Boukie’s

I am very sad that this place closed. After I wrote my initial review I went back for brunch and it was wonderful. Everything was perfectly done, extremely high quality for a prix fixe brunch menu. We had to order grilled octopus too, of course, and it was amazing.
What happened?
They only had a wine and beer license, and the city would not give them a full liquor license. I imagine the rent was very high, it was a spacious corner spot. I guess they couldn’t afford to stay open without a liquor license. Another lovely small business killed by New York City!

Permanently closed!!! Noooooo…

Fresh feta tomatoes and spinach are awesome. Good portions very traditional Greek. Medium to high prices. Try the spinach pie !

Last stop on my tour of Greek in EV, other two being Taverna Kyclades and Pylos. I’d put this at the bottom of the list, and recommend you try for one of the other two (Pylos first then Kyclades), reasons being:
1. Just a couple dollars less for each dish compared to Pylos, but definitely not as tasty and much smaller portion sizes
2. Food is slightly worse than Kyclades, and at a higher price
— Grilled octopus: slightly better than Pylos, not nearly as good as Kyclades
— Short ribs: this was actually delicious, and far and away the best dish we had
— Grilled baby lamb chops: had to send back because it was cooked well done instead of medium rare (seems to be a recurring theme with me though, happened at Pylos too!). What they remade for us was good, but not as good as Pylos
— Baklava: too walnuty, never thought I’d ever complain about anything having too much nuts

Does your significant other Unilocal too? Do you ever feel that it’s hard to review it after she’s already done a really thorough job of doing it? It’s mentally like being at a dinner party, your other is relating the experience, and when he or she is done, there’s nothing to add to the story.
I had a pretty mixed experience here. In summary, our appetizers were really good, and it’s just as well we ordered several of them, because the main course, a grilled fish for two, was pretty awful. It’s hard to write about a place you ultimately didn’t enjoy, so I’m going to stop. Not going back, I’m afraid. Unless it’s to eat some appetizers and then head down the block for fried chicken.

Finally got a chance to go here, and liked it a lot. We were a party of 2, not terribly hungry, so we ordered a few small plates: a salad with cherry tomatoes, onion, cukes, capers, and a feta cheese that was milder than I’m used to (that’s a good thing).
All the portions were pretty generous. Since we’re big fan of grilled octopus, that was a must, and it arrived with a nice char on the outside, and with the mouth-​feel of a very tender beefsteak; loved it. Also got a trout spread with caviar that was great spread on pita bread. Little «lamb sandwiches,» seasoned with cinnamon, came in tiny pitas, and for more veg’s, we got the «gigantic beans,» which lived up to their name. The beans were OK, but we didn’t finish them, mainly because they were the last thing to come out, and anyway, they’re just beans.
Our only complaint was that the place was very loud. There’s a concrete floor and floor-​to-​ceiling windows, so the sound just bounces from once surface to another. Then, in a vicious circle, people talk louder due to the noise level, which causes other people to talk even louder… Anyone who uses a hearing aid would probably be miserable here, but we liked it and will happily go back.

Get everything but the fish!
It’s unfortunate that all the mezes (appetizers) were delicious, but the entrée was so disappointing. We decided to go all meze and then share the Fagri (Red Porgy) dish for two. In hindsight, we probably should have skipped out on that particular fish, which would have shaved a third off our bill.
Flaounes me Feta kai Meli — phyllo flutes filled with honey. Think of it has a greek spring roll with cheese and honey, very good. Unfortunately the honey from this dish managed to continue to bother people later on in the night since it was extremely thick and must have gotten on our napkins which proceed to get our hands and arms sticky.
Garides Saganaki Saloniki — shrimp saganaki with white wine, feta, and herbs. This dish reminds me of spanish style shrimp tapas.
Psito Ktapodaki — marinated grilled octopus. Grilled to perfection.
Mydia Pikantika me Feta — mussels in the shell cooked in spicy tomato sauce. Could have been better being a mussel lover, this dish was a bit disappointing. The mussels we also tiny.
Mydia Pikantika me Feta — Slow-​braised short ribs. One of the highlights of the night. Wish this dish was larger.
Keftedakia me Pikantiki Saltsa Domatas — yiayia’s meatballs in spicy tomato sauce. Very soft and succulent meat balls.
Fagri — Red Porgy for two. First of all this dish arrived lukewarm, Major fail since its seafood, it needs to be on the table as soon as its off the stove. No flavor. They basically just put lemon juice on it. I’m sorry but I could have served lukewarm fish with lemon juice on it, and that wouldn’t have cost $ 50.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience. I made a reservation, but it doesn’t look like you need on even on a Saturday night. Perhaps I need to go back to try the lamb chops.

I’m sort of surprised I’m giving this place 3 stars but here it goes.
This place is a very big open restaurant and was perfect for a day when it’s nice outside because they can open the windows. The food and wine at this restaurant are very reasonably priced. My dining companion and I tried a bottle of red wine (would be easier to remember the name of it if it was not in Greek) for about $ 40.
Restaurant service can really make or break your meal. There were a few wines by the glass that were writen behind the bar (which is massive by the way). When the waiter came over to take our drink orders, my date asked about the wines that were written. The waiter then mentioned that they promote the wines that aren’t selling as well? Uhhhhhh… what? When questioned about this, he rephrased and was confused. Maybe the language barrier was to blame? He was able to suggest a wine that we both enjoyed so he made up for it. Thumbs up
Also, they brought our entrees maybe 5 minutes after they placed our appetizer on the table. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. The restaurant was not busy — this is not acceptable.
Aside from those two things, the service was fine. Water glasses refilled etc.
Food was fine. We got the shrimp appetizer with garlic and white wine. If you don’t like garlic, do not get this dish… there is a lot of garlic going on here. Quite good though. My date and I ordered the prime rib medium and lamp chops medium-​rare. They came rarer than rare and medium-​well respectively. I imagine they switched our orders? Maybe? They happily sent them back and the new dishes came out fine.

We had a really good meal here. Let me start with the bread basket. It contained both pita and a crusty bread and a complimentary spread. I couldn’t exactly discern what the spread was, but it was good. We also ordered some Tzatziki for spreading and it was terrific too.
For appetizers, three of us shared the seafood salad and a beet salad. The beats were extremely hardy and tasty. The seafood salad was also excellent and was a nice sized portion too.
Our mains consisted of lamb chops, salmon, and monk fish. All were very, very good. The menu did not appear to have the usual Greek favorites like pastichio and moussaka but I read elsewhere that this place is more nouveau Greek.
Our server was extremely stiff at first but eventually warmed up. The biggest downer here, like many other places, is that they try to seat you at a bad table. We voiced our objection and they gave us a much better table. My wife constantly reminds me that I should always say, «show us the 2^nd table you were going to show us first».

If you’re looking for a solid experience with a bang to your buck, then this is definitely a restaurant to check out.
For $ 20, their per-​fixed is seriously amazing and they offer quality selection from their menu which made my meal taste even more wonderful as I knew what I was eating was good food.
To take advantage of this deal, which ends at 6:30pm, we came here around 6:00pm for an early dinner. The restaurant was spacious with a clean and airy feel. I especially liked how they utilized lamps to create a homey vibe but still classy enough to feel like you’re dinning at a fine restaurant.
For starter, I ordered their Greek salad and it was absolutely delicious! My tomatoes and cucumber marinated perfectly with thinly sliced red onion and the feta cheese nestled beautifully on top of my dish. Best of all, I can smell the fresh dried oregano that was sprinkled on top of my feta and it made my dish taste refreshing and yummy.
As for entrée, I asked for their sword fish skewer and it was grilled perfectly. My fish was definitely not over cooked. Instead, it was soft, flaky and fresh and complimented really well with my spinach pilaf and fresh squeezed lemon juice.
As for dessert, I opted for their almond honey cake with caramelized pineapple and a dollop of vanilla Greek yogurt. Although the cake was a bit harder then I expected, it was still wonderful and tied in nicely as a salute to the rest of my meal.
All in all, this is definitely a restaurant that I’m planning on coming back and also one that I would highly recommend!

Finally got around to making it here for dinner, not sure how, but they always seem to have reservations available on Friday/​Saturday night on Opentable?
The menu here is similar to Pylos (same owners) and I think they even share a few dishes. The best way to go after this menu I always thought was go after the mezzes and that’s exactly what we did. Phyllo flutes, braised octopus, lamb sandwiches, etc., you can’t go wrong. If you need a last second reservation on a Fri/​Sat night, this place will stand in very well.

Came here for dinner and nabbed a booth /​sofa for a table of 3. Generally, I’m wary about places with booths /​cloth sofas for seating (GERM ALERT). but the décor seemed really interesting — eating, ancient Roman style.
Anyway, the food here was great and don’t be fooled by their tapas categorization. These plates are large. For 3 food-​friendly women, we ordered the following and were stuffed:
Mydia Se Pikantiki Tomatosaltsa, Kapnisti Feta: recommend, delish mussels
Thrimatismeno Arni Se Pita: lamb overkill. lots of meat in it which was great, but wasn’t my favorite
Spanakotiropitakia Trigona: also delicious, a good complement to the rest of their dishes which are pretty saucy
Special meatballs: really tasty
Rola Melitzanas, Aromatika Kima: i liked this, but next time, want to try their non-​ground lamb
& lots of house bread
The menu is pretty extensive and full of other yumminess. Will be back to try more

Sorry Kefi, I still love you but this place is now my favorite Greek spot in the city.
I came with two friends on a Friday at 9pm. The space is open, airy, perfect for summer, possibly cozy in the winter. I really liked the feel of the place.
The menu has a lot of mezzes hot and cold — we weren’t too hungry so we each ordered one dish and they were all about appetizer sized, but still filling.
MUSSELS — these were the best most flavorful mussels I’ve had. It’s not too salty and doesn’t rely on creaminess to make the soup tasty.
SHORT RIBS — if you like short ribs, you will not be disappointed. This was cooked soft and delicious.
GRILLED OCTOPUS — this is my dream octopus. The only octopus I’ve had that’s been better is at Del Posto. And, well, it’s Del Posto.
Very good white wines, I didn’t understand the wine menu at all but the waiter did a good job with recommendations.
I’ll be back.

5 stars for the awesome, spacious table with huge, comfy couch, that fit our group of nine perfectly
4 stars for the neat décor and funky bar
3 stars for the food (not quite as delicious as Pylos.) Highly recommend the Thessaloniki-​style shirmp and grilled octopus.
1 star for the bizarre situation at the end or the night where the waiter questioned my friend’s tip amount (which was 20% and added correctly.)
Average 3 stars

I recently stopped by Boukies on the corner of 2^nd and 2^nd in the East Village. It was a fantastic experience.
They did a great job converting the space, and part of enjoying the atmosphere for me is the ability to people watch from inside as you are eating via the windows.
The service was outstanding.
We were waited on by 2 different waiters that were always attentive.
This is a great place for lovers of tapas style restaurants.
The group I went with traditionally enjoys ordering multiple plates of appetizers as opposed to individual main courses, so the menu was amazing for us.
Fresh Greek salad, 2 different orders of saganaki which went fantastic with the meatballs.
We also had fresh beats, and a eggplant appetizer dish with sauce and cheese which felt as if they melted in my mouth.
Accompanying the plates were multiple bottles of Greek red wine for the entire group, and nothing goes better with cheese then wine.
For seafood lovers, the octopus was also terrific.
I will definitely be back to try the weekend brunch and check out the outdoor area.

I really, really wanted to love this place. Like, 5-​stars love it. It’s right around the corner from my apartment, and as a die-​hard Greek (really, is this news to anyone at this point?) I’m always looking for a great taverna in the neighborhood.
We came with a group of 7 for a Saturday night dinner, and the staff was more than willing to accommodate — we sat at a big, earthy table near the front, with chairs on one side and a sofa on the other. While the sofa wasn’t the most comfortable (too low for the table) I appreciated the effort. I was also really happy to see that most of the staff (manager and waiters/​waitresses) were not only knowledgeable about the wine list and menu, but also FOB Greek, and when they realized I was too, we pretty much conducted the rest of the dinner in our native language. So, major points for that.
All that being said, I just didn’t think the food was up to par. Our stewed beans, known as «gigantes,» were a bit undercooked, and the octopus was tough. Seriously, people, you want tender octopus, you gotta slap that thing on the concrete steps like yiayia, mmk? Slap, roll, slap, roll, slap, roll… whoa, this just got weird.
Despite the restaurant’s best efforts, it was clear that Boukies still has a few kinks to iron out — our lamb entrée arrived almost an hour after the other plates.
Still, it’s a cute spot — perfect for a romantic date or a big group dinner like ours. I might give it a shot again if it works out.

Fun fact: did you know boukies means «bites»
This probably personifies «A-​OK.» The food was okay, the service was okay. I did really like the floor to ceiling windows.
The seafood salad was really unflavorful. The mushroom phyllo pies were decent, but way too oily. Yia yia’s meatballs were okay. The grilled octopus with capers was good. This meal was just rather vanilla — nothing exciting and honestly rather forgettable.

Boukies was really wonderful. My parents had come here and decided to take me for a special occasion-​I was not disappointed. I had been to the heartbreak but the redecoration here is so much nicer. The restaurant has a great outdoor section and open feeling.
Now on to the food: First of all, it can be hard to find a good Octopus let alone grilled Octopus but Boukies grilled Octopus was really great. It was fresh and just ever so slightly seasoned with lemon/​caper sauce. We also tried the beet salad which was good and the seafood phyllo cigar roll (which was my favorite). It was sweet but a bit salty and had a great flavor. Weirdly enough it tasted similar to a dim sum dish I enjoy.
For entrees we ordered the whole fish and the braised short ribs. The fish was fresh and came with 2 sides. The short ribs were probably my least favorite of the night but still good. I think Boukies offers a wide array of unique dishes, not the typical greek salads and souviaki!
Overall, it was a lovely experience and Konstantino’s was extremely friendly and accommodating!

The Heartbreak was gone and comes Boukies. I am a huge Greek food lover (my name speaks for itself) but I am too lazy to go to Astoria. Therefore, I am delighted to hear Boukies opens up in my neighborhood.
It is airy, spacious and very loungy. The restaurant makes me want to lay on the couch, eat feta cheese and smoke some hookah. Back to reality. I really enjoy my experience at Boukies. They have fresh ingredients and really friendly and attentive service.
We ordered a lot of food here so I am just going to highlight the dishes I absolutely love. You have to try their caviar spread. It is not very fishy and the texture is smooth. It goes well with toasted pita bread. The grilled octopus comes in generous size. It has great flavor and I wish I could eat the whole plate myself! The fried cheese is also the bomb if you love cheese. Finally, I really like their beef short ribs; they are slow cooked to such tenderness!
The price is average; I think we end up paying about $ 30 a person. I would love to try their brunch!

The owner of Pylos opened up another Greek restaurant on the corner of E. 2^nd where Heartbreak used to be. The angle is a modern twist on traditional Greek fare.
Amongst the tons of plates I sampled, I notated only a few w/​out details (sorry, I was hungry):
— shrimp with eggplant
— grilled octopus with capers
— chicken and tomato skewers
— pulled lamb sliders
— crostini with cauliflower and shrimp
— more skewers
The descriptions were fancier but this is all I remember.
What a lame review.
Oh, but I do know one thing: there are only two main dishes and tons of small plates.