Grecian Quest

I am going to Greektown this week with some family, and am looking for a place that will serve a good, traditional meal where everyone will be able to order something to suit their taste. Someplace with good seafood would definitely be a plus. Recommendations are welcomed, thanks.

d. lishiss wrote:I am going to Greektown this week with some family, and am looking for a place that will serve a good, traditional meal where everyone will be able to order something to suit their taste. Someplace with good seafood would definitely be a plus. Recommendations are welcomed, thanks.

The stalwarts in Greektown are Costa's (best quality food), Greek Islands (Widest selection and busy, almost touristy atmosphere) and Santorini (for seafood). Also good is Athenian next to Greek Islands.

Greek Islands
200 S. Halsted St., Chicago
(312) 782-9855

If you haven't been to Greek Islands in a while, take another look. Not only have they remodeled the place, they seem to have upgraded the food. Lots of the foodstuffs they use -- olive oil, honey, wine, etc. -- are imported by the restaurant directly from Greece, where the owner lives about half the year. His son-in-low manages the place.

I especially like the appetizers -- recently I had excellent cold marinated Greek gigantes beans and fried eggplant. They also have wonderful, orange-scented loukanico sausage that they bring in from New York. I like the "create-your-own-combination" menu that lets you get half-orders of entrees.

It's huge, noisy and full of tourists, but they do a very good job with the food, and the prices are very reasonable.

Just to add to this thread - my friend and I went to the roof garden at Pegasus on Saturday night and had a really nice time. We had fried zucchini with skordalia, dolmathes with marinated giant beans, souvlaki and tiropita. All were fine - the skordalia and beans were particularly tasty. All in all it was a nice alternative to the enormity and din of many of the Greektown restaurants, with a great view and a good selection of mezes to choose from.

I agree with others' recommendations of Greek Islands. I've eaten there a few times now and it's always been delicious. Good, varied menu, excellent service, pleasant decor and free valet parking. I was there this weekend and tried the grilled baby mediterranean octopus---it's great if you're a seafood person!

The boys and I ate at Athena for lunch Saturday. Bill was a wuss and wanted air conditioning just because it was 85 out, so we had to sit in the pretty deserted dining room instead of the patio where it looked like people were having fun. I had the quail. Very very good. Perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, lightly sauced. Ed had the lamb kabob, which was also excellent. I love lamb that tastes like lamb, instead of lamb that's trying hard to be inoffensive so the beef lovers won't notice they're not eating beef. This was very flavorful and cooked to a perfect medium rare, just as ordered. Bill ordered the gyros plate--a mistake I think. Not as good as the Village Gyros at Kings and Queens, (now just called Nicky's) and considerable pricier. Go for the quail. If someone else in your party wants lamb, they'll be happy too.

Ann Fisher wrote:Not as good as the Village Gyros at Kings and Queens, (now just called Nicky's) and considerable pricier.

Hi!

I was just thinking about Kings and Queens on Sunday. ARe you advising the name has changed but the menu, especially the Greek Village Gyro, has remained? Same owner? Same quality? I'd like to go sooner rather than later, do you think you could provide the exact address?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Nicky is the new owner. He's the one who's made all these improvements and has been gradually changing the name to his own. It's his Greek Village gyros that you want. Maybe Ed can chime in with his best guess about when the owner is likely to be there. We're only a couple of blocks away. Let us know when you're coming and we can try to connect.


7025 Roosevelt Rd
Berwyn IL

Ann Fisher wrote:Nicky is the new owner. He's the one who's made all these improvements and has been gradually changing the name to his own. It's his Greek Village gyros that you want. Maybe Ed can chime in with his best guess about when the owner is likely to be there. We're only a couple of blocks away. Let us know when you're coming and we can try to connect.


7025 Roosevelt Rd
Berwyn IL

It's definitely good to be there when Nicky is there. In my experience he's usually there later in the evening, after 8pm or so. I think they close at 11pm or midnight. I haven't been there much over the past few months, though.

That being said, the greek village gyro is generally solid -- the crew knows how to make it properly. Some of the other things, such as the often-excellent buffalo wings, i won't order unless Nicky is there.

He's very passionate about the place, very excited about putting some of his favorites on the menu. Back when I still lived in Oak Park, I got to talk to him fairly regularly and so got free samples of a lot of new menu items. I know he was toying with an absolutely great homemade chicken strip (very coated in breading normally reserved for fish). It was juicy and tender and very flavorful, breaded and fried to order. I don't know if it made it onto the menu, though.

-ed

I have seen Nicky there in the early afternoon, lunch hour time as well. We were there 2 weeks ago early evening, 5ish,and he wasnt' there, but the crew sure did an amazing job with the village gyros. I think their fries are very good as well- similar to Johnnies, thin, crisp and not greasy (johnnies can be greasy sometimes...). Also do not forget the shakes with fresh fruit - the strawberry is amazing!
LO

gleam wrote:It's definitely good to be there when Nicky is there. [...] I haven't been there much over the past few months, though. That being said, the greek village gyro is generally solid -- the crew knows how to make it properly.

At lunch today, I snapped a picture of the item in question...



There is not much more to say. It is good, as advertised. And, Nicky, once apprised of my intention to photograph the sandwich, whipped it up himself.

The highlight of my trip out to Berwyn, though, was the following sighting...



I mean, what is there not to love? It is a Church's Thrift Store sign that manages to evoke that other Hova, Snoop, and the entire Playah Nation.

Regards,
Erik M.

Erik,

What I especially like: if you are not in the church mood, well there is '2B Naughty' next door.

Good food snap!

Regards,

Erik M. wrote:The highlight of my trip out to Berwyn, though, was the following sighting...


I mean, what is there not to love? It is a Church's Thrift Store sign that manages to evoke that other Hova, Snoop, and the entire Playah Nation.

Regards,
Erik M.

The "99 problems" also evokes jay-z.

Glad you enjoyed the gyros.

-ed

gleam wrote:The "99 problems" also evokes jay-z.

Jay-Z, ak.a. Jigga, a.k.a. Hova, as I said.

But, back to Nicky. You are right, he is quite a character. I suspect that it was a bit early in the day for his whole shtick, though. I gave him an LTH business card, after telling him about us posting food pics and all. And, based on my *description* of your order--the milkshake and the Village Gyro--he claimed to know who I was talking about.


I want to thank you for the recommendation. It was a fun outing. Next time out in Berwyn, I am going to try and track down Svengoolie.

Regards,
Erik M.

BERWYN?

hattyn wrote:BERWYN?

That's how it reads on the takeaway menu that I have.

"Nicky's Drive Thru, 7025 W. Roosevelt, Berwyn, IL 60402."

Erik M.
[Yay! Hattyn finally responded to one of my posts. ]

But do you know who first played Svengoolie?

Erik M. wrote:I want to thank you for the recommendation. It was a fun outing. Next time out in Berwyn, I am going to try and track down Svengoolie.

Svengoolie fan? FYI, Televent (a video production house on North Avenue in Oak Park) has the actual coffin of Svengoolie (as seen on tv) on permanent display.

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:Svengoolie fan?

Does having the glow-in-the-dark t-shirt qualify me?

Erik M.

Do you really have a glow in the dark T?I bet you thought the first of your post I'd respond to was a week ago when you signed off as Erik B/D/S/M

hattyn wrote:Do you really have a glow in the dar[k] T?

Yeah. I probably shouldn't have advertised. I need to get some more for Christmas gifts, this year, and I hear they are getting scarce.

hattyn wrote:I bet you thought the first of your post I'd respond to was a week ago when you signed off as Erik B/D/S/M

O.K., you are starting to frighten me. No, but really, did I type that?

Erik M.

Yes,I just checked.In Shopping and Cooking>Thanksgiving Brainstorming on Nov. 24 and I waited until now to mention it showing considerable restraint.

oh man, I totally missed that reference. I'm ashamed

oh man, I totally missed that reference. I'm ashamed

Yeah, for you it is just an oversight, though you are all on the same wavelength. I had to ask for a translation!

gleam wrote:That being said, the greek village gyro is generally solid -- the crew knows how to make it properly. Some of the other things, such as the often-excellent buffalo wings, i won't order unless Nicky is there.

I'm a little vague on what makes a "Greek village" gyros different than regular gyros...though I had one this afternoon at Nicky's. I asked the Great Man Himself about the difference, and he said "Different spices" (he seemed grumpier than usual -- perhaps a few ouzos too many on Friday night -- and as I did not, as did Erik M., announce my intention to photograph his work, he paid me no mind).

I've concluded that, in addition to the "different spices" (maybe a little more oregano, and something hot, like cayenne maybe?), the Greek village gyros are also fried on the grill to get the juices going. If gleam, Ann Fisher or others aficionados of this dish have any insights into the actual difference between this dish and the standard gyros, I'd be obliged.

Hammond

Edited to fix unforgivable carelessness of ending the first name of Erik M with a "c" rather than a "k." In penance, I'm denying myself Thai food for 24 hours.

David Hammond wrote:I'm a little vague on what makes a "Greek village" gyros different than regular gyros...though I had one this afternoon at Nicky's.

They're cut thicker and then crisped on the grill, shaken with spices (the normal gyros don't get any seasoning other than what kronos/central adds) and served with lemon and feta cheese. the thicker cut is nice, to my taste, and the feta gives a nice creamy tangy contrast to the rich crispy meat bits.

Ed,

I was thinking somehow the meat might be different, but I guess it's mostly a matter of "dressing." The lemon is an excellent touch.

Hammond