Opaa! Chicago’s Greektown Area

In the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the character Gus Portokalos says, “There are two kinds of people: Greeks, and everyone else who wish they was Greek.” If you fall into the latter category, here’s your opportunity to pretend you’re Greek, if only for a few hours. Home to a plethora of Greek restaurants (and the brand new National Hellenic Museum), the Greektown area of Chicago is a mecca of fabulous food, imported wines, and free valet parking. My personal favorites are Greek Islands and The Parthenon, but you really can’t go wrong at Roditys, Santorini, Pegasus, or any of the other restaurants in the Halsted Street/West Loop area (between Van Buren and Madison). Regardless of which restaurant you choose, you must order the saganaki. After all, what’s not to like about flaming cheese? Popular main dishes are pastistio (like a Greek lasagna), souvlaki (shish kabob), moussaka (an eggplant and meat dish), dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie), and of course, gyros (pronounced yee-rohs). Or just order a combination plate or dine family style and sample more than one. If you’re not too full, indulge your sweet tooth with baklava, creme caramel, or galaktoboureko (custard in phyllo dough) for dessert. So visit Greektown, enjoy some traditional Greek food, have a glass of ouzo, and relax to the background bouzouki music. Your Yia Yia would be proud. (To get to Greektown via public transportation from the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, take the Blue line El to the UIC-Halsted station.) Linda Kelley is a member of the STC Chicago 2012 Host Committee and currently serves as the Vice President of the STC Chicago chapter.