Trattoria Athena: A Semi-Biased Review

Disclaimer: I am friends with Timothy O'Brien, one of Trattoria Athena's co-owners, making this review immediately biased. I'm also obsessively critical, routinely play the role of devil's advocate for fun and have presented the following details in the exact same way I shared with both owners. If you disagree after a visit, I'll gladly teach you how to start your own blog, make friends with restaurant owners and write essays that your parents and loved ones will act like they read so they don't have to hear about it to no end.

Overview: A-
A short 25 minutes from Portland, ME, Trattoria Athena (25 Mill St, Brunswick, ME) serves a reasonably priced mix of Italian and Greek fare. The homey atmosphere is the perfect location for a celebratory dinner or date night.

Atmosphere: A-
Trattoria Athena's dining area is large enough to hold a private conversation, yet small enough for the servers to be attentive and non-intrusive. Barn door table tops, mason jar drinking glasses and comfortably eclectic wall hangings round out an environment that channels an upscale Downeastern feel.

Appetizers: B+
If available, order the Fiori di Zucca Ripieni (lightly fried zucchini blossoms with ricotta and mozzarella - 4 for $10). The ricotta and mozzarella combination is perfectly heated - hot enough to be tender, but not so hot as to be runny. The zucchini blossom makes for an excellent departure from the typically heavy casings of cheese based appetizers.

The bread in the Greek & Italian oil service ($2.50, one Greek oil, one Italian oil) was well worth ordering the on its own. The oils were interesting and worth a try, but I won't object to the rumored plans to rotate through a variety of oils.

Wine: B+
Wine is my biggest weakness in my well honed gluttony, but the wine list is exactly what I desire in a casual, intimate eatery - with options ranging from affordable to nice, yet not obscene. The house red was unoffensive and went down smooth. While the list may occasionally change, I had choices of reds and whites from both Greece and Italy. A glass of the house was a reasonable $4.50, while a bottle of the finest was a justifiable $70.

To add to the atmosphere, wine is served in stemless glasses that tend to make a standard pour look somewhat lacking. Rest assured that this is just an interesting illusion and 2 glasses are plenty to leave most diners in a sufficiently relaxed mood.

Entrees: A
Due to repeated poor experiences, I make it a point to avoid ravioli at all costs. Luckily my date was not so picky and took a chance with one of the specials - goat stuffed ravioli. The kitchen was able to avoid the common mistake of overcooked pasta and under flavored filling hidden in a heavy sauce. Instead, the goat was flavored to be uncommon but tasty and was well complimented by a light sauce. In a land where most restaurant ravioli is comparable to a 4 year old's canned lunch, this handmade pasta is well worth a try.

The Involtino di Pollo (or Chicken "roll" as the menu helpfully guides) is a great combination of breast stuffed with a variety of flavors including feta and sundried tomatoes. The fregula (similar to orzo or couscous in shape) that it was served on was slightly under seasoned but easily fixed with a touch of salt. I would gladly order both entrees again on repeat visits.

Desserts: A+
If the entrees were a concert, the desserts would easily play the first, second and third encores due to popular demand. The dessert raviolis were perfectly fried, filled with a tasty blueberry/sauce combination and topped with more handpicked blueberries. To tie the warm dessert together, a scoop of Greek homemade mint ice cream topped the combination.

As good as the dessert raviolis were, the baklava served with an individual scoop of Greek homemade coffee ice cream was unequaled. One of the co-owners, Marc, was able to avoid the common mistakes of making the baklava too dry or serving it with honey that was too sweet. Instead they were a perfect compliment to one another. Again, the ice cream was able to bring the dish together and make for a delicious treat to end the meal.

Total Price: B
Approximately $70 before tipping the friendly and helpful server. While this isn't a nightly meal, $70 for 3 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts all of a quality rarely found north of Boston's North End was more than justifiable. A basic meal for two could easily cost $40 or less.