Opa!

Although I really enjoy the food at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant, at the Chandler Fashion Square* mall, I hadn't been there in a long time -- so long, in fact, that I can't remember the last time I was there, before today.

A good friend's birthday was yesterday. I usually take her out for lunch. This year I asked if she'd like to try Greek. She agreed, with one caveat: she had received some money for her birthday and wanted to use that. My gift would be my company and knowledge of the food.

There are several local chains of Greek restaurants that I enjoy, however, and when I picked her up I still hadn't decided where to eat.

I chose MBFGR in Chandler -- in spite of the holiday traffic at the mall -- because they have the best avgolemono soup. I suggested that we start with that, then order a variety of appetizers. She agreed, and we began.

Oh. My.

Although my friend had misgivings about lemon soup, she tried it. (That was the only dish I really pushed.) I could tell from the look on her face after the first bite that she was glad she did.

The soup was served in a fairly standard sized cup, which gave no hint of what was in store for us. We had each ordered an appetizer to eat individually, due to differing tastes, then four additional appetizers to share. The birthday money gave us the freedom to explore.

Everything was outstanding. Simply amazing. She wasn't wow-ed by the dolmades, but I was. I've never had them in lemon sauce before. I knew I could indulge in only a small amount of tzatziki, but she loved it. We both really enjoyed the spanakopita, which is what I usually order.

By the time the server brought the bruschetta we were each comfortably full and the table was completely covered with dishes waiting to be boxed. We had to at least try it, however, to determine who got the leftovers. It, too, was wonderful. I've eaten bruschetta at two other restaurant chains. Each of the three is very different, but I enjoy them all.

We each brought home enough leftovers for at least two more meals.

Throughout the meal and on the drive home my friend could not stop talking about how much she enjoyed the food. That was her gift to me.

We talked, we laughed, we ate, we explored. It was a good day.

Note: while locating the hyperlink I read the reviews, and have to agree: the service at this chain is very uneven, ranging from outstanding to appalling. Today's was mixed, friendly but slow and forgetful. It took 15 minutes to get napkins and flatware.

* Yes, the location matters. I've eaten the soup at four different locations of MBFGR; the food is clearly superior at the Chandler Fashion Square location.