# Help Me Enjoy Greek Food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 22, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939 "2005-09-22T20:10:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/21 "2005-09-23T13:49:59Z")
dammit, you all are making me hungry. spanikopita – i could happily live on that, or just as happily die trying. marinated octupus in an antipasto-type appetiser were quite good – just wish i could remember what they called the dish. (it’s been ages since i’ve been to a Greek restaurant. oh, the irony.) but i’m sorry… retzina and ouzo are. just. VILE. if i wanted to drink tree sap, i’d go for the fiber content and chew on a branch. ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/22 "2005-09-23T13:51:44Z")
> [@cher3](#): > > No it’s just onna plate In **my** mind it will be on a stick. Sounds perfect. Thanks **Homebrew**! **Seeker** lemony, dill stuff good! I worked with some Persian ladies and their mother would make the best dishes with dill before that I had no idea how good it was. Please post your recipes! **Alan** Nope don’t like it. I’ve had it several times and friends and family have assured me that it was done well. It’s just me. Thanks to everyone and I’ll be off this weekend to a little Greek restaraunt if we don’t get drowned by Rita. I’ll report back. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/23 "2005-09-23T14:05:11Z")
Friends and Family don’t count, you should try it, just ONE more time, in a restaurant, properly cut and prepared. The lamb you had, was the fat still on it? The funky taste most ppl associate with lamb domes from the fat. Remove most of it and the funkiness is gone. If you still don’t like it after that, oh well then, KPIMA! ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/24 "2005-09-23T14:17:10Z")
> [@Dorjän](#): > > Friends and Family don’t count… They didn’t _prepare_ it, just tasted it. I had mucho expensive rack of lamb that my husband scarfed and Indian prepared lamb and lamb chops and disliked all of it. Honestly I just don’t like it even after giving it numerous tries. Really. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/25 "2005-09-23T14:21:19Z")
Have you been initiated? Well then, this is the perfect time for you to get your revenge on the goat. I hear they don’t like being eat anymore then we like them… (Never mind) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/26 "2005-09-23T14:30:51Z")
There are some really nice slow-braised meat dishes; try afelia (pronounced simimlar to ‘a failure’, but the taste is anything but) - it’s pork braised in a red wine sauce - it’s incredibly tasty and just melts in your mouth. Dolmades are pickled vine leaves stuffed with spiced rice, but not to everyone’s taste. And you can get beef souvlaki, which is sometimes called ‘greek hamburger’ - it’s very tasty and very variable both in terms of what herbs etc will have been used to flavour it and the shape in which it is presented - sometimes it will be slices off a big chunk of the stuff on a rotisserie, other times it will be little sausage-shaped kebabs on sticks. It’s all good though. Darn, I wish I could recommend Kleftiko, which is really nice, but it’s _lamb_. ---
**Author:** ![I\_is\_smart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6de8d8/32.png) [@I\_is\_smart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_is_smart)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/27 "2005-09-23T14:34:25Z")
[quote] Darn, I wish I could recommend Kleftiko, which is really nice, but it’s lamb.\*\* **STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!** Yes I’m a weirdo, a freak, some sort of changinling left in my crib. Mock me but I guarantee you have an odd thing YOU won’t eat. 😉 Initiation? Goat? Going to have to rethink that whole $14.95. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/28 "2005-09-23T14:40:48Z")
> [@I is smart](#): > > Mock me but I guarantee you have an odd thing YOU won’t eat. 😉 No mocking intended. Things have to be genuinely odd for me not to eat them; hence the user name. ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/29 "2005-09-23T15:03:16Z")
No one has mentioned one of my favorite parts of getting a Greek meal - the side dishes! Here in Indy, you almost always get a side of rice smothered in green beans that are cooked in a tomato sauce. Mmmmmmmmmm! ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/30 "2005-09-23T15:17:49Z")
Skyline Chili, that Cincinnati staple food, is based on a Greek recipe, if you want to get technical! And it is SO GOOD. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/31 "2005-09-23T16:28:56Z")
I make that green bean in tomato sauce thing all the time. It’s one of my specialtys. I also make the stuffed grape leaves. It’s super easy, and tastes even better the next day. It is a family tradition to have it for the holidays but I’ll make it anytime. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/32 "2005-09-23T16:31:34Z")
mousaka is made with beef and eggplant and bechemel custard ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/33 "2005-09-23T16:39:37Z")
[QUOTE=I is smart] > [@](#): > > Darn, I wish I could recommend Kleftiko, which is really nice, but it’s lamb.\*\* > > **STOP IT STOP IT STOP IT!!!** > > Yes I’m a weirdo, a freak, some sort of changinling left in my crib. Mock me but I guarantee you have an odd thing YOU won’t eat. 😉 > > Initiation? Goat? Going to have to rethink that whole $14.95. beats me why everyone’s trying to get you to eat lamb - and veal is just baby beef my “get that away from me” foods are brussel sprouts, raw bell peppers, and anything with tentacles (regardless the preparation) ---
**Author:** ![Kitchen\_Wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f08c70/32.png) [@Kitchen\_Wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitchen_Wench)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/34 "2005-09-23T17:01:39Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > No one has mentioned one of my favorite parts of getting a Greek meal - the side dishes! Here in Indy, you almost always get a side of rice smothered in green beans that are cooked in a tomato sauce. Mmmmmmmmmm! Oh yeah… I love the green beans in tomato sauce. Cauliflower in tomato sauce is good too. Basically, anything that has been cooked in tomato sauce and lemon juice is yummy. What about the little Greek potatoes with olive oil, oregano, lemon juice, salt & pepper? And the lemon rice… Did I mention that I like lemon? I’ll post Kota Kapama later. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/35 "2005-09-23T17:06:09Z")
> [@I is smart](#): > > I’ve been on an ethnic food kick the spicier the better. I’ve delved into real Mexican food and Indian food. Now I’d like to try Greek food. > > My two rules are I don’t eat lamb and I don’t eat organ meat. > > There’s an allegedly good Greek restaurant not too far from here so it shouldn’t be hard to get. At this point my only exposure has been feta cheese 🙂 There’s a soup that’s very good Ovgolimino (not sure of the spelling) It’s a sort of a cream of chicken soup flavored with lemon - I love the stuff ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/36 "2005-09-23T17:16:22Z")
Ummm I cant be the first one to suggest Baklava. Mmmmmm I have to go now ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/37 "2005-09-23T18:50:02Z")
> [@I is smart](#): > > Mock me but I guarantee you have an odd thing YOU won’t eat. 😉 Maybe, but I don’t think I’ve discovered it yet. Sure, I’ve _heard_ of things, like live octopus and monkey brains, that would make me squirm, but there’s nothing I’ve actually seen on a menu or in a dish in front of me that I would refuse to eat. Does that mean I can mock you? 😃 (OK, I don’t eat veal. But that’s a cruelty issue, not a culinary one. When I was still where my location says I am, there was a farmers’ market nearby that had locally raised free-range veal. I **would** have eaten that.) **Mangetout** what **won’t** you eat? > [@I is smart](#): > > Initiation? Goat? Going to have to rethink that whole $14.95. On Straight Dope Message Board, _goat_ eats _you_! ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/38 "2005-09-23T19:54:47Z")
See…the trick to enjoying Greek food is to go to Greece. I was never really a fan of Greek food, but I loved every meal I had when I visited Athens. Had an amazing stew at one restaurant that was just spectacular…plus the traditional stuff is pretty good there too. 🙂 If you couldn’t tell, I loved Greece. Athens is one of my two favorite cities…the other is Rome. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/39 "2005-09-23T22:39:22Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] > [@I is smart](#): > > beats me why everyone’s trying to get you to eat lamb I’m not sure that we were; it’s just that everone is mentioning it because it features rather prominently in Greek cuisine. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939/40 "2005-09-23T22:45:06Z")
> [@Alan Smithee](#): > > **Mangetout** what **won’t** you eat? Limiting the question to food items… I have not yet knowingly/deliberately eaten insects. Maybe one day. There are a number of things I’ve tried once or twice and am not at all bothered to eat again; oysters, caviar and star fruit (not all at once, obviously) - are the ones that spring immediately to mind. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-enjoy-greek-food/322939.md?page=3)