With a hankering for Greek food, my roommate and I went to the Blue Moon on 7th and Main to indulge in gyros. We sat on the patio on a nice, warm day, sipping microbrews. Blue Moon offers a whole list of microbrews on tap, including Dirty Hippie from Palisade, Fat Tire from Ft. Collins and Colorado Native and Blue Moon from Golden, to name a few.
As we looked over the menu, my roommate and I decided to get an appetizer. Very few places in town sell my favorite Greek appetizer, so when I saw saganaki on the menu, we had to give it a try. The best part about saganaki is the exciting presentation. Also known as “flaming cheese,” saganaki is Greek cheese that is typically brought to your table on a sizzling skillet. It is then doused in Brandy, lit on fire, and extinguished with a lemon wedge while the server yells “opa.”
Our saganaki was not what we expected: no skillet to keep it hot, no brandy, no lemon wedge. . . just a plate of greasy cheese that was obviously not fried for very long. My roommate and I were very disappointed. We were really hoping for the Greek experience. Besides, who doesn’t like fire?
We asked our server why they didn’t light it for us. She said that the fire would have gone out on the way out to the patio. That didn’t make sense to us, because they aren’t supposed to light it until it is at your table, after they pour brandy on it and ignite it. What I didn’t tell our server was that I work at a restaurant that features traditional saganaki and I serve it on a daily basis. I am very familiar with the fact that it wouldn’t just “go out” by walking outside. Where I work, the only reason a saganaki wouldn’t light is if it sits in the kitchen window for too long and starts to cool off, in which case we would provide the customer with a new order. I suspect this may have been the case. As a connoisseur of Greek food, it was a huge letdown.
After eating a few bites of melted cheese, my roommate and I ordered the gyros. Our gyros arrived soon after and thankfully satisfied my Greek food craving! The thinly sliced lamb meat was cooked to perfection just how I like it: crispy and perfectly seasoned. The tzatziki sauce was delicious. As someone who loves their greens, I asked for a side of vegetables to add to make the perfect gyro.
Although the saganaki experience got us off to a rough start, I must say that the gyros were delicious and the Dirty Hippie was refreshing on such a warm day. The atmosphere of the patio was lively and fun.
People-watching the Main Street crowd was, as always, entertaining. While I would recommend the Blue Moon to anybody willing to buy a moderate-priced meal, I would discourage the saganaki, especially if you’re sitting on the patio.