There’s diversity abounds in the plaza where Philoxenia Greek Cuisine sits, and with so many restaurants packed together, parking gets chaotic fast. For those in the know, after entering the plaza, don’t turn right into the main lot. Continue straight around the side of the building. You’ll find a ramp that leads to a second level with more parking.

Inside, the restaurant exudes a clean Mediterranean calmness that instantly transports you out of Toronto’s winter and into what feels like indoor al fresco dining. It’s the kind of space that encourages ordering a half litre of wine (their house versions are only $27) and easing into the evening.

A basket of warm, crusty bread starts the meal, with our server snipping dried oregano right into the olive oil - a fragrant, rustic touch. A thick, zesty red pepper hummus also arrives for those who prefer a spread over a dip.

Philoxenia offers calamari ($30.95) grilled or fried. The appetizer consists of two sizeable portions of squid with a rather tasteless “house sauce” (a seafood sauce and mayo concoction?) on the side. The calamari itself was fresh, though I wish the thicker end had been cooked slightly longer, since it bordered on gelatinous. Skip the house sauce and pair it with the roasted pepper hummus instead; it works surprisingly well.

The lamb chops ($59.95) are the star: four beautifully grilled chops served with a thick smear of tzatziki, soft lemony potatoes, and simply sautéed vegetables (broccoli and green beans). For me, it’s these minimally fussed-over dishes that makes for quintessential Greek dining.

We added the grilled vegetables ($27.95) on the side, though there really wasn’t a lot of vegetables.  Think two thin slices of zucchini and eggplant, a single roasted carrot’s worth, and a couple rings of grilled onion. What is there is delicious - drizzled with balsamic and sprinkled with feta - but for a dish centered around vegetables, I expected more. For vegetarians, a mound of rice and lemon potatoes help round it out into a decent main.

One thing I genuinely appreciated about Philoxenia is they don’t try to rush you. It’s a restaurant that lets you linger, offering a leisurely meal in a quiet, spacious dining room with plenty of breathing room between tables… something that’s increasingly rare in Toronto’s newer, sardine-can-style restaurants. Philoxenia nails that cozy, unhurried Greek dining experience that makes you want to stay a little longer and sip a little more wine.

Me Va Me locations have been popping up around the city as quickly as it takes to say their cheerful sounding name. Serving an Israeli Middle Eastern menu, their most famous item is the laffa a thin chewy bread that’s a cross between a tortilla and freshly made pita. Restaurants are equipped with a taboon clay oven so that these can be made fresh and on location.

The falafel laffa ($11.95) wrapped up several airy chickpea fritters, which arrived warm with delivery and would have been amazing if eaten fresh and hot. They go nicely against the cooler sauces that I incorporated plenty of for maximum flavour - hummus, tzatziki, tahini, and hot sauce! With all the condiments, there was a chance the wrap would arrive soggy. Yet, lettuce helped form a layer between the bread and the other ingredients and added a nice crunch to the wrap.

After enjoying all the great flavours in the laffa, the lacklustre chicken shawarma plate ($17.75) was a let down. It comes with a sizeable portion of slightly dry chicken, tons of grilled vegetables, and a dense cold dry pita … but then only one measly tahini sauce to flavour everything.

Having had my fair share of shawarma plates, most places provide at least two condiments - tahini and garlic sauce - and many even have extra sides like pickles, beets, and tabbouleh. Instead, Me Va Me serves theirs with a huge side salad, which while great value isn’t the tastiest. I’d much rather they eliminate the salad and provide things that would enhance the overall plate instead.

We did order a couple of their dips, but they didn’t impress and reminded me of the prepared ones found in supermarkets. The fried eggplant ($3.95) started off nicely with big chunks of smoky eggplant, but the ketchup-like sauce they incorporated into the dip made everything way too sweet. Meanwhile, the babaganoush ($3.95) had so much mayonnaise added that it would be better classified as eggplant aioli. This is definitely not something you’d want to just eat a spoonful of plain.

Their laffas are by far the star of the menu. In the end, Me Va Me wasn’t a complete bust, but is a one hit wonder.