Apollon Restaurant, one of the best places for Mediterranean food in the Valley, surprised me last night. Maybe stunned is the word. On this first visit since they remodeled in 2008, I expected the food to be good. But it was far more than good - it was terrific. Even stunning - that's the best way to describe the fish. I love fish, but am so often disappointed since most chefs overcook it and often fail to do anything really creative with it. Not at Apollon! The orange roughy with a pesto coating was absolute perfection. So moist, fresh, tender, hot and beautifully seasoned. The thick layer of pesto on the perfectly cooked fish was a pleasant, fresh green color, unlike the dark pesto one buys in jars. Must have been made fresh on site - delicious. The veggies on the plate were also perfect. Broccoli at the point of perfection - not overcooked or undercooked, with a delicious touch of butter and seasonings, plus perfect asparagus and thick, tender carrot strips. The ornate toasted spiral of mashed potato was a bit dry - hard to avoid when achieving the aesthetic effect it delivered.

My wife tried the spanikopita was truly pleased. Perfect crust, flavorful interior - beautiful and delicious. Very large serving - took some home for our son.

A slight weakness was in the two house dressings provided with the salad. Very nice concepts, but the flavor was too weak for my palette in both (one was a creamy dressing based on feta cheese, and the other a vinaigrette with ground Kalamata olive). The house salad was fine - though I never get why Greek salads have to include a pepperoncini that nobody eats. (Well, almost nobody, right?)

The warm home-made bread at the beginning of the meal was presented with a paté of artichoke heart and Kalamata olive in, I think, a mayonnaise base. Delicious and creative.

Service was excellent. Our waitress was friendly, pleasant, and very responsive. Was also pleased with the energy and courtesy of our greeter who also came by to replenish water and help out. Interior is beautiful, and while there were plenty of people, was quiet enough for a pleasant conversation.

The meal for two came to $41, including tax (before tip).

Apollon is just around the corner from the Performing Arts Center and just across the street from the Appleton Public Library. Some patrons park at the library (metered parking) for easy access to Apollon, though you should have the decency to check out a few books if you're going to do this.