In Search of the Best Greek-American Cuisine in Massachusetts


Article and Photo by Eric H., at VisitingNewEngland.com

I wasn't born Greek, but my taste buds definitely have some lineage to the Acropolis -- not the famous Greek landmark, mind you, but the former Greek-American restaurant near Porter Square in Cambridge, MA.

At a very young age, I felt a strong affinity with baked lamb, rice pilaf, and Greek salads. At the Acropolis, the stoic bald smiling Greek host, the water boy who rushed to fill glasses after a first sip, and the eight-track player playing "Never on Sunday" every few minutes with its short loop, provided joyful childhood memories. What made the Acropolis most satisfying, however, was that succulent Greek baked lamb with rice pilaf --- the precursor to eating perhaps a ton or two of Greek food since age seven.

Sadly, the Acropolis closed in the early 1980s, but since then I have found some worthy contenders that deliver this delicious cuisine. Taso's Euro Cafe might just be the best, located at the tiny Norwood airport in Norwood, MA (125 Access Road, 781-278-0001). The plain-looking, over sized sub shop-like dining room yields some amazing souvlaki, pastichio (Greek lasagna consisting of a pasta and cream sauce mixture that is layered with meat sauce), and a Greek baked lamb special -- with the right sauce mix of tomato, nutmeg and cinnamon -- that we wish was on the menu every night. It's about as close in quality to the Acropolis as you can get.

Christo's in Brockton, MA (782 Crescent St, Phone 508-588-4200), has been a long-time mammoth-sized Greek-American restaurant that still turns out a fantastic Greek salad, a decent baked lamb (a little fatty, at times) and an absolutely terrific Greek pizza. The Aegean in Watertown, MA (640 Arsenal St., Phone 617 923-7771), doesn't thrill me with its rather sterile atmosphere and not-always-friendly service, but its chicken, egg and lemon soup, moussaka, grape leaves, spinach pie and of course, an ample and tasty baked lamb with rice pilaf ranks amongst the best Greek food we've sampled in Massachusetts.

In Belmont, MA, the Andros Diner ( 628 Trapelo Rd., Phone 617-484-7322) -- open for breakfast, lunch and dinner -- makes a fabulous Greek salad and homemade dressing, lamb souvlaki, and kebobs. The dining rooms are a bit cramped, but this tiny restaurant always draws the crowds and for good reason -- the Greek food, as well as other traditional diner-type food, is almost always well-prepared and at a reasonable price.

Of course, I have to wait a year for my favorite gyros pita sandwich at the Eastern States Exposition (The Big E) fair in West Springfield, MA, held annually in September. Demitrio's makes this huge sandwich, loaded with lamb, tomato, onions, and tzatziki sauce. It's worth the wait, but it sure would be nice if Demitri's had a restaurant of its own in the Boston area!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Good Eeeevening!: A Perspective on New Hampshire Meteorologist Al Kaprielian

Article by Eric H., at VisitingNewEngland.com Somewhere in the 1980s, my esteemed Arlington High School journalism teacher Len Tammaro tipped me off about a New Hampshire television weatherman that he called "Crazy Al Kaprielian." That night, I couldn't believe what I saw: this nerdy-looking guy with a high-pitched voice flailing his arms all over the weather map, contorting his face in every direction, and squealing, "Good Eeeevening!" and "HIGH PRESSURE!" (his future trademark phrases)." All that boundless energy and the myriad antics left the viewer laughing, yet enervated at the same time. In this world of slick, Ken and Barbie television meteorologists, Al Kaprielian has been the antidote to the standard, unctuous television personality. Twenty-five years later, Al is still going strong on MyTV New England with his unique style --perhaps validation that he really loves his job. No doubt, Al has always been an unconventional, unique-looking a
Read more

Visiting My Grandmother Had That Antiques in Wrentham, Mass.

Image
My Grandmother Had That...Antiques  in Wrentham, Mass., is one of those "hidden gem" antique stores that is jam-packed with antiques, collectibles and other items from the past. Located in a charming, two-story old red barn at 446 South St. (Route 1A), My Grandmother Had That...Antiques certainly lives up to its name. You'll find furniture, lamps, desks, chairs, plant holders, fine China sets and just about everything your grandma had, and also didn't have -- like a web address, Facebook fan page or any hint on the Internet that this place exists! Unless you're a Wrentham native, one familiar with the antiques industry, have driven by the red barn on South St., or somebody that just reads maps of Wrentham all day, My Grandmother Had That...Antiques is as hard to find as the rarest antique. You won't even find the name, "My Grandmother Had That," on the building, just a sign that states "Antiques." The My Grandmother Had That name is on
Read more

Remembering the Smiling Blue Whale Neon Sign at Yoken's Restaurant

Image
Article by Eric H. Sometimes, we affectionately remember restaurants that weren't all that great. Not that Yoken's "Thar She Blows" restaurant in Danvers, MA, was bad, but if it were in business today, we'd regard it as a New England tourist trap with too much fried food and dining rooms that looked like any other restaurant dining room. It was basically Howard Johnson's with a sea captain's hat. Yoken's was hugely popular at its Danvers and Portsmouth, NH, locations for its affordable and decent seafood dishes, friendly service and family-friendly environment. Perhaps it was most popular, however, for its attention-getting smiling blue whale neon sign. Yokens' perfectly tapped into a pathetic, universally acknowledged human weakness: who doesn't love a smiling, blue whale? Perhaps Yoken's greatest appeal was its innocence. You just don't see signs like the smiling blue whale in our society anymore. Today, we see signs with fancy fon
Read more