Greek Dining

Greece is a place where freshly cooked food can be found at any hour of the day or night, as long as you know where to look for it.

Souvlatzidika are the fast food places of Greece. They open in time for lunch and close before midnight. Many have walk up windows to sell souvlakia. The huge pile of meat standing vertically in the rotisserie can usually be seen from the street. Thin slices of this meat are put onto a heated pita bread, along with some tomato slices, onion, a few french fries, yogurt or tsatziki, and a sprinkle of red pepper. It's wrapped tightly in a piece of paper so the filling doesn't fall out while you eat it. A souvlaki is cheap, fast, filling and delicious for a meal or snack.

A psistaria is a barbeque grill house that specializes in beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and an assortment of meat and vegetable combinations cooked on a rotisserie. They start cooking late in the afternoon, so it's not usually a place you'll find open for lunch outside of tourist areas. You can choose from meat that's been cooking slowly over the charcoal, or have a steak or huge pork chop cooked to order.

Estiatoria are restaurants that specialize in foods cooked in the oven and on the stove top. They are open from late morning and close before midnight. If the selection of foods isn't on display cafeteria style for you to choose from, go ahead and ask for a peek at what's cooking in the kitchen. You're likely to find giouvetsi, stuffed cabbage leaves, chunks of beef cooked with okra in a tomato sauce, lamb or chicken and potatoes with a lemon sauce, and always a pot of spaghetti. The fare differs in each part of the country, so this is a good place to sample local specialties, especially on the islands. For a taste of Mykonos in Maryland, try the Mykonos Grill in Rockville.

A taverna is a favorite evening dining spot, usually with a little bit of everything. Tavernas usually open around 8pm for the evening meal, which is generally eaten late. Although some tavernas specialize in either meat dishes or fish dishes, many offer both on their menu. This is a place to take your time, starting with fresh bread, wine and appetizers eaten family style, with everyone taking from plates in the center of the table. The main course could be anything that you would find in the restaurants or grill houses. Like the restaurants, tavernas are a great place to find local specialties, suchas spetsofai, a northern Greek dish of sausages and delicate green peppers in a tomato sauce.

Xeniktadika are the all night diners for those who are hungry after leaving the bouzouki clubs and bars. They tend to open around midnight and close when the sun is coming up. These have ready cooked meals similar to the estiatoria, or restaurants, with the best selling dish being patsas. Patsas is tripe soup, sometimes served with a pig's foot or a piece of meat. This strong tasting soup is said to prevent hangovers, which is why it's so popular at that hour.

Fourno means "oven" and is the neighborhood bakery. Bread is a staple of the Greek dining experience and is the first thing to be placed on the table. Bakeries open at the crack of dawn and close early in the afternoon. It's also a place to buy fresh baked spanakopites or tiropites, spinach or cheese pies, which are a popular breakfast or snack item.