Greens Lip's Cafe

Gabriel S. Grigorescu is cooking towards the "American Dream," and he's doing it his way. This gregarious former Eastern blocker shocked many local chefs over a year ago when he decided to open a tiny bistro in a Green Valley strip mall. Gabriel held a coveted position as chef of one of our best gourmet restaurants--the Rio's Fiore. Would his sophisticated and European inspired cuisine find a niche in an area known more for chain dining than artfully created dishes?

The answer can be found everyday at Green Lips, where a seat at lunch can be as hard to come by as snow in our dessert. We arrived well past 1 o'clock, but had to wait several minutes for a group to depart. The place only has about 10 tables and a few seats along the bar. Total seating must be in the mid-thirties. The walls at Green Lips are tastefully decorated with colorful artwork. Several large plants nicely separate some of the tables, although they're not real and feel incongruous with the fresh and delightful meals to come.

Two servers scurry about the room trying to balance the demands of having to wait, bus and cash their customers out. The crowd is a mix of older woman enjoying a leisurely afternoon gab fest and several tables of young professionals. As we puruse the menu, we're served a thinly sliced loaf of focacia bread. It's lightly dusted with salt and has a nice olive oil smell and taste. It's the perfect starter and accompaniment to my upcoming soup. I order the Green Lips' special lunch entree of stuffed cabbage ($7.90), with a bowl of fresh minestrone soup and a side order of mussels ($4.00). The mussels are from New Zealand and are actually called "green lips." If you're going to name your eatery after a dish that's never been that popular in this country, you better do it right, and Chef Gabriel is--my half-dozen came in a colorful bowl and were sautéed in a delicious sauce of white wine and garlic. The creamy-tan meat of mussels is tougher than that of either the oyster or clam but it has an outstanding, slightly sweet flavor. You can also get these wonderful mussels as appetizers, either sautéed, poached in a sake sauce($6.95), or  braised in a black bean sauce ($6.95).

The minestrone soup came piping hot and I had to let it cool. It contained plenty of vegetables and beans, and came liberally topped with Parmesan cheese. I found it so hearty and filling that I stopped half way through so that I could finish my main dish. The stuffed cabbage arrived shortly thereafter - three large pieces of cabbage, filled with rice and meat (not pork). I had sampled this traditional dish while dating a girl in college whose parents were refugees from Hungary. I found the Green Lips' version it as good as my memories and I would urge all to sample a dish so delightful, yet so uncommon in our town. And as Chef Gabriel always seems to do, he added to this simple peasant plate a beautiful side of grilled vegetables and polenta. Polenta is a cornmeal staple of Northern Italy and obviously a dish the chef made lots of while at the Rio. I found it as good as any I've ever had.

My friend ordered the Chicken Portabella sandwich with thick cut fries ($7.50). The large mushrooms flowed off the fresh bread and slopped onto his plate as he took the first bite. We laughed and he resorted to knife and fork to finish it off! I tasted the chicken and found it tender and topped with a great mild and nutty tasting cheese. I prefer thin fries, but these were obviously fresh and fine.

For dinner, Green Lips features plenty of fresh seafood. You can get a dozen oysters ($13.95), lump crab cakes ($8.95) and several fresh fish dishes, including a pan seared Hawaiian ahi tuna ($16.50) and lemon glazed salmon ($15.75) . Green Lips also has a special Sunday night Lobster menu for $16.95. Entrees such as Linguine fra diablo with lobster and Cantonese lobster with angel hair pasta come with a green salad or soup of the day and sorbet dessert.

I glanced at the wine list and it contained a nice mix of bottles and wines by the glass to go along with Green Lips' great food. Chef Gabriel has reportedly received lots of assistance on the list from a local Master Sommelier and it shows. The prices at Green Lips are a bit higher than your average neighborhood restaurant, but the food and its preparation is so extraordinary here, that the tabs here are actually a true bargain.

The Rio has proved to be a "mill" for turning out talented chefs that have gone on to open their own successful restaurants. Chef Gabriel Grigorescu is the latest and probably the most creative of the bunch. I sense that as more great chefs hit what we call our suburbs, we'll see a phenomenon develop here that has long been prevalent in larger cities--local chefs as "stars." I'm not taking about the celebrity chefs that have invaded the strip hotels, but hardly work in their own kitchens and rarely greet their high-rolling customers. These local "stars" will have their own devoted group of followers who will come weekly to worship and appreciate their culinary artistry. Chef Gabriel is a star in the making and I urge you to try his delightful art.

GREEN LIPS CAFE  2871 N. Green Valley Parkway  (702) 450-3104

RESERVATIONS: Recommended

HOURS
M-F 11:30 11:30
Sat-Sun 4:00 - 11:30

ATMOSPHERE: A quaint, tiny bistro with pleasant art.

RECOMMENDED DISHES: Green Lips' mussels ($6.95); soups; stuffed cabbage ($7.90); sandwiches ($6.25-$7.75); and seafood and fresh fish entrees.

SERVICE: Relaxed and friendly, but forget a 45 minute lunch.

WINE LIST: Looks like a nice fit.