I'll be honest: I'm one of those people whose eyes light up when I open a menu and see adjective-laden listings like "seared macadamia-encrusted, teriyaki-marinated sea bass fillet served over sesame-jasmine rice cakes with honey-braised parsnips and ginger-garlic-scallion dipping sauce." The single-sheet menu at Dmitri's is anything but descriptive -- yet as taste proves, simplicity and freshness are all the frills that are needed here.
Dmitri's is one of the most popular BYOs in Philadelphia, but I'm certain I'm not the first one to remark, "Is this the whole place?" upon entering. With about a dozen or so tables and some seating at the bar -- behind which no bartenders shake and stir, but rather chefs grill and saute -- Dmitri's fills up faster than you can say, "But it's only 5:45!" Especially given the fact that Dmitri's does not accept reservations, one is wise to take either an early-bird or night-owl approach to dinner here.
However, the food at Dmitri's is well worth adjusting your dining schedule. At this Greek establishment, the focus of the menu is clear: seafood, seafood and seafood. Though there are fish-free options, one would be remiss not to sample the fresh catches for which Dmitri's is renowned. The menu is divided between salads, "little dishes," platters, pasta and desserts and encourages a family-style dining experience.
The avocado-citrus salad ($7) alternates colorful sections of orange and grapefruit with slices of ripe avocado over a bowl of crisp romaine, and toasted almonds provided a pleasing textural contrast in the sweet salad. The Greek salad ($6.50) is fairly standard, with premium feta cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, banana peppers, onions and olives in a red-wine vinaigrette.
But it is the "little dishes" that steal the show. The hummus ($6.50) is perhaps the best I've ever had: warm, whipped and olive-topped, it is served with a basket of hot grilled pita that the friendly wait staff keeps freshly stocked. The plate of sauteed mussels ($10) -- shelled, big-bellied and lightly breaded -- is big enough for a meal.
The platters are equally simple, but one taste proves that it would be a crime to mess with such fresh, simple fare. My guest's shrimp saute ($16) tasted much like scampi and was tossed with perfectly cooked onions, red peppers and tomatoes. My generous portion of grilled scallops ($15) was meaty and tender, but patrons should know that when Dmitri's says grilled, they mean grilled. While I generally like that charcoal-seared flavor, in some bites it proved a bit too overwhelming for the delicate flavor of the seafood. Perhaps the highlight of the meal was the fried calamari platter ($15), with an ample heap of squid that avoided being either greasy or tough. Buttery escarole, lemony rice and a wedge of lemon are the perfect compliments to these foods whose inherent flavors speak -- or rather, taste -- for themselves.
In ambience as well, Dmitri's adheres to its standards of simplicity. Dim lighting, candles and white Christmas lights offset pale yellow and cream walls and black tables; on a window, a school of stenciled fish lends the perfectly subtle touch of whimsy to this homey establishment.
So, if sunny summer days of beachside dining are approaching a little too slowly for you, Dmitri's is an ideal place to get your fresh seafood fix a few months early.
