A Housewife’s Tale

A slightly belated post~  I had this all ready to publish but actually forgot about it *gasps*. Neways, had dinner at Dio Deka with 9 other friends as a farewell dinner for V.  Dio Deka is an upscale Greek/Mediterranean restaurant in sleepy Los Gatos.

The location of the restaurant was lovely – in the quiet almost suburbia like Los Gatos.  The restaurant is in the same building at the Los Gatos Hotel, which is a nice romantic looking building.  It almost felt like we were somewhere in Europe, which was perfect for a dinner out.

Menu is fairly simple – with about two pages of choices but not overwhelmingly so. There is also a nice offering of meats off the grill – Rib Eye, Strip Loin, Lamb and even Porterhouse.

We ordered:

Silogy $14

Assortment of Greek Spreads: taramas, tzatziki, ktipiti and tirokafteri

I loved every single spread, typically I love chunky spreads but these were a range of smooth to chunky spread.  I honestly don’t know what is in each spread but I enjoyed all of them.  The best part of the delicious warm pita bread that is coated with herbs and olive oil.
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Octaphothi Scharas $16

Mesquite grilled Mediterranean octopus with romesco, lemon vinaigrette, grated hazelnuts and arugula

My favourite dish of the night after the dips – the octopus was so amazingly tender with a nice smoky char to it. The romesco was tangy and fresh – went well with the octopus.
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Spanakotiropita $8

Phyllo pastries filled with baby spinach, leeks, Greek sheep and goat milk cheese

The phyllo was so delicate – crispy with nice layers. Presented way fancier than the usual and more delicate. Pretty good~
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Paithakia $36

Two double cut lamb chops, lemon oregano crusted potatoes, whipped spinach

I was quite disappointed with the lamb. Anytime there is lamb on the menu I have to order it and this is a greek restaurant. What is Greek food without some lamb? However this lamb disappointed me – it was surprisingly bland eventhough it looked amazing.  The meat was a tad more tough and chewy than I expected.  Nothing shone on this plate.
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Tsipoura $34

Mesquite grilled Mediterranean dorade served whole and on the bone

OMG! As simple and plain as this dish looked – it was mindblowing. My favourite entree of the night. The fish was so fresh, nice crispy skin with flaky white flesh.  Seasoned simple with some salt and served on top of some grilled rosemary and lemon. It was amazing!
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Orzo $8

Orzo in burnt butter and Myzithra cheese

Normally, I would love orzo of any kind – a nice cross between rice and pasta.  But this orza was literally swimming in butter. One dimensional with no other seasoning evident except for overwhelming butter. Could use more cheese/salt or anything else.
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Mousse Sokolata/Chocolate creme $11

Devil’s food cake, milk jam, coconut sorbet with buddha’s hand citrus

The cake was pretty good – moist, dense and rich, with smooth chocolate mousse. I wanted more mousse though.  The coconut sorbet was pretty subtle.  Pretty good dessert.
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Baklava $10

Traditional Greek layered phyllo with pistachios & walnut, pistachio ice cream and spiced caramel

I didn’t care too much for this dessert – it was intensely sweet and the spice caramel didn’t sit well with me.
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Loukoumathes $7

Traditional Greek beignets dipped in thyme honey syrup with cinnamon

Pretty decent beignet but way too sweet since it is smothered with the syrup.  I would have preferred a nice drizzle but maybe this is how it served traditionally?

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Extras:
Riesling $13
Santorini $10
Corkage $35
Coffee $5

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Total Damage: ~$75 – $90 per person

Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 (Good)

Some of the highlights of the meal was mainly the impeccable service, appetizers and the fish. Everything else was a tad underwhelming for the price.  I could  not put my finger on it but when the meal ended, we were all quite underwhelmed especially with the lamb dishes and desserts.  The desserts were very intensely sweet, but I don’t know much about Greek desserts so many this is how it should be?

Oh, and I did try a couple bites of the rib eye and it was amazing.  I don’t know if we would go back and give this place another shot but I guess time will tell.

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Dio Deka

210 E Main Street
Los Gatos, CA 95030

(408) 354 7700