San Diego Dining

Loyalty is a beautiful thing to see. That's because loyalty can't be bought. It has to be earned. In the restaurant business, loyalty is earned by continued focus on providing good food, good service and good ambiance.

Café Athena in Pacific Beach thrives on loyalty. Most of its customers are repeaters who come to dine there again and again. Café Athena lures them back with a full menu of Greek dishes made to authentic recipes and sold for amazingly moderate prices. These loyalists fill its tables nightly.

The restaurant is located in a strip mall but one doesn't feel the crush of competitive businesses all around. The entrance is partially hidden in a corner of the mall, behind a freestanding building that houses a Chinese buffet operation. The isolation, though, creates a sense of quiet and serenity that is conducive to gentle dining, especially on the exterior patio that feels nestled comfortably under the spreading boughs of nearby trees.

The interior of the restaurant is divided into several rooms, each of which is decorated in a way that is reminiscent of the whitewashed buildings and sunny shores of the Greek isles. Bouzouki music plays in the background, alternating between rhythmic and exciting to soft and melodic, adding to the Greek ambiance. Unfamiliar with bouzouki music? Think "Zorba The Greek" and the tinkling, mandolin-like twanging as he danced. I fell in love with the sounds during my several trips to Greece.

Dining at Café Athena reminds me of nights that I spent in tavernas in the Plaka, beneath the Acropolis in Athens, enjoying good food and wine, listening to music and wondering if Socrates once may have stood on that spot.

Greek food is reflective of the Mediterranean diet, which some practitioners claim to be heart friendly because of its olive oil and other ingredients that are healthful. Traditional recipes used at Café Athena have been further modified to reduce fat content while still keeping robust flavors. The cuisine at the restaurant has been highly rated by Zagat and local critics.

So, what is Greek cuisine? The traditions go back over 4,000 years. The first cookbook ever written was in Greek. The diet is formally based on "wheat, wine and olive oil." Fish was consumed more often than meat. When meat is eaten, it is often lamb, goat or chicken. Cheeses, particularly feta cheese, were popular. Potato, green beans, onion and honey are greatly used in preparations.

Filo dough is light, flaky and very tasty. It is used to wrap meats and veggies or even in desserts, such as honey-laden baklava, a blend of honey, cloves and cinnamon laced between layers of the dough. Bourekia consists of ground lamb meat and onions wrapped in filo. Spanakopita, a very popular dish, wraps spinach feta, onion and basil in filo.

Grape leaves are another traditional wrapping. Dolmathakia wraps ground beef, rice and herbs in this tasty treat. It comes with tzatziki sauce, a yogurt with cucumber and garlic.

The traditional Greek Salad offers cucumbers, tomato, onion, feta cheese and kalamata olives with crisp, cold lettuce. It is a wonderful appetizer or even a meal on its own.

Café Athena offers a good selection of meat and poulty entrees and vegetarian dishes for purists. Gyros, or meat roasted on a vertical spit, is served in warm pita bread. Kebabs -- meat, lamb or poultry chunks skewered with veggies and roasted -- come in a range of combinations. Shrimp, salmon and swordfish are offered on the seafood side. Riganato is a roasted half chicken that is just delightful.

For a marvelous taste delight, try the Moussaka, a casserole of layers of eggplant, zucchini and ground leg of lamb. It literally melts in your mouth.

The pita bread and filo dough are two ingredients that I really enjoy at Café Athena, whether as part of sandwiches, desserts or simply at tableside. The pita is always warm, soft and slightly doughy.

The owners of Café Athena also own another Greek restaurant in the UTC area.

There's lots of free parking, good security and lighting at Café Athena. The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner. It is located at 1846 Garnet Ave., at the corner of Lamont. Call 858-274-1140 for information and directions.

Try it and, chances are, you'll become a "regular."