Why do Greeks always open restaurants that fail? - George Chakiris
True, Greek restaurants have been around in Melbourne forever but George made it popular, and when he brought us Hellenic Republic in Lygon Street, I was hooked on the stuff. The lamb, the chicken, the moussaka, the bougatsa! Far out! Nothing new in this string of foods, but I had to mention them simply because Hellenic Republic does them best. It turns out that everything I have just written is irrelevant, as this review is supposed to be about Jimmy Grants Fitzroy.
Jimmy Grants is everything you know and love from Hellenic Republic all wrapped up in a more condensed form, and revolving around the scrumptious souvlaki.
There are 5 main souvlaki that you can choose from; Mr Papadopoulos, Nonna Maria, the patris, the bonegilla and homer. Essentially you are choosing between chicken, lamb, a mix of the two, prawns and falafel. What makes these the greatest souva's in Melbourne is the mixture of chips, mustard aioli and parsley. Whatever they do with that mustard aioli is what sets these particular souva's apart from any other. I personally will inhale 2 of the bonegilla and possibly a bowl of chips if my appetite approves, if it doesn't I eat all that anyway.
Being in Fitzroy some things are not quite as you would expect, or exactly as you would expect depending how you look at it. For instance, you can't get a coke or lemonade, you have to get organic cola. Organic Cola? Why? Is usually my reaction whenever we go there, but my addiction to sugar means I order and drink it anyway. The place is incredibly uncomfortable, not sure if it is supposed to represent the way places are set out in Greece or something. The tiny stools that they have are just short enough to be awful and the table height means you end up holding your souva in your hands above your lap. Even with a $300 pair of jeans with anti stain technology, you aren't going to be able to remove the stain that you are going to end up with when that oil/sauce drips from the souva and onto your lap. Your first reaction will be to try and save the oil by trying to suck it from your jeans because it is so precious and tasty and you know what just fell on your lap is the best part of the souva, but it is just oil and sauce and it now belongs to your jeans. Every time you look down at your lap for years after you will be reminded in the form of an imperfectly round stain that you once had the best souva of your life, and that souva was from Jimmy Grants. You will be told by dry cleaners that they couldn't get that stain out and your response will simply be "that's fine". You will see that stain and think of short bald Greek men, the thoughts may be impure, but you wont care about that either. Your dogs will headbutt you in the groin and sniff and lick so hard you will feel like you are being sexually abused, but you will understand and then just take your pants off and hand them over. You can't fight it.
The restaurant has a massive painting of a plane which was done by street artist Dan Wenn, but who cares...
Being in Fitzroy some things are not quite as you would expect, or exactly as you would expect depending how you look at it. For instance, you can't get a coke or lemonade, you have to get organic cola. Organic Cola? Why? Is usually my reaction whenever we go there, but my addiction to sugar means I order and drink it anyway. The place is incredibly uncomfortable, not sure if it is supposed to represent the way places are set out in Greece or something. The tiny stools that they have are just short enough to be awful and the table height means you end up holding your souva in your hands above your lap. Even with a $300 pair of jeans with anti stain technology, you aren't going to be able to remove the stain that you are going to end up with when that oil/sauce drips from the souva and onto your lap. Your first reaction will be to try and save the oil by trying to suck it from your jeans because it is so precious and tasty and you know what just fell on your lap is the best part of the souva, but it is just oil and sauce and it now belongs to your jeans. Every time you look down at your lap for years after you will be reminded in the form of an imperfectly round stain that you once had the best souva of your life, and that souva was from Jimmy Grants. You will be told by dry cleaners that they couldn't get that stain out and your response will simply be "that's fine". You will see that stain and think of short bald Greek men, the thoughts may be impure, but you wont care about that either. Your dogs will headbutt you in the groin and sniff and lick so hard you will feel like you are being sexually abused, but you will understand and then just take your pants off and hand them over. You can't fight it.
The restaurant has a massive painting of a plane which was done by street artist Dan Wenn, but who cares...
- Stand a little out of my sun -
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