From the moment you step in, the scent of sesame seeds tickles your nose, as thick loaves of sesame bread are placed on your table. Fragrant blasts of roasting lamb flirt with your palate, as the kitchen whips up authentic dishes that only a chef with 40 years of cooking strictly Greek cuisine could master. You can't help but inhale the deep aromas wafting about the restaurant; the perfumy blast from a glass of Grecian monk-made wine (Agioritikos, $32 per bottle), the trace of earthiness from a plate of sauteed dandelion greens, or the mouth-watering whiff of meat braising in the kitchen.

Greeting all customers like old friends, lovely proprietors Spyros and Sofia Papageorge make everyone feel like they're part of the family. And though the vast menu by Athens-born chef Frank Savakis offers loads of traditional Greek seafood, pork and chicken fare, it's the incredible lamb entrees that draws the crowds back. Arni kokkinisto, a lamb dish so tender it falls off the bone, is one of the many lamb specialties; the daily specials rotate, showcasing dishes like Arni Aginarato, lamb slowly braised with artichokes.

Albeit, the menu contains many common Greek side dishes like fasolia gigantes (lima beans in a hearty tomato sauce) and desserts like galaktobouriko (a thick custardy dessert doused in honey syrup), but somehow everything served here tastes just a bit more genuine than what most Greek restaurants put forth. The mixed crowd in the upstairs restaurant blends in nicely with the downstairs bar, which houses a younger set as the evening wears on.

Average cost: $21-$30

Centerstage Reviewer: Misty Tosh