Boston - September 17, 2007

Sunken Treasure

Vlora Restaurant Opens

GPS: Please state your destination.

You: Restaurant. Food. Wine. Hurry, I’m starved!

GPS: Did you say “bar”?

You: Yeah. Somewhere close. With calamari that doesn’t taste like a bike tire.

GPS: Please wait. Loading your location. Boylston Street. Vlora Restaurant. You have arrived.

You: Wha?

GPS: You’re there, nitwit.

Okay, so your sense of direction isn’t razor sharp. But tucked beneath a stretch of Back Bay sidewalk lies a treasure worth uncovering: the glossy new eatery Vlora. Despite its subterranean digs, the restaurant and patio have an airy vibe; the menu melds coastal Greek, Italian, and Albanian fare.

Cozy in a corner, you dig into plates of feta-and-watermelon salad, saganaki (a fried Mediterranean cheese) or uber-fresh barbounia (a Mediterranean fish served chargrilled and whole). Generous carafes of wine and sweet baklava invite you to stay awhile. All told, you may not want to go home.

Which is good, because you don’t have a clue how to get there.

Vlora Restaurant, 545 Boylston Street, Back Bay (617-638-9699 or vloraboston.com).