The Argentum Project

Apparently this place has been CLOSED due to a fire.

A while back, I got two different spinach pastries and several dessert pastries from The Argentum Project after lunch at Tú Lan. I ended up eating the spinach pastries over several days - with a tomato sauce I made myself at home - because the pastries on their own are a bit dry. I'm guessing they're meant to be eaten with other foods.

I actually stopped by for the purpose of getting Greek frozen yogurt that everyone seems to love. I was given a small plastic container, but bigger than a normal condiment container of yogurt. After I paid, I asked if this was the frozen yogurt because it was weird to me that she got it out of a case and it was cold but not that cold. She said, "No, the machine is broken." Haha, it was just regular Greek yogurt! Hope to try the frozen yogurt one day! Hopefully they open in a better location in the future.

I always find hater articles about San Francisco amusing especially when they're probably written by a new transplant. Some will tell you to stay faaaar away from the TL and Mid-Market because of all the things that I can't list because Yelp HQ will take down my review. So much for keepin' it real but I will say, if there's something you haven't seen before...YOU will see it here. Just enjoy the free show and stay vigilant.

Lately, I find myself going to the TL and Mid-Market to check out new businesses, and I have yet to be disappointed. You will find the best ethnic businesses here that won't break the bank.

While the area still has their issues, it's changing everyday thanks to new businesses like The Argentum Project (TAP), a Greek deli. They're such a welcome addition to the 6th street corridor.

TAP sells housemade Greek pastries, salads, sandwiches, yogurt, beer, wine, and coffee. They also sell specialty imported items like Greek olive oil, jams, honey, and sweets. Everything is very reasonably priced especially for their top-notch housemade pastries that are generously portioned.

I strictly came for the Award Winning Greek Soft Serve Froyo from Kayak but got all googly eyed at the pastry case filled with freshly baked Koulouri Thessalonikis (Greek sesame bread rings), Tiropita (Cheese pie), Cheese Bougatsa (Greek savory breakfast pastry), Pastitsio (Greek lasagna), etc.

Since I dragged my co-worker with me, we were able to try the following:

* Koulouri Thessalonikis ($2.50): Sorry, no pic and I didn't try it but my co-worker really liked it. It's like an incredibly crunchy and nicely chewy sesame bagel.

* Cheese Bougatsa ($6): https://bit.ly/2zNNRJC
Still warm, the flaky layers of phyllo dough were delicately crispy (not greasy). Usually, I'm not a fan of feta because it tends to be overly salty but the high quality feta they use here has the perfect balance of rich, creamy, and tangy. I told myself, just one bite and I ended up taking four more. =X

* Spanakopita: Savory Greek Spinach Pie ($6): https://bit.ly/2NRjGo1
We loved the Bougatsa so much that I decided to buy one to go for my other co-worker who couldn't come with us and the owner was kind enough to throw in complimentary Spanakopita for us to taste. Just like the Bougatsa, the Spanakopita was crispy and satisfying but I liked the Bougatsa more...it made me a feta cheese convert.

* Complimentary Baklava: https://bit.ly/2NWL3wJ.
I'm not big on sweets so I may not be the best person to judge the baklava. This was my least favorite item because it was too sweet.

* Kayak Vanilla Soft Serve Froyo w/ sour cherries + baklava crumbles (Small - $5): https://bit.ly/2LpxXXf
Saving the best for the last...THE soft serve.

OMG, we loved this....the vanilla soft serve was deliciously thick and creamy with a nice density. Flavor-wise, it was slightly tangy, lightly sweet, and vanilla-y. The sour cherries and crumbled baklava were the perfect accompaniments adding a nice tartness and crunch.

No wonder they're award winning in Greece - the soft serve is pure, satisfying AND healthy. GET IT!

TAP is owned by a couple and the wife, Katerina was such a sweetheart. She's super passionate about their new business and was great about explaining their products. She told us that her husband was a restauranteur in Greece and this is their first business in the states. He's also a master barista so the coffee is also not to be missed if you come here.

There's a counter with standing room so you can enjoy your food and drink.

TAP has only been open for two weeks and Katerina says, they'll be expanding their offerings as they go. Can't wait to see how their menu evolves and to go back for the Pastitsio on cheat day - caramelized cheesy edges, carbs, ground meat, and silky béchamel sauce. Ahhh....

Call me nostalgically old-fashioned but I still get unnerved when I walk down Sixth Street. The difference is that there has arisen a wave of courageous entrepreneurs willing to open new businesses in the face of a challenging socioeconomic environment. In other words, there are a lot of people hanging out and often yelling that may not be conducive to the culinary experience anticipated inside. But unique eateries like Montesacro Pinseria-Enoteca (review: http://bit.ly/2JUKams) and Frena Bakery (review: http://bit.ly/2uYcU77) are succeeding against the formidable odds, and I hope this Greek deli and bakery joins the list.

It's on the first block of Sixth right off Market, and the first thing I noticed was the tall ceiling followed by the fact that it's a narrow space with just counter seating, no tables. However, one look at the display case provides an alluring look at their line of Greek pastries like spanakopita and cheese bougatsa, heavenly-looking creations made with flaky phyllo dough (photo: http://bit.ly/2LA7LMS). The picnic salads looked appetizing, and they make sandwiches with their house-made rolls. I thought I was going to get a heaping bowl of their fresh self-serve yogurt...

But the ebullient server gave me samples of both the plain and vanilla frozen Greek yogurt, and I was hooked. Rich and flavorful, even the plain one. So I went with the $5 serving of the froyo that swirled the plain and vanilla flavors seamlessly. I couldn't say no to her suggestions of adding the sour cherry syrup and of course, candied chips of their baklava (photo: http://bit.ly/2uWDVIc). Hey, I figured it was better than ordering a whole slice of the assuredly delicious baklava. I sat at the counter, and I lapped it up in the face of baleful stares from the local denizens. I shall return for the savory side of their menu next time.

FROYO - 5 stars...fresh and flavorful in a decidedly Greek way....oompah!
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...nice space but seating is limited so takeout may be your best bet
SERVICE - 4.5 stars...very friendly and positive
TOTAL - 5 stars...my limited tasting may mean this rating is somewhat exalted but the obvious investment in this 'hood definitely deserves five stars

RELATED - Collection of Sixth Street businesses: http://bit.ly/2LsUfeE

Glad I made all the way from my workplace to The Argentum Project (TAP) which is located in 6th St of Mid Market. It's worth a half-hour round trip. Of course if the traffic didn't slow my less than 15-min trip, then I would expect how bad Mid Market is. If I were you, I be extra aware of the surroundings before checking in on TAP. Business related patrons have come here.

Inside the first Greek deli, everything I can buy are absolutely authentic. There's coffee/tea, sandwiches, different types of pitas, and the award winning Kayak Greek yogurts, everyone's favorite purchase! Katerina was the only person I see running a brand new Greek deli. She's very good to talk to, especially when I asked for samples of one tiny cookie.

I was simply in a hurry to buy one small ice cold Greek yogurt for $5. My choice: 0% plain, Greek honey syrup, and sweet savory baklava flakes. I should've chosen vanilla which is non-gmo, but plain wasn't bad. After one bite, superb! This house made Greek froyo haven't pleased me well enough. I would've expect the one that is so award winning was as sour as other Greek yogurts, just overall sweet.

Will I be able to come back to TAP? Maybe. One more thing I'm interested in buying later is Pastitsio. Closely Italian made, but with caramelized cheese, ground meat, and a special bechamel sauce. Now that's Greek to me! I'm expecting more of what TAP have in store.

This great cafe just south of Market St is wonderful. The coffee and baklava I had for lunch was so good, I had to go back and try out their Moussakka for dinner!

Everything was delicious. And tasted authentic. The baklava was full of NUTS and honey, just like it should be. Not too sweet like a lot of the Americanised versions. And the mousakka was great. Not too big. Came with a lovely side salad.

Great service too. Attentive and kind. Made sure everything was exactly how I wanted it.

Great spot for some authentic Greek food in the area.

Stepping off of 6th Street and into this place feels like a mirage. Like you're visiting some ritzy yet authentic Greek deli in a bougie neighborhood of Manhattan. Everything looks so beautiful and delicious.

Pastichio: A very hearty lunch. For those that have never had it, it's kinda like a Greek baked ziti dish, but with bechamel sauce instead of tomato sauce. The noodles could have been a tad more al dente, but everything else was solid. Cost $15, but was a large portion.

Bougatsa me Krema: A thick custard in phyllo dough. They chopped it into cubes and sprinkled cinnamon and powered sugar on top, which I guess is a traditional preparation? Anyway, I was a fan, probably my favorite of the desserts I tried.

Baklava: Don't think I've ever had a bad baklava, because they're so delicious! This one had larger walnut chunks than the typical grainy size. Also, the syrup seemed more watery compared to the usual stickiness. It seemed to have a strong cinnamon flavor while the honey flavor (if there was any) was very weak.

Katifi: Looked really cool, with dough strings all over it. Tasted kinda raw. Like I get that it was cooked, but it wasn't as pronounced compared to every other pastry with a flaky buttery browned dough. The inside was a bit blah too, with just like a bunch of large walnuts.

Digging the ambience of this Greek Cafe/Eatery.. The background music is nice. The staff is friendly and engaging. Definitely a nice neighborhood Cafe vibe.

Trying the Greek Coffee Frappe for the first time, and it is DELICIOUS! Strong coffee undertone but not bitter. SOOO good! Never even thought about whether Greece had coffee before.. But this threatens to quickly become my favorite caffeination source.

Great place! The meatloaf lasagna was expensive! Comes with salad though. The salad was actually really good, they definitely know how to make good salad. I'd come back here for other stuff. It's a little on the pricy side and seating is limited to like 4 people. Nice plates though! And nice people! Gotta try more of their pastries.

Came here with a few coworkers. Absolutely loved the chicken souvlaki pita. My sister got the prosciutto pita which was paired super well with the fig jam. The combination of sweet and salty in that dish was really executed well and I'd like to order it next time.

we also got the baklava and the bougatsa me krema and those were incredible. The bougatsa was really good but also very oily. Kind of like a fried donut with cream. You get a big portion for 3.50 so would recommend trying it out.

I'm clearly not Greek, so I can't say how authentic it is -- but it's nice to know people love this place. I enjoyed it as well.

We did notice a bug running through some of the pastries on display...which was a tad concerning, but given the taste and proximity to my office, I'll definitely be returning to try some of their other items!

Stumbled upon this place on the way to work and was thrilled! Authentic Greek food, pastries, coffee and more. Have only been in for a quick breakfast but the pastries are large and delicious and the Greek coffee is delicious.

The staff is incredibly friendly and the space is beautiful.

I've tried the spanakopita and hortopita and .

Looking forward to trying lunch here in the future. They even have Greek wine, beer and snacks. An opportunity to relive some beautiful memories even if I haven't made it back to Greece.