Let’s start with home-baked spanakopita. This uniquely Greek treat — also known as Greek Spinach Pie — is reason enough to seek out Meraki Manor in Birdsboro, housed in the newly redecorated and lovingly renovated old Naomi Hotel, which dates back to 1802, on the banks of the Schuylkill. That oh-so-fresh, made-same-day spanakopita arrives on a bed of crisp greens; fresh dill, feta, scallions, spinach and egg are folded and baked in phyllo dough. The generous portion is so delicate that it feels as if all the ingredients are floating inside the flaky shell, gravity never even giving a chance to have them settle to the bottom. Hands down, this is the best spanakopita you’ll find west of the Acropolis.
Crissy Ceranowski, whose family is front and center in this restaurant venture, explains that the word “meraki” explains their entire focus. “Meraki,” she says, “means you put your whole heart and soul into what you do!” Her own heritage harks back to the lovely island of Paros.
Heart and soul are found in another amazing appetizer capturing diners’ hearts, whimsically dubbed “Bru-Feta.” This is a cheery moniker for bruschetta topped with tomatoes and feta cheese and dusted with a magical blend of spices and herbs — deliciously elegant with a glass of wine or a classic martini.
While Greek treats obviously occupy significant places on the menu in this classy-casual dining destination, an assortment of well-curated options shine forth to satisfy a variety of tastes. Consider Rochelle Scallops, a mouthwatering presentation of fat, juicy scallops wrapped in thick bacon lined up on a skewer, with a marvelous white wine mustard sauce on the side that marries beautifully — and lends a kick — to the seafood/salt combo. Equally enticing: the Crab Teasers, luscious mini-crabcakes from the Chesapeake Bay.
The Mediterranean Chicken Salad is so generous, it’s really a meal in itself. Here too, the presentation stuns with its pinwheel effect, as sections of tomatoes and crumbled feta and roasted red peppers fan out from the chicken tenders sitting at the center, where wings of spring mix, sliced cucumber, kalamata olives and spicy peppers provide an outer circle. Chicken tenders at the center are topped with a light and subtle cheese sauce, plus gently blanched spinach. Served on the side is a homemade balsamic reduction dressing, thickened and luscious, not quite pouring but easily drizzled slowly where one wanted it to go. Taken all together, the effect is a salad that’s warm and salty, fresh and healthy, texturally satisfying and so tasty, you just can’t get enough.
Warmed Conshohocken Bakery bread complements this salad, as it does with soups such as a classic savory French Onion and homemade Seafood Chowder.
Salmon of Cyprus with Capers; Juicy Beef Tenderloin Tips
Regular patrons at Meraki Manor covet such surf-to-turf favorites as Flounder Santorini, broiled and topped with jumbo shrimp and sea scallops, while showing equal love for perfectly prepared Filet Mignon with oven potatoes (listed as 10 ounces but normally running up to 14 ounces). You simply cannot go wrong with either of these choices.
But then there’s the salmon! Salmon of Cyprus, that is, possessing an intense broiled flavor on the outside, blessed by a moist mingling of lemon, capers, onions and dill, laden with a gorgeous yellow, herby sauce with finishing hints of white wine. Familiar yet different, this rendering of salmon wakes up a lot of taste buds. It’s paired with oven-roasted potatoes and slender, herbed green beans for a full-circle plate nutritionally. This creation definitely carries a big Olympic torch in the capers-’n-salmon world.
For those who truly enjoy the most tender of Beef Tenderloin Tips, this rich dish is a take on stroganoff, served over sumptuous, al dente linguini, where the beef melts in one’s mouth. Firm and flavorful mushrooms join with shallots and onions, delivering a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Traditional Baklava or Sweet Apple Pie a la Mode?
If you’ve taken your time — dining slowly, course by course, enjoying a meal with your partner, loved ones, or friends — you’ll be more than ready to move on eventually to coffee and Apple Pie. It’s sinfully warm and served with rich vanilla ice cream veined with caramel stripes; the apples are sentimental old friends, ever-welcome, sweet and tart.
What a joy, though, to also dig into the homemade Baklava, a standard in Greek dessert menus, oozing with syrup and nutty notes. Alpha to omega, this pastry lends a fantastic ending to a most engaging meal.
As you leave, you’ll promise yourself to come back soon, to settle into one of four different eating areas, sensing the years of history in wooden beams above, watching the hypnotizing, steady flow of the river off the outdoor deck area. The Ceranowskis have created a warm-yet-invigorating haven for Berks Countians to kick back comfortably, to wine, to dine and to remember.
