Sure, it’s common knowledge that I LOVE feta cheese and kalamata olives. But I’m not Greek (or Italian or Turkish); no one in my immediate or extended family is Greek (that I know of); and I’ve never been to Greece. So how did my love affair begin?
Dancers at the Greek Festival in Savannah, Oct 2010
Chapter 1
Thinking back, I’ve decided that my first real exposure was at the Olympia Café on River Street, where I went on field trips with my high school Latin class. I remember eating lamb gyros, mousaka (baked eggplant casserole), pastitsio (baked meat & macaroni casserole), and spanakotiropita (spinach cheese pie).
But my favorite, by far, was the saganaki, or “flaming cheese.” Our server would bring a skillet full of sizzling cheese to the table. While it was still hot, he would pour in a shot-glass of brandy (which immediately ignited) and shout, “Opa!” After the flames went out, we would eat the delicious, gooey cheese on crusty, fresh-baked bread. My dear friend Jessica and I went to the Olympia Café together several times for New Year’s Eve, and we ordered the flaming cheese every time – it was a ritual.
The photo above is from here.
Chapter 2
A few years later, when I was living in Philadelphia, I went to Turkey for ~10 days with some friends, to visit some other friends who were living in Istanbul and Ankara. Hospitality is huge in Turkish culture, so we spent a lot of time talking, sipping çay (Turkish tea, usually apple flavored, pronounced like chai), and eating.
Turkish cuisine is very similar to Greek food, and the meals we had were delicious - so savory and flavorful – I was in heaven! For breakfast, our hotel served a buffet of olives, cheeses, sliced tomato & cucumber, yogurt, bread & crackers with honey, marmalades, & butter, and a variety of sliced meats. For lunch we sometimes ordered köfte (meatballs, also called kefta in Greek) from a street vendor, and in the afternoons we drank ayran, a refreshing yogurt drink.
Dinners often started with a variety of mezzes, small appetizer-like dishes such as dolma (grape or cabbage leaves stuffed with rice, meat, & spices), baba ghanoush (spices, baked eggplant, and cooked tomatoes often used as a dip), or tabbouleh (a bright salad of bulgur, finely chopped mint & parsley, diced tomatoes, olive oil, & lemon juice). These were followed by meaty entrees like döner and iskender kebap (lamb dishes).
Dessert was, as usual, my favorite: baklava! We usually finished with Turkish coffee; a small glass of raki, an anise-flavored apéritif that, when mixed with water, turned a milky white; or an Efes pilsener (Turkish beer).
Chapter 3
Back in Philadelphia, my fellow travelers and I were thrilled to discover Divan Turkish Kitchen. If I was in the mood for a light snack, I got the falafel appetizer with hummus and tahini sauce. For something more filling, I usually ordered iskender, but on one occasion I opted to try a new dish: Kayseri Manti ("tender steamed homemade dumplings filled with ground lamb, topped with garlic yogurt sauce and mint," according to the menu). Good decision.
A few years later, after I'd moved away from Philadelphia, I came back for my friend Anne's birthday, and a group of us went to Leila's Cafe in Queen's Village. Leila's is a little more casual than Divan, but it offers all the standards – kefta, shawarma, falafel, hummus, tabouleh, baba ghanoush, lentil soup, grapes leaves, and baklava – plus tabletop hookahs. Fun times!
Dinner at Leila's Cafe, August 2009
Chapter 4
Thanks to a few good friends, it didn't take me too long after moving to Hampton Roads to find a good spot for Mediterranean: Azar's on Colley. I haven't been for dinner, but I've had lunch there several times - once for my birthday (a few years ago with my aunt & cousins), a couple of times after church, and once to get takeout for my friend Heather (while she was on bedrest this summer). When I'm really in the mood to eat, I order the Mid-Eastern Sampler (half of a chicken tawook wrap, a serving of baba ghanouj or hummus, and 3 stuffed grape leaves, plus olives and pita bread), but their veggie orzo soup makes a yummy light lunch.
The photo above is from here.
Next on my list: Pasha Mezze! I tried to go there once before, with my friend Beth, but we went on a Monday, and they're closed on Mondays. So it's still on my "to dine" list, for now. I've got my eye on the Salad Sampler Plate: “your choice of five: kale salad, garden salad, organic tabouli, organic red lentil pate, hummus, black bean & corn salad, chicken curry salad, smoked salmon, grilled chicken, or shrimp.” It makes me happy just to think about it.
Also, at the Greek festival in Savannah last weekend, we missed dessert: loukoumades, or honey puffs. Somehow I've never tried these. Boo! Add those to the "to dine" list.
The Scoop:
- Olympia Cafe - Savannah, GA (River Street) - Urbanspoon, Yelp
- Divan Turkish Kitchen - Philadelphia, PA (22nd & Carpenter Sts.) - Urbanspoon, Yelp
- Leila's Cafe - Philadelphia, PA (13th & Pine Sts.) - Urbanspoon, Yelp
- Azar's Natural Foods & Mediterranean Specialties - Norfolk, VA (Ghent) - Urbanspoon, Yelp
- Pasha Mezze - Norfolk, VA (Ghent) - Urbanspoon, Yelp
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment