the 941

El Greco
3 stars
1592 Main St., Sarasota, 365-2234 or elgrecocafe.com

I grew up in Sarasota, which allows me a unique perspective on long-term changes in the local dining scene. Along with that, however, come some out-of-date prejudices about some of the area’s most enduring restaurants. The popular spots of my youth are tinged with memories, defined by them, unless I’m given a reason to revisit them and take a fresh look at the food. Even then, my memories usually hold true —sticking to a formula that works is a good way to stick around.

If I was Proust, my summer of 1990 would be evoked by pepperoni stromboli instead of a dainty cookie. I worked with two of my friends at a downtown law office for a dime over minimum wage. We may not have taken the work seriously, but lunch hour was sacred. And, more often than not, we spent that hour at El Greco, in front of giant pockets of folded dough stuffed with cheese and meat, and plates of sticky baklava. For the better part of the past two decades, those experiences defined the downtown family Greek restaurant for me.

But then, earlier this year, El Greco revamped the exterior, added a covered sidewalk sitting area, slapped on some fresh paint, and added a tag to the marquee: “Mediterranean Cafe.” Huh. Maybe it was time to give the place a second (or, really, 100th) look with eyes that have changed since those pre-college days.

At first glance, the menu seems all-too familiar. The same Greek appetizers, simple fish dishes, roasted meats and braised lamb. And definitely the same pizza and stromboli. But then I realized that no matter how many times I’d eaten at the place back in the day, I’d never strayed beyond the teenage boy standards of dough, cheese and meat.

That’s a shame, because El Greco actually lives up to its new tag line.

Appetizers are often the end game for people who dabble with Greek food, thanks to the now-ubiquitous appearance of hummus and tzadziki, calamari and spanakopita on grocery store shelves and catering lines. Here, the spanakopita is green, enlivened with bright shrimp and a dash of vinegar, leaving the cheese to be a salty counterpoint instead of the star. Dips are competent across the board, especially the smoky eggplant and thick tzadziki. El Greco’s traditional thickened chicken soup called avgolemono is especially rich, with just enough heady lemon flavor.

Saganaki is never an incredible plate of food no matter where you order it, but at El Greco they have the presentation down pat. A waiter approaches with balanced plate in hand, immediately tosses on a shot of brandy, then lights it into a towering blue flame with the traditional call of “Opa!” Maybe I was just lucky, but the guy who did it for us really seemed to be enjoying himself, even when I saw him go through the same motions several times at other tables. Once the flames are out, you’re left with a crusty, gooey slab of melted cheese. I wish they could light it on fire again.

Standard stuff done well, but the real surprises were El Greco’s entrées. The vegetarian version of moussaka is wonderful, with layers of potato, eggplant and zucchini topped by a thick layer of pillowy bechamel, the slice of casserole given more texture than most thanks to the ideally cooked veggies. Roasted chicken is more a mixed bag, the skin crackling and profoundly seasoned, the meat overdone and dry.

Simply grilled fish is always a dilemma at Greek restaurants: They like their flesh cooked longer than most, and some take it to extremes. Here, the fish is firm but moist, dotted with characteristic dried herbs, and doused in a sauce enrichened by chicken stock and laced with lemon.

Best of the bunch, however, is El Greco’s lamb shank. The mighty braised joint is stained a deep brown and blanketed in depleted onions and peppers, the veggies having given their all for the flavorful braising liquid. The meat is tender and plentiful — and costs a mere $16.95.

And that’s the real surprise in my nostalgic return to El Greco. Back when I was a regular, my friends and I could easily spend half of our pay for that day on food and drink but we knew that El Greco wasn’t actually an expensive place. Now, the prices seem oddly familiar, as if the intervening 20 or so years have had little impact on the cost of a good meal at this family restaurant. Few items on the menu break $15 and none of the apps break $10, even the giant sampler platters.

And the stromboli is just as good as it used to be.

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