Rustic Setting and Authentic Food Proves It's All Greek to Kefi

Last month, Michael Psilakis closed the lauded haute-Greek restaurant Onera and opened in its stead Kefi, named for the Greek expression for the blissful state of mind that follows eating and drinking well. This easygoing restaurant aiming to satisfy rather than challenge the palate (and purse) seems better suited to the Upper West Side than its more upscale predecessor.

The menu and surroundings have been accordingly rendered more rustic. There are certain standards that people expect from a Greek restaurant, such as Greek salad and breezy blue-and-white decor, with a grooved column or two thrown in for good measure. Kefi delivers on all counts.

The aforementioned salad, though, is not what you'd expect from your neighborhood Greek joint-this still ain't no joint. Shrewd attention to detail is apparent in the brilliant tangle of oregano-scattered crescents of cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, wisps of onion, neon hot peppers and crumbles of feta cheese, lightly bound in olive oil. The decor, likewise, does not go over the top in its riff on the Greek theme, but rather stays sophisticatedly restrained, with butcher-block tables, wicker chairs from Santorini, and soft waves of blue and white fabric billowing overhead. It has the look of the charming island taverna one might envision falling into in Greece but would be hard-pressed to actually find.

Water carafes perched on each table strike the appropriate family-style chord. However, the polite team of waiters was so eager to rush over and refill glasses that its presence at the tables became redundant. Although the restaurant's regular bread, a thinly-sliced, starchy baguette, was slightly stodgy, Greek bread is typically dreadful. In contrast, a selection of spreads-including lovely white taramasalata (cod roe spread) dotted with salmon roe, rich garlicky tzatziki, and sweet-and-mellow red pepper spread-was served with slightly charred wedges of excellent house-made pita.

Psilakis' generosity is apparent in more than just the reasonable prices (main courses range from $11.95 to $15.95). Many dishes seem designed to share in both their serving size and simple (though attractive) presentation. Even familiar-sounding dishes like moussaka and spanakopita (filo spinach pie) might surprise, as they are tweaked to taste authentic and look pleasingly homemade. The savory moussaka was presented as a cinnamon-tinged free-form casserole rather than a layered brick, and the creamy spinach mixture of the spanikopita was not restricted to a boring triangle shape, but rather nestled in an open-faced round filo nest. An immense braised lamb shank was meltingly tender and served with silkily sauced orzo.

The restaurant, only about a third full at 8 p.m. on a recent blustery Monday night, had emptied out completely by 9:30 p.m. Cue freshly-brewed coffee, served with a charming glass pitcher of milk, and dessert. The bottomless cup of coffee seemed a necessary antidote to well-proportioned yet very sweet desserts. Particularly good was a dense walnut cake, moistened with rose water and served with a scoop of walnut-studded gelato courtesy of Il Laboratorio del Gelato. What Edgar Allan Poe wrote in "To Helen" is certainly applicable to Kefi as well: "Thy Naiad airs have brought me home / To the glory that was Greece."