Grab-and-go gyro shacks overrun this city, but for truly great Greek cuisine, one must visit Plaka Estiatorio. “Friends and family gather here,” reads the sign inside the cute and cozy family-run restaurant, with exposed brick walls decorated with framed black-and-white family photos and each table set with fresh flowers. Plaka Estiatorio feeds its customers as if they were their own children, using produce from the Ballard farmers market and ingredients like cheese, olive oil, and sea salt imported directly from Greece. As a result, the dishes always taste authentic and fresh. The lamb is impossibly tender, the octopus savory, and the baklava—baked fresh each morning and containing a medley of five nuts—borders on life-changing. ERIKA HOBART 5407 20th Ave. N.W., 829-8934, plakaballard.com