Such divergent opinions on what Taxim is and what Taxim should be. But all I can say is that I've enjoyed my few meals at Taxim quite a bit and my meal there Sunday night was not only excellent, but also better than anything I've had in Greektown.

In any event, I loved the heirloom tomato salad - great tomatoes and cucumbers, very nice feta, and not overdressed. The prassópita (leeks, dill, lemon, goat feta and house-made phyllo) was also great, and the quality of the phyllo really shined. I also loved the lentils with fermented sheep's feta, first time I've ever tried that dish. Sauteed watercress and swiss chard with seared halloumi, lemon and olive oil was also great. To me, what really came through in all of these dishes were excellent ingredients. We also shared the octopus (would have liked a little more char on both the octopus and fennel, as well as some bigger pieces) and the duck gyros (which were very moist, rich and flavorful).

I like that none of the dishes seem over-thought or too complex - Taxim seems more comfortable highlighting their cooking skills and the quality of the ingredients. I don't know whether the dishes lean more Greek, Turkish or something else, but I like what they're doing (I'll be in Greece shortly and I'm looking forward to comparing my experiences).

My only real gripe with the meal was the pita, which is served merely soft and with no char. Service was great though and I especially appreciated our server's assistance with, and knowledge of, the wine list. Others may not be impressed, but I certainly am.

I went to Taxim for the first time this past Saturday for dinner with my aunt and I was rather disappointed. Our starter dishes were pretty good, we got the Sardines, which had a great refreshing lemon taste from the lemon zest, which was also served with baby spinach and green onion. My aunt was a little weary about ordering the sardines, but over all this was the best dish we had of the night. We also split the stuffed quince with ground lamb and fresh yogurt that was good, but nothing mind blowing.

For our actual meals, I got the lamb shank, which when came out, was a small dish of flavored orzo with 5 or 6 very small pieces of the most dried out lamb I have ever eaten in my life. It was terrible. I was expecting a nice size lamb shank to come out, not 5 or 6 1/2 inch chunks that tasted like they sat in the oven uncovered way past it's prime. This was very disappointing. My aunt got the duck gyro, which from reading LTH prior I knew what she was getting and tried to warn her. She actually really liked the dish, so that was a plus.

Nothing is worse, then going out to eat and having a terrible meal. I was so turned off, I didn't even order dessert or coffee, which I guess could of made me feel better.

The lamb offal on the menu right now is fantastic. Silky, fatty, with tangy yogurt to balance it out. Definitely hard to make appetizing, and we couldn't get enough of this.

What kind of offal? Sounds good.

Habibi wrote:What kind of offal? Sounds good.

Liver, kidney, caul fat. I love the taste of good lamb fat. It has a bad rep I think because it can get gamey, but it's not always so and if seasoned properly it's divine.

Any recent experiences?

We were there in May, I think, and found it as delicious as ever. I can't recall everything we tried, though I know the melitzanosalata and the prassopita were among the dishes.

It's been over a year since my last visit, but Taxsim is the kind of place I expect not to like, but always impresses.

Hellodali wrote:We were there in May, I think, and found it as delicious as ever. I can't recall everything we tried, though I know the melitzanosalata and the prassopita were among the dishes.

That's about the last time I was there too and I thought it was terrific, perhaps better than ever . . . can't remember a damn thing I ate though, but not sure if that's due to aging or alcohol.

We went for dinner a few nights ago and everything was delicious. My biggest complaint was that the portions were a bit small on some of the small plates (for the price). They have a nice selection of Greek wines and a few bottles are half off on Mondays. We started with a bottle of sparkling Moscofilero which I enjoyed.

The highlight for me was the wood-grilled octopus. This was some of the most perfectly cooked octopus I've had. Sliced pieces instead of huge chunks, with a nice char that doesn't overwhelm the dish. I wish the dish was about twice as big, though, especially for $17.