There's something charming about having a restaurant's chef double as your server. At Gardens of Salonica, it means owner Anna Christoforides can easily direct diners to dishes like the lachanodolmades, a seasoned beef and cabbage dish liberally coated in avgolemono (a thick egg-and-lemon broth). How else would we know to swirl vinegar into the thick lentil soup without her suggestion? No encouragement is necessary when it comes to ordering the sunny restaurant's many dips for the stack of soft, warm pita bread. Indulging in the garlicky skordalia—a pureed blend of potatoes, lemon juice, and seasonings—is the surest way to guarantee no goodnight kiss from your date, but dare we say it's worth it? Especially when an order of the sticky, honey sweetness of the baklava will win back even the grumpiest of dining companions. Gardens of Salonica is also a great option when eating out with your vegetarian and vegan friends, as the menu clearly demarcates which entrées are friendly to those audiences.