Jackson Avenue in the Old City welcomed Kefi this week. From the owners of Cafe 4 and The Press Room, Jim and Lori Klonaris, comes this cocktail bar and Greek restaurant. The space is well designed and makes you feel like you’re in a large city cocktail bar. Circular booths line the entrance wall along with a cozy seating area up front. The circular bar is the focal point and Chris welcomed us and spoke to us about the cocktail menu which includes draft cocktails along with traditionally shaken and stirred varieties. We sampled… a few along with the house Poggia wines that are also on tap. We had reservations but were enjoying the bar so we decided to eat there. Leaving the selections up to Chris Williams and chef Chester Miller, formerly of 5 Bar, we began…
Metaxa Sour
This tart cocktail was the starter for Mr KnoxFoodie and a great way to begin shaken to a froth with aquafaba (chickpea water) and topped with angostura bitters this cocktail will bring a pucker to the party. Mrs KnoxFoodie opted for the Crosus 75, a well-balanced spin on the French 75 topped off with a piece of saffron floating on top. Later we also had a Paper Plane and Penicillin that were both unique and delicious spins on classics.
Crocus 75
Penicillin
Moving onto the food. First came a couple small plates. Toasted Spicy Feta topped with honey pearls with Pitas and Pine Nut Hummus. Both dishes were top notch and the hummus was some of the smoothes, fluffiest we’ve had. We’d recommend both.
Next up was the grape leaf dolmas, roasted baby beets (don’t miss this one), andkeftedes a roasted beef ‘croquetta’ style dish.
We then moved on to a few larger plates. Starting with the visually spectacular Octopus dish with gigante beans
Roasted Lamb chops perfectly sous vide then finished with a nice char.
Our favorite dish of the night arrived last. Baked kibbeh, think Greek comfort food. It reminded me of what lasagna would be like if you replaced the pasta with potatoes. This dish we would re-order over and over!
We couldn’t leave without dessert and it didn’t disappoint!
Kefi is off to a great start and will surely become a goto spot in the Old City. Happy hour is beginning soon and will include drink specials like an extra ½ pour of wine per glass, small plate specials and more. So check it out. Parking is easy at the free lot near Barley’s. Reservations are recommended. A big thank you to the owners and staff for the evening. We truly enjoyed it!
