Favorite food in Greece

Old Feb 12th, 2006, 07:37 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Favorite food in Greece

So, I have never been to Greece and I am not familiar with what people crave when they arrive. What must you eat right away when you get there? What can you have again and again?
NYerr is offline  
Old Feb 13th, 2006, 01:36 AM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
As I can never make my mind up, I like anywhere serving mezes - small tasters of different dishes. Dishes I always look out for - kleftiko, a dish made with lamb, sometimes cooked in a paper package, stifado - a beef stew with small whole onions, prawn saganaki - prawns in a tomato sauce, topped with cheese.

The starters are always good and can be a meze meal in themselves. Select a few and share them - dips such as tzatziki, taramasalata and houmous, small cheese or spinach pies, with filo pastry, fried aubergines or courgettes, gigantes - large (butter?)beans in tomato sauce and of course Greek salad with a huge chunk of fresh feta cheese...

Sorry, I'll have to stop, I'm making myself hungry!
Maria_H is offline  
Old Feb 13th, 2006, 03:14 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 5,056
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Mmmmmmmmmm I love real Greek food.

Mezes are great as you can try lots of different things. Stifado and kleftiko are good but there's a lot more things available so be adventurous. You'll normally find a 'translation'on the menus. Where are going? You get fantastic fresh seafood near the coast and on the islands. Greek salad is great and the feta cheese is nothing like the slimy stuff you get down the supermarket!
I also found that charcoal grilled lamb was widely available and delicious. Spit roast chicken also popular.
Giros (pronounced gear-oss, nearly anyway but not Giro as you might think)are a really good kebab. Real meat and tasty.
nona1 is offline  
Old Feb 13th, 2006, 04:27 AM
  #4  
cmt
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
There's nothing that I have to eat "right away." For substantial main meals, I really like grilled very fresh fish in Greece, and that's something I had repeatedly. For light meals, when I didn't feel like having meat or fish, I often liked stuffed vegetables. I agree about trying various mezes, and you may find that some of them become your favorite foods in Greece. When they are good, they can be very very good, but you'll also find some very tired commercial version of them if you have them in the wrong places. Fruit and yogurt are great for breakfast. For heavier foods, you might try various lamb dishes, and goat. If you might also enjoy trying some unfamiliar fish and seafood dishes, like piles of very tiny fish that you eat whole, bones and all. There are interesting, but very sweet, pastries that are usually eaten as a snack, with coffee, rather than as dessert with a meal. One famous Greek dish that many people love is moussaka, which is made in many different ways. (I don't happen to like bechamel sauce, which is usually the topping.)
cmt is offline  
Old Feb 14th, 2006, 11:01 PM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 198
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't love Bechamel sauce either.
And the only yogurt eaten here is Greek and the only Feta I will buy is Greek (not the cheap Bulgarian Feta). My mouth was watering reading the food descriptions. I am sure fish will be abundant since we will be mostly on the islands. Is there any special type of fish that is popular and wonderful.
Now that I am remembering, I lived in Greek area in Chicago and basically lived on gyros! They aren't as good in NY. yes, now I am hungry too. Do they yell OPA in greek restaurants there like they do here?
NYerr is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 12:36 AM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Spanakopita!
Tzatziki!
GHAAAAAAA!!! (Homer Simpson noises...)
nospam is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 02:31 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,395
Likes: 0
Received 11 Likes on 4 Posts
Gyros. €1.50 from the takeout window of the insanely crowded place by the Monastiraki metro station.
Nikki is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 04:11 AM
  #8  
cmt
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 6,793
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...2&tid=34471191
cmt is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 06:53 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 827
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
A chicken gyro with tzatziki sauce, and stuffed not only with the usual vegetables, but also with fries!
DejaVu is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 07:11 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 23,255
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cheese pie from Ariston in Athens.
ekscrunchy is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 08:38 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,500
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
saving for my trip file
TexasAggie is offline  
Old Feb 15th, 2006, 09:50 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,124
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Loved the greek salad (horiataki?) but beware, the first time I ordered shrimp, it came with the heads on!!! The little taverna kitties were the lucky recipients that day. And this sounds wierd, but they have the best french fries because they cook them in olive oil that tastes a million times better than most of the olive oil in the states.
SharonG is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
sarahcinderwood
Europe
16
Jan 10th, 2017 03:54 AM
binks
Europe
11
Sep 7th, 2011 06:43 AM
calbearz
Europe
20
Sep 17th, 2009 01:24 PM
luvtravelin
Europe
16
Oct 1st, 2007 08:26 AM
flygirl
Europe
20
Jan 30th, 2004 12:47 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -