Last night I had my first experience at Opa, Philadelphia’s new modern Greek restaurant. I went because a friend of mine was hosting a fundraiser to support MS society’s leadership fund. With 10% of the proceeds of the day being donated to the organization I couldn’t think of a better reason to try this new restaurants. There is another chance next week to help stop MS at Ms. Tootie’s on Tuesday, August 30.
My boyfriend and I love dinning at new hot spots in the city and I’m pretty sure that this will not be our last time at Opa. As soon as we walked in I felt very welcomed and by fate the hostess who greeted us was also named Nina! I think it’s so cool when I meet people who share my name because it doesn’t happen too often.
We start the night off with a round of drinks at the contemporary bar that acts as the centerpiece for this cozy restaurant. I tried the Anthos, specialty cocktail with cucumber vodka, lemon and dill. Sounds very interesting I know, that’s why I wanted to try it and I’m glad I did because it was a tasty refreshing summertime drink. While I was sipping on my Anthos, my boyfriend enjoyed Mythos, a lager brewed in Greece. This beer brought back many memories for me because I spend six weeks in college studying abroad in Greece and Mythos, the local brew, was served at all of the bars there.
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Anthos -drink made with Pearl cucumber vodka, lemon and dill
Mythos, Greek beer and an Anthos cocktail |
After enjoying every last sip of our drinks we were seated to enjoy Opa’s Greek cuisine. Coleen was our server and she was absolutely outstanding. She was very knowledgeable of the menu and I was full of questions so she helped me decide what to order.
We started off with two appetizers, fried calamari and zucchini chips. The fried calamari was served with a spicy sauce to dip in the freshly fried rings and tentacles. Also on the plate were fried green olives, not something I’ve ever had in Greece! Chef Andrew Brown loves to put his personal spin on classic dishes. The fried zucchini chips were also a fabulous choice to start the meal off with tzatziki sauce was served in the center of the crispy zucchini and on the side of the dish was a piece of fried cheese, classic Greek dish. The pairing of something new with someone classic on the same plate was a very innovative approach and we enjoyed every bite.
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| fried calamari with fried green olives |
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| Zucchini chips |
Moving on to the main course, I ordered the shrimp dish and my dinner date ordered the chicken dish. The shrimp dish was amazing and infused the flavors of fresh tomatoes, onions, feta, sauteed with house made black pasta. The pasta was colored with squid ink making it black in color. This is one of Opa's signature dishes!
We did not save room for dessert but they had some tempting options. The atmosphere is very hip and chic with a warm feeling. Check out the photos below and make your reservation so you can try it too!
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Shrimp and pasta dish with tomatoes and feta
The decorations were so cute in the back room we had to take a photo! |
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| Even the walls of the women's bathroom was decorated with a new modern twist! - Broken plates in the walls. |
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| Modern walls in the front room at Opa |
A table set for four next to the window on 13th Street plus outdoor dining is also available on the sidewalk.
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