Restaurant Review: DoDiYos

Say what you will about Birmingham, but one can not find finer restaurants in the Southeast than are located in Birmingham.

DoDiYos is in the SoHo Square of Homewood and is attached to familiar and successful names in the restaurant business around Birmingham: Connie Kanakis, George Sarris, Dean Robb. In fact, Mr. Kanakis was greeting guests when we were there.

My brother, visiting from Santa Fe, and good friends from Birmingham began the evening at the very cool curved 45-seat tapas bar with drinks - a delicious Cosmo for me and a Black and Blue Martini for my brother.  The bartender was both personable and attentive. The decor was both welcoming and interesting with authentic artifacts from the Mediterranean and fabrics in deep oranges, reds, and golds.

After a brief wait (they do not take reservations), we began our search of the menu. Our friends highly recommended the spanikopita; the serving size could easily be shared by two. The menu offered authentic Greek, Spanish, Italian, Moroccan, Turkish and Egyptian dishes. On the table, we were served bread with what appeared to be a spiced feta cheese spread, which was very good. Unique to the table was a miniature butter dish that contained salt and pepper so that you could pinch and sprinkle.

My brother, a vegetarian, ordered the spanikopita and a greek salad, which had large pieces of cucumber and tomato, onion slices, olives and dressing then topped with a large solid piece of feta sprinkled with spices. I ordered the Spaghetti a la Barcelona, an odd choice for me historically. This was angel hair pasta with shrimp, mussels, and scallops mixed with the most flavorful sauce I've ever tasted. I had one of those "mmmm" moments with every bite.

Dessert included baklava for my brother and a shared tiramisu for my friends and me. My friend is somewhat of a tiramisu connoisseur. She did not rate this as the best she had ever had, but my bite was still pretty darn tasty. The baklava was easily a two-servings portion.

The prices were reasonable, the food and atmosphere were delightful, and the company - well, let's just say that was the most fun I've had in a long, long time.

Of interest, the name DoDiYos honors the family of investor, George Sarris, all who come from Greece. "Do" is for his mother, Theodoroula (English translation - Dorothy); "Di" is a tribute to his father Konstadinos, whose friends called him Dinos; and, "Yos" is in memory of his late grandfather. Sarris also has children named Dorothy, Dinos, and Yorgos.

DoDiYos is at 1831 28th Ave. South in Homewood. The phone is 453-9300 and the Web site is http://www.dodiyos.com/. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. A separate menu is available at the tapas bar.  Valet parking available. Attire is business casual, but one can easily feel welcome in jeans or a tuxedo.

Attached to the restaurant is an authentic Mediterranean market with fresh-cut meats, dairy, produce, and spices. We did not browse the market while waiting but it is said to be like strolling through Florence or Istanbul.