Troya (Fillmore)

DATE NIGHT: August 17, 2012 @ 5 PM

Troya on Fillmore is the sister of the original Troya on Clement Street. Troya Fillmore took over the previous Citizen Cake  but did a good job of transforming it into a space that is classy, bright and airy.  The decor consists of red brick walls,  exposed pipes on high ceiling and naked bulbs for lighting. The understated decor was minimal but elegant.

At 5PM on a Saturday, the place was empty but as we were leaving at past 6 PM, the place started to get packed.

LENTIL SOUP WITH LEMON AND OLIVE OIL $6
One look a the menu and I knew this was what I wanted. Sure enough, it managed to fight my tastebuds numbed by the nasty cold  and I was able to taste the lovely spices. It was smooth, so flavorful and so comforting!

FLAT BREAD
I even tried to eat my soup with the complimentary herb flat bread. These flat breads were thin, crispy and I managed to taste the dill.  I ate just one since it was not worth wasting my carbs on something I could not fully taste but these delicious flatbread were much appreciated.

BOREK $7
 I got these as my main meal thinking it was one big piece of savory pie.  They turned out to be 3 little itty bitty phyllo dough pies stuffed with spinach, currants and pie nuts. They were good! I could have easily eaten a dozen of these little ones!

FETA CHEESE "CIGARS" W/ HONEY AND PISTACHIO $7
Aside from the soup, this turned out to be the dish that I enjoyed the most.  Enrique commented "eggrolls!" when they were placed at our table. Wrapped in phyllo dough and deep-fried, they did resemble eggrolls but what you will get in each cigar is  hot gooey melting cheese that you will dip in honey and ground nuts before taking a blte. Delicious savory sweet small dish!

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH MINT & YOGURT $7
I honestly thought it was just okay. They even tasted bitter to me  but it was not fair to judge this given I could barely taste or smell anything because of my cold.

EGGPLANT AND BEEF MOUSSAKA $16
A huge plate of traditional eggplant casserole with bechamel sauce. I had a little bite from Enrique's plate and it tasted good. He liked it as well but he complained that it was mostly eggplant and the ground beef was pretty skimpy.

TOTAL: $53 with 2  sodas and before tip

Troya in Fillmore is a  pleasant bright and spacious place to share Mediterranean tapas with your friends and loved ones.   Definitely order a bunch of little plates to have a full appreciation of Troya's cuisine.  I would not mind going back someday when my senses are all fully working to really enjoy the food next time. Troya is a also great as a pre-Sundance Kabuki movie dinner where we headed after our meal to see "Borne Legacy."