Cava Rockville

We've been trying to get to this Greek Mezze (small plate) restaurant for quite some time and finally made it out there on Saturday night. Before I go further, I will say that it certainly did not disappoint. I highly recommend this place, especially for larger groups as you can order even more dishes to share across the table. Everything we had was fabulous and cooked to perfection.

We've heard tales of how crowded Cava can be so we thought that we could get there at 6:30 and be okay. Who eats at 6:30 on Saturday night, anyway? Apparently, all of Rockville. There was a 40 minute wait when we got there around 10 after six but we managed to find a seat at the bar to have a glass of wine while we waited for our table.

The biggest downside of Cava is the ratio of restaurant size to the number of people who are obsessed with it. It's nestled in a strip mall off Shady Grove Road with a tiny entrance area, long bar with tables for two along the side, and a more open dining room in the back. Tables are squished together quite close in the dining room so that you have to squeeze sideways past diners to get to yours (and if you're me, you probably had your ass hovering over someone's souvlaki). The closeness ended up being not so bad, as we had a few laughs with the table next to us. Good booze and great food breeds jovial patrons.

The food. We ordered a lot of it, and there was not one thing that we didn't like. Every table gets a basket of warm pita with three dipping sauces. Two were variations of olive oil and the third was a divinely spicy pepper number. The most impressive-looking food was the Saganaki, which is a Greek cheese that the server flambèes tableside. The heat of the flame hits you from 10 feet away and it seems like everyone orders it, so you are treated to the fire show multiple times during your meal. Awesome. To avoid getting too verbose, I'll list the rest of the things we ordered and you can assume that they are worth ordering for yourself: #1 dips platter (with a salmon roe puree, yum!), spanakopita, zucchini fritters, Cava mac and cheese (don't be fooled by the simple name; it's made with papardelle pasta, arugula, and feta cheese), chicken souvlaki, spicy lamb sliders, mini chicken gyros, stuffed shrimp, braised beef (with a hint of cinnamon), and grilled octopus.

The service was stellar; even though the tables were packed to the limit, we always felt like there was someone nearby to fill up our water, wine, or pita bread.

As long as you are willing to wait during peak hours (I haven't been on a weeknight but assume they are less crowded), this restaurant is an absolute must. Keep in mind that they don't take reservations.