la.foodblogging

*Note: Mama Voula’s has closed, apparantly due to the inability to gain a wine and liquor license.

On the westside, I’ve noticed that there is a dearth of certain cuisines among which is Greek. As far as Greek restaurants go, I’ve only known Papa Christo’s (thanks to their great commercials) and the Great Greek (since it was near my high school). However, thanks to Chowhound, I discovered a little hole in wall called Mama Voula’s.

Located in a strip mall, it’s easy to overlook. Upon entering, you notice that the open-air kitchen is almost on top of the tables. All that separates you from the cooks is a counter where they store their cups and also where they set their food after it’s cooked. Another thing is the use of floral tablecloths. Coupled with the very friendly wait staff (which may only be one person), one feels not in a restaurant environment, but in someone else’s home. This is definitely emphasized by the influx of people who either take out or look as thought they’ve come from one of the neighboring apartments.

Given how small the place is (22-25), the food comes quick and fresh. I ordered the melitzanosalata (eggplant salad) and the spinach and feta cheese pie. The salad is a combination of mashed eggplant with onion, garlic, and lemon juice topped with oregano. It was served cold and came with warm pita. The pie was pretty good but my complaint was the sparse filling. I felt like I was just eating pastry dough as opposed to spinach and cheese.

The pita bread itself warrants its own paragraph. When I looked over at the kitchen, I noticed that they warmed the bread on the grill while brushing it with olive oil. This served to create a bread that was soft yet still had a firmness to the exterior. The fact that it was infused with that great olive oil flavor only made it better. Even after dinner, my dad continued to eat all of the uneaten bread (which was quite a lot).

For our main courses, I got the octopudi and my dad got the lamb chops. From what I could tell, the baby octopi were marinated in a balsamic/lemon juice/oregano sauce and then grilled. The best part was that tentacles were crunchy while the body held the flavor and juiciness. I tried it with bread and can only say that you should just eat the octopudi by themselves since the bread really dilutes the flavor.

The lamb was ok at best. It was probably 70% meat and 30% fat. I normally have no problem with this since more fat usually means more flavor and juice, but the lamb was tough, thin, and lacked substance.

I actually got the gyro plate as takeout for my girlfriend and being the obliging boyfriend, ate some of her food. The gyros were very nicely done. The outside had that grilled texture while the interior maintained that great juicy lamb/pork taste. Each plate comes with a choice of Greek rice or lemon potatoes. You’d better like lemon because each piece of potato is bursting with citrus. Additionally, you get a side of pita as well as some broccoli.

Parking can be a hassle but there is lots of space on the street. The wait can be long since it is such a small restaurant. If you’re extremely hungry, stop by Monte Alban, which is right next door. The prices for entrees are all within $8-12, which is a great deal for the amount and quality of food you get. Since they don’t have a liquor license, you should bring your own bottle of wine. I’m not sure if there’s a corkage but based on how many people I saw bringing in their own bottles, I would guess not.

Finally, the one thing I wish I could have tried was the sagnaki, which is a block of grilled cheese that has been soaked in Greek liquour. It is then set on fire in front of you and then drizzled with lemon. Of course the fire and prompt dousing are performed in front of you with the traditional “OPA!!” This type of atmosphere coupled with the food makes me hope that the restaurant lasts well into the future.

Mama Voula’s
11923 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

By Jeff (see more of his posts).