The Greek Islands Restaurant

Great balls of flaming cheese! Talk about an entertaining environment!  We saw about 8 of these cheese infernos in the time we were there.  And not only are they fun to watch, but tasty to boot!  Opa!

Greek Islands is located south of downtown, neighboring Shapiro's and Iozzo's...not bad company.  A little out of place with it's bright blue paint, once inside, it all comes together.  Intimate, open and inviting describes the ambiance and the waitstaff do their part to add to that family restaurant feel.

 After ordering a glass of the house red, we simply had to start off our meal with a Saganaki.  Graviera cheese flambéd table-side in ouzo then sprinkled with fresh squeezed lemon juice.  At first we assumed you were really paying for the show, but upon our plate's arrival, we knew differently.  There is a reason why almost every table in joint ended up with one.  It's a must have.  Creamy and oily with a flavorful chewy exterior.  Perfect with the ever-present warm pita.  


We then decided to split the Greek Islands combination plate -- Generous helpings of Moussaka, Pasticcicho, Dolmades, Gyro meat, Spanakotiropita, and Tiropita.  The single entree was more than a match for both our appetites.  The Moussaka was easily the best either of us has had.  The eggplant and meat melded perfectly and made you feel like there was an old Greek grandma back in the kitchen.  

The Pasticcicho seemed like simply a lesser version of the Moussaka.  It was basically the moussaka with the eggplant substituted with macaroni.  We quickly passed this one by on the way to the wonderful Gyro meat (all for Libby) and the only Dolmades that either of us have enjoyed.  Both the Spanakotiropita and Tiropita (small stuffed phyllo pies) were delicious.  Perfectly crispy with creamy spinach and cheese stuffing.  Yum.


Ozzy opted for the kid's spaghetti with the sauce on the side.  He has recently decided that he loves dipping everything, but this time he quickly asked that we pour it on top.  It was a big hit.  This mixed with a playful waitress made for a very happy Oz.  The loud atmosphere was also very good for both kids and parents alike.  Any shenanigans would not upset nearby tables.


http://greekislandsrestaurant.com/


Libby lucks out again!  Greek twice in one month???  Well, she had Dinner Club to thank for that.


Wrap Up
Price-$$-$$$, A fair price for scratch-made meals.
Atmosphere-***, Fun with flames erupting every few minutes and exclamations of Opa!
Service-****, Everything about our service screamed family business that really cares about their customers. 

Overall

Fred - B+, While the house red was uninspiring, I think a few rounds of Ouzo would push this into A territory.  Perhaps next time!
Libby - A, Solid food, fun atmosphere, happy kids = happy parents.
Ozzy- A, Plentiful bread, understanding waitstaff and a good red sauce.  What's not to like?