Greek cuisine and music comes to Battle Ground Village

Authentic Greek food and culture has a new home in Battle Ground Village at George’s Molon Lave restaurant. After 14 years in downtown Vancouver, the new restaurant opened its doors in June of this year.

When he began searching for a new location for his restaurant, proprietor George Vlachos had an employee who told him she had found a space for him in Battle Ground. Upon seeing the bright corner spot with a large patio for outdoor dining, he knew that was it.

He already had a lot of customers from Battle Ground, said Vlachos. The location would allow him to continue serving those customers … and get new ones.

Vlachos has created a menu featuring the foods his mother prepared when he was a child in Greece, with a few tweaks, he said.

For example, in the classic layered casserole Moussaka, the base of potatoes and eggplant is traditionally fried before being topped by a meat sauce high in fat. Vlachos roasts the vegetables and uses only lean beef, to create a light, lower-fat version of the favorite. With the addition of zucchini, 3 cheeses, and Besamela sauce, the dish has all the savory goodness of the original.

Another specialty at George’s Molon Lave is Pastitsio, sometimes termed Greek lasagna. Imported, Greek Misko noodles are layered with a rich meat sauce and cheese and baked.

Tangy Dolmathes is grape leaves stuffed with beef, rice and herbs, and topped with Avgolemono, a lemon-infused cream sauce.

The lamb shank “will melt in your mouth,” said Vlados. “You don’t even need a knife to cut it.” It is cooked in the oven for 4 hours, then simmered with sauces and herbs.

Saganaki is a flaming Greek Kefalotiri cheese dish served table-side. “What a show!” says the menu.

Shrimp George is truly one-of-a-kind. “One day I was home and I was bored so I made it, and I liked it,” said Vlachos. It was good enough to garner a spot on the restaurant’s menu.

In addition, Greek classics like gyros and hummus share the menu with American staples like hamburgers and salads.

“Everything is made from scratch,” said Vlachos. His 19-year-old son, Stefan Yorgos, is his partner in the kitchen, and together they serve customers both Greek food and hospitality.

A rotisserie on the patio slow roasts an entire lamb, which is served only occasionally. The lamb is seasoned two days in advance, and then must cook over the mesquite-fired rotisserie for 10 hours.

The next date for rotisserie lamb will be September 17. Vlachos’ announcement reads “Come join us on Saturday September 17th as we bar-b-q a whole lamb & teach Greek dancing. We may even break a plate or two, music @ 6:30pm~~ See you there, OPA!”

Breaking plates and glasses on festive occasions is a Greek tradition, one which sometimes expanded to breaking chairs and tables as well in enthusiastic celebration, said Vlachos. Many Greek tavernas now offer carnations for their patrons to throw instead. At George’s Molon Lave, Vlachos will provide plates designed for the occasion.

And there will be dancing too, to the music of the bouzouki. Greek dancing is a simple line dance, said Vlachos, one that is easy to learn and fun to join in.

Vlachos was a musician and dancer long before he was a restauranteur, and as part of a duo he plays the bouzouki, a stringed instrument similar to the mandolin, at the restaurant on most Friday and Saturday nights.

The restaurant serves northwestern beer and wine, and select Greek wines by the glass or bottle.

George’s Molon Lave is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday, but available for private parties of 10 or more. Vlachos performs live Greek music every Friday and Saturday night, except the first Friday of each month.

For more information about the restaurant, visit www.georgesmolonlave.com or call (360) 687-7770. Their facebook page is titled George’s Molon Lave.