There are as many ways to make a meal at Plaka Estiatorio as there are Greek gods. There are entrees, such as the rack of lamb with lemon potatoes, with portions large enough to slake even the most Herculean appetite, and sampler platters heaped as high as Mt. Olympus with mouthwatering meat and seafood. But for those seeking a truly transcendent Mediterranean experience, mezedes, or small plates, are the preferred method of feasting. Start with an order of pita bread and a trio of dips (don’t miss the roasted-eggplant puree with tomatoes and onions) while perusing the menu. Then move on to grilled lamb cutlets with quince glaze, grilled prawns, braised octopus, and perhaps a side order of those divine lemon potatoes. Finish with a chunky salad of tomatoes, cucumbers, figs, capers, olives, roasted red peppers, feta, and thinly sliced onions, and wash it all down with a glass of wine from the restaurant’s cellar, stocked so meticulously it would make Dionysus blush. The quality of the food here, unlike all those ancient Greek deities, is not a myth. KEEGAN HAMILTON 5407 20th Ave. N.W., 829-8934, plakaballard.com