Comfort Around The Corner

Victoria Park Diner is a place where Greek food lovers and diner aficionados can meet up and enjoy delicious homemade dishes. The menu offers a large variety of fare, including sandwiches, wraps, melts, kebobs, salads, Greek specialties and almost every breakfast item you can dream of. A friend of mine always raves about the omelets at Victoria Park Diner, calling them the best around.

I went to the popular diner for dinner on a Wednesday evening after an exhibit opening at Stonewall Library. My boyfriend met me there and we grabbed a booth and pored over the giant menu. It took us a long time to decide on what to get since there is a large amount to choose from. We asked the manager on advice on what the diner is known for to get an idea on where to start. She told us that people love the gyro (pronounced yeero), so I figured that would be a good dinner choice. Of course, it was not so easy - Victoria Park Diner has a whole section of the menu called Gyromania, which lists gyros made in six different styles. I decided to go the traditional route and order the standard gyro, which was strips of beef and lamb, tomato, onion, tzatziki (a creamy garlic, cucumber dip) wrapped in pita, served with fries ($7.29).

But first, I ordered a cup of the avgolemeno soup, which is a chicken lemon Greek soup, ($2.29 a cup, $2.99 a bowl, $3.59 a pint). The hint of lemon added a refreshing element to the soup, which was thick, creamy and delicious.

My gyro was huge and the tender strips of beef and lamb were fantastic. I especially liked the tzatziki at Victoria Park Diner - the garlic flavor was light and not too overwhelming. I've experienced some overly garlicky tzatziki at some Greek restaurants where I felt like I was breathing fire from it.

My boyfriend decided to try out the massive Greek Platter ($24.99), which really is enough for two people. I decided to help him out with the hearty servings of pastichio (Greek lasagna), moussaka (am eggplant dish), spanakopita (spinach pie), three kinds of skewers – beef, chicken and pork, a bowl of tzatziki, pita, dolmathes (grape leaves), olives and peppers.

This dish, which is pictured on the front of the menu, but not listed (you have to ask for it, and trust me, you'll want to), is a must for lovers of Greek food. The pastichio was layers of macaroni and ground beef baked with a cream topping and the moussaka is ground beef, eggplant and potatoes baked with a cream topping. My boyfriend thought the cream topping was phenomenal and I agreed. The homemade dishes were very well done and the ultimate in comfort food. The skewers that came with the dishes were seasoned just right and the beef was my favorite. The spinach pie, with its light layers of phyllo dough and spinach and feta filling, was sinful, but worth the calories.

The large portions were great for those who love leftovers and we are both looking forward to having more of our great Victoria Park Diner dishes tomorrow for lunch. Of course, we had to try dessert. What kind of review would it be without it? We split an order of the baklava ($2.79), which was easily the best I ever had and the perfect sweet way to end our meal.

The large menu, homemade dishes and affordable prices make Victoria Park Diner a great place for a comforting meal. Open seven days a week, hours are Sunday, from 7 am to 9 pm; Monday to Saturday, from 6:30 am to 9 pm.