Review of Broken Plate restaurant (Kensington, Calgary)

Located in Kensington's quaint and reminiscently European section, Broken Plate is a Greek restaurant offering the whole Greek dining experience, from the literally flaming hors-d'oeuvres to the ritualistic smashing of plates accompanied by that one Greek expression we all know: "Opa!"

I dined here at the beginning of September, 2009, with a group of people I had met volunteering over the summer, at the recommendation of one of our coordinators. The restaurant offers a spacious dining room with simple yet tasteful decor - nothing to detract from the dining experience. The menu itself is quite extensive, ranging from pita and dip appetizers to seafood-based dishes.

Our table ordered the feta bruschetta, the dip sampler, the Alexander sword (lamb skewer), the flaming cheese (Saganaki) and the Greek meatballs (Keftedes). Even from the limited array of foods we ordered, there was not one dish we did not enjoy.

The bruschetta was fresh and herbed tastefully, served with warm pita. The dip sampler, featuring 4 different dips including tzatziki and hummus (also served with pita), allowed for a delicate and never overpowering range of delightful flavors for the palate. The lamb skewer, served over spinach rice with a side of vegetables and baby potatoes, was done medium (as per request of the table) and proved to be tender and juicy, and was complemented wonderfully by its spices. The flaming Kefalotiri cheese (covered in brandy and then lit on fire to a rousing cry of "Opa!") had a deliciously stronger flavor (not unlike Gorgonzola cheese) and a soft, half-melted texture that will make any cheese connoisseur pine for more. The meatballs were my especial favorite, as they tasted nothing like ordinary meatballs - the accent of cheese and garlic and herbs transformed this otherwise ordinary dish into an extraordinary experience.

To sum it up, I enjoyed every bit of that evening, from the occasional sound of breaking plates to the delightful spread of food on the table. Broken Plate is a definite on my list of restaurants to visit again in the future, although perhaps I will save it for special occasions, because while not ridiculously expensive, a full meal with a drink will certainly be quite pricy, especially for my fellow university students on limited budgets.

Website: http://www.brokenplate.ca/
Location: 302 10th St NW (Kensington)