Pitta in Athen – ‘H Pitta Tou Pappou

Asks Greek: where is the best pita place in town? Everyone gives you a different answer. After trying many places, I decided ‘H Pitta Tou Pappou is my favorite place because they cook the most tender meat! (chicken or beef, too bad NO lamb)

It is located very close to Metro DAFNI. The place opens at 11:30am. They also deliver. The price is more than other places: For a chicken pita cost 4.10 Euros while others cost 2.50 Euros. But the size of the pita is huge!! It is the biggest pita I ever had. Also for the quality of meat, I think it is worth it.

Sample of Greek cuisine

There are many places with cooked food-of-the-day in Athen. They are very popular among the locals. Food is cooked freshly and one can order by pointing at the food. For sure it is very convenient for tourists. As for the quality of the food, it is excellent. Many locals order that way, then sit down to eat and drink red wine.


My friend ordered many dishes so that I can sample Greek cooking: beans, beef, pork and squid. My favorite is the spinach with squid. The squid is unbelievably tender and I ate most of the dish. I wonder how could they make the squid so tender, melt in your mouth? My least favorite one is the pork, it is very dry.

The food is so good there I went back the next day. For lunch I had a lamb shank. So tender and juicy with strong lamb flavor! That is how I like it! Most food there are slow cooked and they are surly delicious!

Greek Island Cooking

My Greek friend introduced me to a home-cooking restaurant near Metro AG.IOANNIS. The place is a hidden-treasure, 3 mins out of the metro stop, close to the small church entrance. The place only has 3 tables for sitting. The food is cooked by a family who from one of the Greek Island.

Everyday they cook different food freshly and there is no menu. You just look through the glass window and order. For lunch, I had beef in lemon sauce, veggi and beans in tomato sauce, 7 Euros. They also let me try the meatball with rice. Other days they also have spinach and rice soup, baked fish with potatoes and lemon chicken. Everything is cooked with love and very tasty!

Pastitsio: Baked Meat & Pasta

First night in Athen, lucky a friend’s mom cooked for me. I have never imagined Greek food like that: Pastitsio (first) and beef in tomato sauce (second).

Pastitsio :“The usual Greek version has a bottom layer is bucatini or other tubular pasta with cheese and egg as a binder; a middle layer of ground meat (beef, veal or lamb) with tomato and nutmeg or allspice; another layer of pasta; and a top layer of sauce, varying from an egg-based custard to a flour-based Béchamel or a Béchamel with cheese known as Mornay sauce in France. Grated cheese and nutmeg are often sprinkled on top. Pastitsio is a common dish, and is often served as a main course, with a salad.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastitsio

Greek grain soup

Greek is famous for eating late dinner and party till morning. My Greek friend got home at 10pm and started cooking a simple dinner: grain soup with cheese. He added grains and cheese into water cooked with a slow heat. The soup looks like white milk and has a strong cheese taste. He finished a whole big bowl of it. I don’t think that is my type of food. Anyway, he has a very compact oven stove, which looks like a microwave.

Still do not know what is the name of the dish? Grain soup???

Greek coffee

Greek coffee is a strong, rich brew, served in demitasse cups. It's made from a fine grind of specially roasted beans and the grounds are served with the coffee (they settle to the bottom of the cup).

I had my first Greek Coffee in the new Acropolis Museum. They served me with some soft sweets and I eat the sweets with the coffee. Just like the way the Turkish drinking their tea.

It is debatably the Greek coffee’s origin, from Greece or Turkey? My Greek friends say the Greek started it. I am not going to argue with them. ☺

Ilios – Greek restaurant in Montréal

Just a bit south of laurier street and St. Denis street, there is a Greek restaurant called Ilios. While I was waiting for friend coming from far away, I end up in that restaurant alone eating dinner at 6:30 pm Friday night. I have to admit it is not much fun to eat alone in a quiet restaurant.

For $18(before tax) I ordered one of their special menu, which include : Pikilia (various sample of food, see below) and fried calamari.

Pikilia includes:

Tzatziki – yogourt, cucumber & garlic (very refreshing)

Taramosalata – mash potato with carp eggs (it looks orange, maybe because of the carp eggs)

Dolmadadia – wine leaf with rice inside

Eggplant salad –(my new discovery! I love it! Never thought it can be so refreshing)

Skordalia – mash potato, garlic with vinaigrette

The calamari dish only comes with a little calamari, with rice and fried potato on the side. It is good but nothing special. It also comes with Lamb Bean stew with tomato sauce, which it is my first time. The bean is really soft and starchy; the tomato sauce adds a lot of flavor. I am wondering why it is called Lamb Bean?