347 Wesley St., Nanaimo
250-716-0451

You will find Asteras in a beautiful old house on Wesley Street, with tasteful Mediterranean décor. The owner, Peter, made us feel welcome and seated us at the bar. I asked for a sweeter white wine and got a ‘0’ which means the wine list is limited or the servers don’t know their wines. The place was packed and the servers were really moving and, even though it was busy, dinner was served just under the wire at 20 minutes. The assorted hot appetizer plate seemed expensive until I saw the plate full of food and realized it is best for sharing. It included the best calamari I’ve ever had; tender inside and just a bit of crispy coating. The tsaziki side dish was made with yogurt so thick and creamy I could stand my spoon up in it. As in Greece, the feta was served in a small block with a sprinkle of herbs. We shared an ‘ek-mek’ for dessert – a Greek concoction of shredded filo with honey, custard, and whipped cream – yum. I left feeling as though I had gotten my money’s worth and had an authentic Greek meal.
Throughout the meal, the servers and owner roamed the restaurant, doing whatever needed to be done, and I was asked “How is everything?” 3 times.

Date of dinner: June 6, 2010