Woodstone Tavernas speak tapas, with different accents

Last fall the crew behind the Kafe Neo trio of Greek restaurants (Edmonds, Mill Creek and Marysville) opened a pair of Mediterranean-themed "Woodstone Tavernas": Demetris on the Edmonds waterfront and Tablas in Mill Creek Town Center. The births were almost simultaneous and one glance at the menu shows the family resemblance; but these two neighborhood restaurants are more like half-siblings than twins.

Tablas is the Latin drama queen, dressed in flaming orange with dark wood and black leather accents. Fancy metalwork frames a secluded bar and lounge adjacent to a semi-exposed kitchen. Demetris is more macho. Equal parts restaurant and lounge, its prominently placed TV screens and displays of sports memorabilia establish a pub-like ambience. Both restaurants feature outdoor dining at tables equipped with fire-pits, but only Demetris has front-row seats overlooking Puget Sound.

Executive chef Clara Gutierrez (a partner in the venture with Kafe Neo founder Sofeea Huffman), developed the tapas that dominate both menus. The fire-roasted, chilled, fried or grilled items number roughly 50 not-so-small bites. While the selection of tapas is almost identical at both restaurants, beyond that, the menus diverge to suit their distinct personalities.

In Mill Creek, lavish tapas samplers may be ordered on wooden boards. Each tablas, as they're called, holds eight items grouped by theme: Surf, Turf, Taverna, Garden and Winery. They are portioned for two or four to share, and value-priced at $17 per person.

The Taverna tablas showcased some of this kitchen's better efforts on one recent evening. From the grill came deftly charred beef skewers and little lamb chops, both enhanced by a lively version of harissa, the North African red chile sauce. Softhearted croquetas, panko-crusted nuggets of cheese and shrimp, emerged from the fry basket, as did less-crusty but supple calamari strips, and bacon-wrapped "pork mignon" topped with a knob of Valdeon blue cheese whipped into an airy mousse. The wood oven produced soft, sweet roasted vegetables (squash, peppers and eggplant) and outstanding rosemary-seasoned potatoes. A tumble of vinaigrette-dressed romaine, bell pepper and tomato completed the pretty tableau.

At Tablas, I also encountered a top-notch gazpacho, addictive bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Serrano pepper, and excellent empanadas whose crackling pastry shell was filled with diced lamb, eggplant and feta. But sherry-sauced pineapple and chicken lettuce wraps resembled middling Chinese takeout, while mini chorizo left my mouth feeling like I'd smoked a pack of Camels.

Tablas' flatbread pizzas didn't excite me either. Unlike the herb-flecked crackers that come with various spreads, the pizza flatbread is characterless. Toppings, though imaginative, looked and tasted tired. One had wizened clams, wrinkled fava beans and droopy red onion. Another, with paper-thin butternut squash, cheddar and arugula, was better, but neither benefited by a superfluous finish of balsamic vinegar. (Both kitchens go a little batty with balsamico.)

Demetris turns out a totally different flatbread, still thin-crusted but slightly elastic, with a little rise in the shoulders. It reminded me of the pizza at Five Bistro across town. And just as that thought crossed my mind, I spied Facundo Defraia, Five Bistro's former chef (and ex-Kafe Neo cook), in the kitchen at Demetris.

Traipsing through the tapas there I fell hard for fava bean, fennel and arugula salad in a lightly herbed citrus dressing; also for velvety chowder laced with ham and bacon. Plump and savory feta-topped lamb sliders were great but deserved a better platform than the visibly herbed yet curiously bland house focaccia; ditto for crostini, made with the same bread, topped with tender, parsley-flecked charred octopus.

Rounding out Demetris' menu are wings, burgers and sandwiches, plus pasta, steak, lamb shank and other dinner entrees. I was mighty taken with the seafood tagine. A garlicky tide of basil-brightened marinara flooded the shallow clay vessel, enveloping clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and salmon bedded on rice. At lunch, good bacon and an exuberant Greek side salad improved an otherwise ordinary grilled chicken sandwich.

Inevitably there will be strengths and weaknesses on such broadly ambitious menus. But I found enough to like at both venues — including modest prices and thoughtful staff — to tempt me back and suggest you give them a try if you are in the neighborhood.

Providence Cicero: providencecicero@aol.com