Review: The Grove Farmers Market & Bistro

This restaurant is no longer in business.

Saintseester, Terri, and I had lunch at The Grove Farmers Market & Bistro:  Greek Fare with a Flair  in southern Madison today.

The Grove is exactly what its extended name indicates:  a casual Greek restaurant, with fresh produce also for sale.  It’s just west of the railroad tracks on Madison Boulevard.  Went in hoping for good things, as a good gyro stop on Saturday without going into Huntsville would be a nice addition to our list of family options.

This is a counter service place, my dislike of which is now an ongoing joke with this group of friends as well as another.  However, I don’t consider that in my review.  It’s not reasonable to penalize a place for what it plainly is, so I don’t.  The ordering experience was efficient and the wait reasonable.  The farmers market side of the place is visually appealing, but the dining room is plain and could use a little more flair.

I ordered the classic gyro, because I wanted a direct comparison with the same thing at Papa Gyro’s (which I have called “the best sandwich in Huntsville” for some time).  I paired it with hot pepper hummus and an appealingly strong and flavorful unsweetened tea.  My bill was $12.

The gyro was served with the meat on top, the vegetables on the bottom, and the tzatziki on the side.  It smelled fantastic.  The cucumber, tomato, and onion were fresh (and sliced, not diced, which was the biggest departure from what I’m used to).  The meat was juicy enough to be moist without descending into excessive fattiness.  All of the flavors blended marvelously.  Saintseester, who ordered the same thing, appreciated the apply-as-you-go nature of the tzatziki on the side.  This is a fine sandwich, and I dare say fine enough to be the equal of what I’ve considered the area’s standard-bearer.  You can get an excellent gyro in Madison!

Terri reported that her souvlaki was tasty, as well.  We all shared the hummus, which was the only slight misstep of the outing.  It tasted fresh with a nice consistency, though it wasn’t spicy at all (an assessment shared by my companions who lack my ridiculously exaggerated tastes for such, by the way).  When something’s called “hot pepper hummus,” you expect a kick.

The worse offense was that it was packed to go, and served at refrigerator temperature.  This certainly detracted from whatever flavor subtleties the hummus had to offer, and its thermal dissonance with the gyro was notable.  I suggest that The Grove allow for two paths here:  the pick-up, and the eat-now.  Even a considered microwaving at partial heat would have saved it, and I’d have never been the wiser.

The farmers market side includes common fruits and vegetables, as well as a few more esoteric additions.  There is some locally-produced fruit wine available, as well as in-the-shell mixed nuts.  Local honey should please whole food aficionados, as well as allergy sufferers.  I could see myself getting steaks at Publix up the road, then stopping by here to complement them.  The butternut squashes were gorgeous.

The Grove is a fine addition to Madison’s offerings.  We enjoyed ourselves, and we’ll be back.  Opa!

8/10

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