorba's Brother is new to this area: it only opened in July of this year.
Fikaris laughs as he explains the difference and the need for a new Greek restaurant in the Princeton area: "At Zorba's Grill, a souvlaki is a pita. At Zorba's Brother, it's a big platter."
Fikaris proudly admits that the name Zorba's comes from the 1964 Alan Bates, Anthony Quinn classic film "Zorba The Greek." Quinn plays the role of Zorba, a character adopted from the work of Greek writer Nikos Kazankzatis.
Traditional fare
A charming waiter came to take our order, though the wide variety of starters, entrees, sandwiches and pastas proved a difficult decision.
Zorba's Brother retains the Greek heritage suggested by its name by offering tantalizing traditional Greek salads, platters, entrees and desserts. At the same time, it also caters to the American-food loving Princeton community with sandwiches and burgers as options. Salad and potatoes or vegetables accompany most entrees. In the end, the classically Greek lamb souvlaki platter, served with a Greek salad, was more than tempting.
It was only a short wait, but I was chomping at the bit as the waiter brought out an elegantly arranged salad. Disappointingly, the Greek salad was unpleasantly sour, and the two pieces of feta cheese and single olive seemed inadequate.
Despite a poor start, the steaming platter of rice, chickpeas and a lamb skewer with onion and green pepper that arrived for me next was much more promising. The lamb was only slightly marinated – not enough to my satisfaction, but the generous portion proved satisfying nonetheless. The lamb was tender and the rice soft. It is a dish I would definitely suggest, though the pastas also come with their own high recommendations.
And then it was time to try and resist the temptation of dessert. The restaurant boasts a wide variety of milkshakes, sundaes, and baklava amongst other tantalizing cakes and pies. Whatever may have been lacking in the meal was more than made up for in the rich, creamy chocolate passion cake I finally gave in to. And I'm glad I did – it was one of the best desserts I have had the pleasure of partaking in here at Princeton. It is rich though, so I would recommend bringing a friend to share it with. Regardless, desert here is a definite must.
Go for the dessert!
Zorba's Brother is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Peak times are between 12 and 1:30 for lunch and between 7 and 8 for dinner. Waits can be long then, and since it is a small restaurant, seating can be scarce.
Our dinner was a pleasant experience. The service was efficient and impeccable, the atmosphere pleasing, and my company delightful.
Prices were slightly steep for the quality of food, however. Starters run between $3 and $6. An entrée can cost anywhere from $10 and $14, but a sandwich can leave you satisfied for less. Dessert will be around $3-$4.
My advice? The ambience will be just as pleasant if you only go for dessert. It would be the highlight of your meal anyway.
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