I ate a meal at Santorini Grill to see what these dishes are actually worth. And I was pleasantly surprised. But would the “pay what you wish” plan leave me money for dessert, or make me feel like I was paying too much?
Starter
The Pikilia greek spread platter comes with four traditional spreads: A hummus of sun-dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers, which was tasty, if not unremarkable; melitzanosalata, a smoky eggplant spread with a serious garlic kick; a strikingly flavorful tzatziki that is the best I’ve had in a long time; and taramosalata, a caviar-lemon spread blended with olive oil and potatoes.
The platter comes with eight hefty squares of pita bread and, after devouring a third of it, I was surprisingly stuffed. But then, I ate the rest of the tzatziki because yeah, it’s that good.
Price: $8
What I’d pay: $8–$10.
Why:
Main course
Organic chicken souvlaki
The dish consists of an enormous platter with giant chunks of grilled chicken, triangles of pita bread, a pile of thin strips of lettuce drizzled with lemon, garlic and olive oil, another pile of seasoned rice with diced carrots and pease intermixed, a few sliced tomatoes and — to my delight — more tzatziki. The chicked was perfectly done: slightly charred on the outside, hot and juicy on the inside, and the garlicky olive oil blended perfectly with the rice (which is, admittedly, the dish’s weakest link — the flavor is curried and smoky, but it’s a touch too salty).
Price: $18
What I’d pay: $14.
Why: It’s a delicious meal, but at the end of the day, it’s just chicken and rice. If I was splitting it, though, I’d probably be willing to pay $9, bringing the total up to the restaurant’s list price.
*Don’t forget to tip your waiters and waitresses — that’s a non-negotiable!
Reach Arts Editor Juliet Linderman at [email protected] or by calling (718) 260-8309.
