Kapnos Taverna
After a successful dissertation defense , some friends and I continued our celebration at Kapnos Taverna. One of the best things about The Hotel (aside from bringing The Red Door Spa closer to me, once it opens) is this Greek restaurant. My boyfriend and I had to try it when it first opened, and we’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve had almost everything on the menu, and everything I’ve had is absolutely delicious. So, I was happy that we all decided to forgo the express lunch and order several shared plates.
We began our celebratory lunch with two of my favorite spreads: favosalata – yellow lentils, scallions, black garlic, and pine nuts – and melitzanosalata – smoky eggplant, roasted peppers, walnuts, and feta. Two very yummy and very different spreads. The favosalata is creamy yet offers a depth of flavor, while the melitzanosalata has a livelier flavor that is accentuated by the feta. And, in case you were wondering, my other favorite spread is the tzatziki.
After the spreads, our table was blessed with cheese saganaki a Greek fried cheese with almonds and black pepper honey; roasted cauliflower with harissa, kefalograviera (cheese), and garlic crumble; and falafel. This was the first time I’d had the cheese saganaki. Don’t get me wrong, it was very flavorful and deliciously chewy. But, in relation to the other mezze you could order, it is at the bottom of my list. The roasted cauliflower and falafel, on the other hand, are absolute musts. The combination of flavors for the cauliflower make it dynamic. I could probably eat an entire order by myself. As a lover of falafel, this one is one of the best. If I were ever to take advantage of Kapnos Taverna’s express lunch, then I would get the falafel gyro.
We closed out our dining with the roasted salmon – crispy skin salmon atop couscous, butternut squash, and mustard ladolemono. I’ve ordered the salmon almost every time I’ve been here, and it is always perfectly prepared. It almost melts in your mouth. The tenderness of the salmon is complemented by the sharp flavor of the mustard ladolemono couscous.
In the end, we had no room for dessert. In fairness, we had some of the most moist and flavorful cupcakes directly following my defense. But, since you won’t have cupcakes before you dine at Kapnos Taverna (or will you?), you will have room for their baklava and coffee or the kapnos bar (salted caramel, greek yogurt mousse, and chocolate custard).
Kapnos Taverna
7777 Baltimore Avenue
College Park, MD 20740
(301) 864-1983