Cava Bar Photos by Andrew Lightman

At the Bartenders Ball many years ago, a Greek restaurant owner told me a joke which went like this: If you get two Greeks together, they will open a carryout. Three Greeks? A restaurant. Well, that’s what happened on Barracks Row this spring when a trio of savvy Grecian entrepreneurs unveiled Cava Mezze/Wine Bar at 527 Eighth St. SE. Barracks Row regulars hardly recognized the space, which used to house the popular sports bar, Marty’s. The spinoff of the equally successful Rockville parent, Cava is operated by Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos and Dimitri Moschovitis.

The idea for Cava was born three years ago in a Rockville Starbucks when the three men, longtime friends and sons of Greek immigrants, came up with the idea for a mezze restaurant.  After all, In Greece, people make entire meals on mezze (appetizers), so why not try that here?  Ted and Ike were veteran waiters, while Dimitri had honed his culinary skills in several Washington restaurants.

Upon learning that a bakery in a Rockville/Gaithersburg shopping mall was for sale, they pooled their resources and bought the flagging business. With help from their families, they completely gutted and renovated the building, which entailed smashing tiles, hauling trash, and building the bar and other furnishings. Rockville’s Cava opened in the fall of 2006, and proved so popular that the owners started looking around for a spinoff.

“We had heard good things about Barracks Row,” said co-owner Andreas Xenochristos. “That it was an up-and-coming neighborhood. A friend was scouting the area for us and found the Marty’s space. We liked the size; at 4,500 square feet it is two and a half times bigger than the Rockville original. We liked the upstairs and roof deck (now open for drinks, no food, Thursday through Saturday). We contacted John Boyle, who owns the building, and worked out a deal.”

Barracks Row’s Cava caught on almost immediately; the kitchen has been churning out about 150 meals daily, more on weekends. The sleek newcomer is especially popular for late night dining and partying. The crowd is young and hip; one evening we spotted a table of enthusiastic, black t-shirt clad members of the DC United fan club, and a friend found it intriguing to experience a martini bar ambience in a rather dark Greek restaurant.

How has Cava succeeded even in this bleak economy? “It’s our good service and how we handle things,” responded owner-chef Dimitri Moschovis. “We try to treat everyone the way we want to be treated.  If a dish doesn’t look right, we won’t send it out of the kitchen. The same with a drink. Moreover, people enjoy our small dishes; it’s a fun way to eat; everyone gets to share. As Greeks, we are big on sharing food; we have vegetarian dishes, salads, meats, enough choices for everyone to enjoy.”

Cava knows how to attract a crowd. At the April 27 grand opening (which coincided with the Taste of Barracks Row), employees handed out free lamb chops (a signature dish) and mojitos. Cava’s mojitos might be the best on the Hill, cold and tangy, not too sweet, real lime juice and mint. Other libations include 90 kinds of wines and oceans of beer including Mythos, a Hellenic import.

While many patrons prefer to schoomze at the bar, sit-down dining is equally enjoyable. Once settled at a hand-built table, diners are presented with a beautiful dish with indentations for three complimentary noshes: harisa  (a North African hot chili paste), olives and extra virgin olive oil, the later ready to be sopped up with warm pita bread.  Here’s another reason for its success: Cava pays attention to details. Food emerges from the kitchen artfully arranged on differently shaped white dishes.

Here’s a few items from the extensive menu:

• avgolemono soup, the Greek mainstay made with lemon, lots of chicken chunks and loads of vegetables;
• grilled baby octopus (our favorite), tender with char-grilled flavor like we’ve had in Greece. We’ve noticed that this eight-legged Mediterranean cephalopod is appearing on more and more menus these days. Cava’s comes from Euro Gourmet, and all their seafood arrives fresh daily from various vendors.
• Grilled lamb chops, and lamb sliders, Cava specialties, served with fries;

Chef Moschovis is liberal with cinnamon. A major Greek seasoning, this spice enlivens without overpowering braised chicken hilopites (noodles) and tomatoey meatballs.