Alton's Review

How about a restaurant review? Not so many years ago the corner at Seneca and Transit in Elma was held down by a little dive restaurant known as Schettler’s. I can’t say as I ever ate there, but I’ve heard stories…Then along came Alton’s, a slightly better Greek-diner style place.

In recent years Alton’s has grown and (like distant neighbor Greek, Forestview), has become more upper scale. Prices have risen accordingly. In addition to the Elma location, there is another Alton’s near the Galleria at Walden and Union, along with Milton’s, a Greek burger joint. However, the Elma location also contains The Columns, a banquet and catering facility.

So enough about the aesthetics, how was the food? Last evening I had the pleasure of dinner at Alton’s with several family members. I ordered Seared Red Snapper, which came with olive, tomato, mandarin orange, and caper relish and beurre blanc sauce.

Dinners also include soup or salad for a starter, choice of potato, and seasonal vegetable. I opted for a starter of beef vegetable soup which was served hot, but neither scalding nor over salty. Loaded with chunks of lean beef and fresh vegetables, it was pretty much perfect.

I requested the beurre blanc on the side, and am glad to have done so. The French-inspired white-wine-and-butter sauce proved thick and almost sweet with just a hint of dry wine flavor. I’ve learned my lesson in restaurants: sauces tend to be too salty, too sweet, and too heavy, hence why I request them on the side.

The snapper, while moist and tender, lacked any real flavor. (Ok, so the sauce was supposed to be over it, but like I said, it wasn’t that great of a sauce!) The relish, a curious blend of the aforementioned ingredients all pickled, actually proved quite adventurous.

I chose Greek potatoes which were served peeled and diced and swimming in a buttery, tangy, savory sauce. The sauce was plentiful, and I actually enjoyed dipping my fish in it as well. The potatoes were neither over starchy nor mushy. Only thing I would have liked is to see skin-on baby reds, but that’s just a personal preference. The side of steamed carrots and beans retained just the right crunch and flavor.

Presentation was on a modern square plate along with fine cloth napkins. Along with a recent remodel, this place has definitely grown beyond the typical “Greece-y” spoon diner.  It's popular too, as proved by the crowd pouring in shortly after six o'clock on this particularly snowy Saturday night.

Also sampled: an evening special of seared scallops with mushroom risotto. The scallops were done perfectly: moist, flavorful, and tender. This is especially important, as it takes some skill to get scallops right, otherwise you might as well eat a plate full of erasers. The creamy risotto was filled with mushrooms and soft rice, and not a hint of over saltiness. One peculiarity of evening specials? They don’t come with choice of potato and vegetable, and soup or salad costs extra, yet the specials generally cost more than the regular entrees (of which there’s a good selection).

Meatloaf and chicken marasala were also ordered, and all received rave reviews. For the health conscious, Alton’s offers a cup of fresh cut fruit for dessert along with plenty of homemade cakes, pies, and baklava. I sampled some of the cheesecake and found it to be too sweet and with no graham-cracker flavor in the crust; instead it reeked of caramel.

Alton’s is a decent Greek diner that has some eloquent dinners. However, I’d advise one not to be overly expectant, as on multiple occasions I’ve found the food here to be subpar. If you want to stick with a winner, order one of their many souvlaki dishes. This classic Greek marinated meat is what Alton’s seems to do best.

Check out Alton’s menu, hours, and locations at their website.