The stars of the show at Ambrosia are the Avogolemono (“egg lemon”) Soup, the Souvlaki [pictured, left), the Greek Salads and the Dolmades. The soup is creamy and bursting with lemon flavor and is the perfect starter for just about any entree. Ambrosia's Souvlaki overflows with marinated chicken kabob, charred slightly on the grill and topped with onions, lettuce, tomato and very good tzatziki sauce. The pita is warm and puffy, absorbing the combination of juices from the contents. Though I'm more familiar with the Middle-Eastern preparation of Stuffed Grape Leaves (Mehshi Warak Ineb), Ambrosia's Greek version, Dolmades [pictured, right], are a perfectly fine substitute, covered with the Avogolemono sauce. While you wait for your mains to arrive, nosh on their Spanokopita–shredded spinach and feta encased in lightly crisp and golden brown filo [pictured, lower left].
The Greek salads come in two varieties. The Greek Village salad is loaded with cucumber, tomato, pepperoncinis (a mild Greek/Italian pepper) and black olives. It is topped with chunks of mildly salty Feta and their house Greek dressing. The Greek salad is pretty much the same, but without the tomatoes and the cucumber. Another specialty there is the dark and savory Lamb Youvetsi (a shank, braised then baked with orzo pasta). Standard Greek staples like Pastitsio and Mousaka always seem to be fresh and are served in almost impossible-to-finish portions (note the use of the word “almost”). They also have an extensive Italian menu which people say is good, but I can't go there without going Greek. They say once you've gone Greek, you can never go back.
If you're in Rockville, up past old-town approaching Montgomery College, check out Ambrosia at 802 Hungerford Drive (that's what they call Rockville Pike up in that area). Check their hours at (301) 251-5816. Click here for a look at their entree menu. (L., D.) Price range: Moderate-.
