Mythos: 196-29 Northern Blvd., Flushing; 357-6596

Website: www.mythosofbayside.com

Cuisine: Greek

Hours: 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.; seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

Catering: A popular place for parties large or small.

Parking: Valet parking and a lot in the rear.

Credit Cards: Major cards accepted

The name translates to “myth,” but a myth it is not.

This two-year old restaurant is attracting many diners and party givers with its authentic Greek cuisine and spacious seating arrangements. Upstairs is the attractively decorated dining area with an open-kitchen grill and refrigerated display cases. Downstairs is the Banquet Room with bandstand, dance floor and bar for catering larger parties, receptions, company meetings, Bar/Bat mitzvahs and more. The parking lot is in the rear. Paul, our friendly and knowledgeable host, proudly showed us the attractive display cases with their fresh fish on beds of ice and the specials of the day.

A plate of olive oil with a touch of Balsamic vinegar for dipping the hearty bread was a delicious starter. Then we had a cup of the favored Greek soup, Avgholemono (chicken stock with egg and lemon) – rich and great for a cold night. This was followed by Pikilia ($9), the small cold appetizer platter with four offerings: Taramosalata (whipped red caviar with olive oil and lemon), Tsatziki (yogurt, cucumber and garlic), Melitzansalata (baby egg plant with whipped herbs and olive oil) and a most flavorful Tyrokaftere (roasted red peppers with jalopeno peppers, olive oil and feta cheese).

A house specialty is a hot appetizer of a charcoal grilled Combination Platter of octopus, whole calamari and vegetables ($16).

One of the evening’s specials, Genista, was a rice stuffed green pepper and a rice stuffed tomato ($10.75) served with lemon potatoes. It was a bountiful vegetarian platter. Our other entrée from the regular menu was a large char-grilled veal chop with rice on the side ($19.75).

Homestyle Specialties listed on the menu include: Pashtsio (macaroni baked with grated cheese and ground meat with onions and sauce at $10.15) and Moussaka (layers of cooked, sliced eggplant alternating with a mixture of ground meat, grated onion, tomato and spices sprinkled with grated cheese and covered with Béchamel sauce at $11.75).

With your meal you should have a bottle (or a glass) of wine from Greece or somewhere else in the rest of the world. Check the wine list.

Alexandria, our attentive young server, helped us with the pronunciation of our favorite foods and desserts such as the Ghalaktobureko – the delicious custard-filled phyllo. Our other favorite dessert is Mediterranean yogurt (strong, thick and available at Greek stores) covered with honey and dotted with walnuts.

— J. Davis