Greece: Mykonos, Petinos

Location:

Platys Gialos Beach, 84600, PO Box 116, Mykonos, Greece

www.petinosbeach.gr/mykonos_restaurant

You have to do dinner and a dance show in Greece. We went to one in Petinos at the Blue Myth restaurant. There was singing, high-kicks, fire tricks and table lifting (with teeth!). They even pulled me onto the dance floor several times, once while I was still in my chair!

The food was good too, but it was mostly about the entertainment. Oh, and a good greek dance isn't complete without some plate breaking! OPA!

Greece: Athens, Tzitzikas kai Mermigas

Location:

Mitropoleos 12, Athens 10563, Greece

tzitzikas-mermigkas.gr

MAP

As soon as we arrived in Athens, we were starving and decided to check out the Plaka district. We asked a group of cops at the corner (we did wonder why there were cops hanging around in that area) for a recommendation of tasty and authentic fare that would be casual but not "fast food". They directed us around the corner and down a street. We were skeptical, and unsure if we'd know where it was, but then we found it easily as it was the only restaurant on a side street that had light spilling out onto the street, cheerful patrons and the delicious smell of seafood.

The BEST. I finally found the name and map to the restaurant, with a little bit of sleuthing on Google Maps! I don't know how to pronounce it, but if you're ever in the Syntagma Square area of Athens, GO THERE!

We had red wine, Mythos greek beer, a giant Greek Tzitzikas (just found out that it means salad) which is my favourite type of salad and a giant fried seafood basket. 

Amazing service, and INCREDIBLE food!! Sigh..to eat those olives once again. 

Penelope

Location:

225 King St. W. Toronto

Cost: approx $50 for two

http://www.peneloperestaurant.com/home.html 

I love Greek Food.  Sure, it's just meat and potatoes...but that is precisely why I love it. There is something very comforting about Greek food.  How can it go wrong?

At Penelope, it doesn't.

Around the King Street area, dinner options grow sparse the more times you dine out and very quickly the "Il Fornellos" and the "Urbans" of the downtown core give way to our very instinctual and basic needs.  Such as meat and potatoes.  Such was the case when we remembered Penelope, the only full-out Greek restaurant in the heart of the city.  Much like Penelope herself, we exercised patience and loyalty and reserved our hunger pangs (whilst making our way down King street past all the upscale dining venues with their Winterlicious sandwich boards) for the simplest dinner of them all: the chicken souvlaki dinner. 

Once there, we were allowed to be picky selective and were seated at a corner round table (even though there were just the two of us).



Our server and the manager (it seemed) were on hand to take our order and offer us drink choices.  The manager recommended the Greek beer, Keo, which we thoroughly enjoyed and I highly recommend it (I'm more of a Guinness person myself, but Keo was very refreshing.)



And we already know that there would be one chicken souvlaki dinner (with a side of pita bread...just 'cause) and then to mix things up, an item from their dinner specials that day:  swordfish. 

Both mains arrived at our table incredibly quickly.  My (usual) request for chilli flakes and/or hot sauce (which sually ends up being Tabasco, which I don't really consider hot sauce) was greeted with hearty props from our server who has been working there for 7 years. 



As expected, the chicken, rice and potatoes were glorious.  The side of veggies bordered on frozen-then-over-cooked-and-greasy and I'd have preferred a side of Greek salad (this reminded me of the time The Healthy Greek didn't have Greek salad !)

The swordfish was surprising good and a huge portion, at that!  This time, the Greek salad was in attendance and I couldn't complain. 



There were some serious left overs for taking home and an overall feeling of wholesomeness that only Greek food can provide.

It's nice to know that in a city full of restaurants with big attitudes, big plates and tiny, tottering portions, there are restorative places like Penelope.  It's true then, for Penelope and for us, patience certainly was a virtue.