Gordon Ramsey comes to Chevy Chase! At least I think it was Gordon Ramsey, one of the guys with a TV show about restaurant makeovers. So much I’ve been told. I never saw him or, at least , never recognized him. I’m pretty sure that none of the random people I saw yelling at others was he. This makeover was for the Parthenon and its menu. The crew rolled into Chevy Chase in a caravan,
a mobile kitchen, people with tablets darting about, and tight-lipped men looming to keep nosy passers by from snooping. The operation shut down the Parthenon for days and made parking near Starbucks even more hilarious than usual. The crew filmed the whole makeover process, and we’ll be able to watch it on cable in due course.
The Parthenon Restaurant has been around forever at 5510 Connecticut, or at least since the 1970s, before which time the memory of man runneth not. Almost. It used to be the Piccadilly Pub, a place run with Swiss efficiency and Prussian charm. The Parthenon has been a dependable neighborhood mainstay since then. I’ve written about it twice. See here. I took a last look inside before the makeover and decide it could indeed use one.
The metal chairs were classic 1970s style, and will be very valuable when 1970s fashions return, which I fervently hope will be after I’m dead. I spent a fortune buying up photos of myself from that era.
The Parthenon reopened last Friday and, being at loose ends with Nancy off on a jaunt to Mohonk Mountain House. I was feeling peckish and so strolled up well before noon. Here’s the new interior.
And another view.
The computer and the phone are behind the blue curtain. It looks a whole lot nicer with a completely different feel. I like the murals, and the tables and chairs are a big improvement. The new tableware has the pottery look.
Eduardo, one of my neighborhood favorites, greeted and seated me, then gave me a menu. I could see at a glance that the menu had changed dramatically. A new item, Pork Gyros, immediately caught my eye. My eyes do wander toward the word “pork.” The description “Authentic Greek marinated spit-roasted pork, served with fries, warm pita bread and salad,” caught my fancy as well as my eye. It was listed just above the American Style Gyro which seemed pedestrian by comparison, so I ordered the pork. I thought about ordering some braised greens (Horta), and I thought a whole lot more about ordering some Galaktoboureko, a Greek custard with crispy phyllo pastry and honey syrup. Alas, I still had some Girl Scout cookie weight I was trying to pound off. I still am, actually, They’ve added a toffee shortbread cookie that obliterates willpower. I almost bought more today.
First to arrive was the bread service.
There were three pieces originally, and you could see the butter in that smaller dish. The bread service is the one thing that has not been changed. It still has that good chewy crust and the soft interior.
Then came my pork gyro.
That’s a lot of food for $15, especially in this neighborhood, and it was good. The pork was leaner than I prefer (fat is flavor), but it’s probably perfect for most people. It was very tender and had some attractive flavor from the marinade. The thick, creamy tzatziki bristled with cucumber, and elevated and balanced the pork. The pita is from a new supplier, and it seemed an improvement. It’s still the solid rather than puffed pita, and as before, I preferred to eat the pork and tzatziki — and sometimes added red onion from the salad — on top of the bread rather than folded over and doubled for a better balance of flavors and textures. The salad was fresh with a pleasant light herb dressing.
I’m saving the biggest change for last. The fries were delicious. They arrived hot, crisp, beautifully seasoned with a bit of oregano. I invariably dress up fries with salt and pepper and hot sauce and/or mustard. I honestly can’t remember when I ate fries just as they were served.
The restaurant gradually filled as I ate. There were rumors that Robert De Niro was going to be in town for the filming. That never made much sense, and I never saw him. There was, however, a major celebrity sighting. Not Ramsey or De Niro, much better. The Great Zucchini strolled in. If you have small children or grandchildren in Northwest DC or Montgomery County, you’ve seen him perform, perhaps several times, at home birthday parties and the Avalon Theatre. His show is hilarious.
That was a fine lunch. The service by Eduardo was as seamless as ever, which is hardly a given for an opening or reopening, as I recently was reminded here. I definitely will return to explore the menu further. I have to try the seafood and the various dips. And the Galaktoboureko. I recommend you go. It’s well worth a trip.
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