Elena's Greek Armenian Cuisine Restaurant Review: Elena Petikyan's modest, family-run Greek-Armenian restaurant has been serving Mediterranean cuisine since 1976. The restaurant sits in a residential section of Glendale, which boasts one of the largest Armenian-American communities in the nation. The exterior is lined with Christmas lights, even in summer. Inside, a makeover left Elena's with handsome tile floors and a dozen homey tables. Appetizers include vegetarian grape leaves, served hot, dill-fortified and drizzled with yogurt sauce; and falafel, golden-crusted but pillowy within, served with paprika-dusted hummus. Regardless of which entrée you order, expect a choice of soup or salad. The soup is always lentil, and always first-rate: lemony and light. Kebabs are generally what draw folks to Elena’s. Lamb chops, filet mignon and dark-meat chicken are all seasoned with a house-secret red marinade, imparting vibrant flavor to the meats, which are smoky from being grilled over wood-buttressed coals. Quail, consisting of two to an order, represents good value. For dessert, there's soupy, cinnamon-dusted rice pudding and baklava, paired with a sweet-but-potent cup of Armenian coffee.
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