Full disclosure: I am a crotchety old man whose complete physical, mental, and emotional transformation into Larry David ^[1] is nearly complete.

The last place I want to dine outside is at a restaurant on Broadway. While on foot it’s easy to quickly bypass the panhandlers, crackheads, and Hot Topic-bedazzled hipster teens, when you are sitting down, shoe-horned into a sidewalk table, you are trapped with no way out. Not so charming an experience. Which is why I flee to the other side of the hill to Vios ^[2] on 19th.

The Greek/Mediterranean fare is very fresh and flavorful, and Vios gets extra points for using excellent bread to make my eggplant sandwich with grilled haloumi (a cheese that’s kind of like a tangy mozzarella) and sweet pepper relish. My dining companion had the meze plate will a grilled chicken skewer and we split a Greek salad (pictured).
^[3]

The only trade-off is that this place is a stroller magnet and you might be overrun by screeching children at any moment. But then again, what else should you expect at a restaurant with a playpen inside?

So if you were eating lunch outside what would disturb you more: panhandling addicts and preening hipsters or bawling babies and adults speaking in affected, baby-talk voices to said rug rats?

Vios Cafe and Marketplace
903 19th Avenue East
(206) 329-3236
http://www.vioscafe.com