You know you’ve got a winning dish when you’ve been serving it for 22 years. The slow-roasted lamb shank is one of the best sellers at Greek restaurant Spartacus, and it’s not even on the menu.
“We featured it when we opened,” says John Drury, one of the partners in the restaurant, “and then the reaction was so overwhelming that we just kept doing it.” The restaurant makes a fresh batch of 15 to 20 pieces every morning, but once it’s gone, it’s gone, and you’ll have to wait till the next day to order it again, hence why the owners leave it off the standard menu. “But people know about it – trust me,” John says.
The recipe dates back nearly 50 years, having been a staple in the Kalfas family – the co-owners – for special occassions, especially. Each shank is hand rolled with a variety of seasonings and spices, like oregano, basil, rosemary and thyme; whole garlic cloves are pressed inside of the meat. It’s cooked for about 7 or 8 hours, and then is served with garlic mashed potatoes and whatever Mediterranean vegetables the restaurant is featuring that day, like zucchini and sauteed spinach. Pair it with a Rodney Strong cabernet. “It’s a dish that you look forward to,” John says.