The Unvegan

‘Greek’

Greek Tapas at Mediterraneo

December 23rd, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Hummus and tapas?

While wandering the Hermosa Pier in search for some sort of food to eat, the girlfriend and I discovered a place called Mediterraneo. It seemed like one of the few places on the pier that would be a better restaurant than a bar, so we decided to check it out. While the name implies Greek food, we were surprised to find that this wasn’t some simple gyro and pita place (although that wouldn’t necessarily have been a bad thing). Instead, we found that they were a tapas place that didn’t limit itself to the Spanish style. In addition to Spanish, there was also a nice Greek influence that could be found in menu items like hummus, beets and feta cheese. Continue Reading»

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Greek, hermosa beach, Los Angeles, Mediterranean, restaurants, spanish, tapas

Lacking Meat at Noosh Deli

September 8th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Three prongs of meat?

In North Hollywood there is a deli unlike any I had ever seen before. Rather than being filled with cold cuts, pastrami or Italian sandwiches, this deli has food with more of a Greek and Armenian flair. It is called Noosh Deli and although not the usual deli, I figured it had to be worth a try. Scanning the menu, I decided any Greek place had to have some good gyros, so I ordered their Beef Gyro Sandwich (with fries and a drink for 6.99). It came with lettuce, tomato, onion and yogurt sauce. I ordered without the veggies and waited 7 or 8 minutes until the sandwich was prepped and ready to go. Continue Reading»

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Armenian, Delis, Greek, gyros, Los Angeles, meat, Mediterranean, noosh deli, north hollywood, restaurants

Getting Chili on Top at Lulu’s Coney Island

July 13th, 2010 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Now that's loose.

With nearly every visit back to Michigan (time permitting), there is a requisite stop at a Coney Island. You can’t drive more than a few miles in the metro Detroit area without hitting a Coney, and I’m pretty sure they are all awesome. My go-to Coney growing up was Leo’s, but sometimes convenience outweighs loyalty. So last time I was back in the homeland, we went to Lulu’s Coney Island in Walled Lake. Continue Reading»

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Burgers, Chili, Coney Dog, Coney Island, Greek, Hot Dogs, loose burger, lulu's coney island, meat, michigan, restaurants, Travel, walled lake

Getting Loose at Leo’s Coney Island

December 17th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Looks are deceiving.

The phenomenon of the Coney Island is one of the greatest aspects of eating out in the Detroit area in Michigan. Completely unrelated to the actual Coney Island in New York, these restaurants are a result of the mixing of Greek and American foods, with the addition of the famous Coney Dog. Everyone has their favorite Coney Island, and sometimes the favorite one is just around the corner. I grew up with Farmington Coney Island half a mile away and would go at least once a week. Continue Reading»

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American, Coney Dog, Coney Island, detroit, farmington hills, farmington souvlaki, Greek, Hot Dogs, leo stassinopoulos, leo's coney island, loose burger, michigan

Road Tripping to the Mad Greek Cafe

November 30th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Maddeningly Greek.

My usual drive to Las Vegas involves getting there as fast as possible to gamble and returning as fast as possible to cry into my pillowcase after losing copious amounts of money. This trip, however, was a bit different. Rather than a rush back home, we took our time and stopped for lunch.

Anyone who has made the drive between Los Angeles and Las Vegas knows of the Mad Greek Cafe. Billboards seem to advertise the “Best Gyro” every few miles, so for our little road trip lunch, we thought a trip to Baker, California and a stop at the Mad Greek Cafe would be worth our while. Continue Reading»

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Baker, California, Greek, gyros, Las Vegas, Mediterranean, restaurants, road trip, Travel

An Ode to Olga’s Snackers

October 14th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

These could bring world peace.

While in Michigan, one restaurant I had to visit was Olga’s Kitchen in West Bloomfield. The local chain has been around forever and has never attempted to veer away from the core factor that makes the restaurant a success. This core factor is Olga Bread and it is no ordinary bread. The closest thing it can be compared to is Greek pita, but to simply call it Greek pita would be an injustice. It is buttery and crispy and multiple levels of delicious. Olga’s uses it to make their sandwiches and as a side for their salads, but by far the best use of Olga Bread is in Olga’s Snackers. Continue Reading»

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Chains, Cheese, Greek, michigan, olga bread, olga snackers, olga's kitchen, pita bread, restaurants, Sandwiches, west bloomfield

Unlikely Good Greek at Aliki’s Greek Taverna

October 8th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Better on the second try.

A friend of mine suggested a random Greek place called Aliki’s Greek Taverna and I blindly followed him. We ended up close to the airport, on sketchy side street next to a motel. It would have been a great start to a horror story, but instead it was the start of a great meal. On the outside, Aliki’s looked like any old generic restaurant attached to a motel, and the inside wasn’t much better aside from the olive oil on display rather than a crane game.

We were approached by a tall man with an accent (the manager?) and handed some carry-out menus. Thinking this would be a perfect chance to look beyond the world of lamb gyros, I ordered the Chicken Gyros, but with only feta cheese and tzatziki sauce and no lettuce, tomatoes or onions. It also came with a side of hummus, fries or lemon potatoes. I chose the hummus, which is always a good test for Greek food. Our accented manager took our orders to the cook and then we waited. Continue Reading»

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Chicken, food, Greek, Los Angeles, meat, restaurants, westchester

Going Greek at Papa Cristo’s

September 24th, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

Octobabies!

I had wanted to go to Papa Cristo’s for a long time, but I just didn’t realize it. You see, the outside of the restaurant/market really makes no major reference to the name of the place. Instead, it just says “Greek Food.” When my friend suggested trying it, I complied without realizing it was the place I had driven by so many times.

Inside, the place has a miniature Greek market, a counter to order food at and a big room that can double as a dining room or banquet room. My first stop was the counter to place my order. We ordered some of the Octapodakia appetizer, which is grilled baby octopus. I also ordered the Kreatopita, deliciously described on the menu as a meat pie. For my main course, I decided to get back to the Greek basics and ordered the Gyros sandwich. This came with lettuce and tomatoes, so I ordered it without. Continue Reading»

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downtown, food, Greek, gyros, Koreatown, Los Angeles, meat, mediterannean, octopus, papa cristo's, restaurants, Reviews, Seafood

Eating Greek the Fast Way at Daphne’s Greek Cafe

July 21st, 2009 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

What's Greek for burger?

Since the entire concept of Greek fast food is a bit confusing, I decided to check out Daphne’s Greek Cafe in Culver City and see what it was all about.

A quick perusal of the menu revealed the Pitaburger. This burger is pretty much exactly what it sounds like, because instead of a bun, they use authentic Greek pita. The differences between this burger and other burgers does not end there, however. Rather than typical burger toppings, this one comes with Greek offerings like feta cheese and for an additional bit of pocket change, you can get gyros added to the burger to make it as meaty as possible. This burger was not without fault in its intended version, though, as it also came with burger killers like lettuce and tomato. Continue Reading»

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Burgers, Culver City, Daphne's, Fast Food, Greek, gyros, hamburgers, Los Angeles, meat, pita, restaurants, Reviews

Yanni’s Greek Taverna

November 29th, 2008 Tweet Facebook Digg Stumble Reddit

A nice arrangement of tasty Greek food.

I was still recovering from Thanksgiving when a friend suggested Greek food. It sounded good to me, so we decided to order some carry-out from Yanni’s Greek Taverna in Northwest Washington, DC.

Yanni’s menu is loaded with souvlaki, gyros and other Greek foods. I decided on the chicken souvlaki, which comes as a pita or a platter. Despite the “Greek Salad” that would be included, I opted for the platter, making sure to order without the vile onions or tomatoes. Continue Reading»

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food, Greek, meat, Mediterranean, restaurants, Washington DC

Rants and Raves

The Meat Industry Supports America

June 17th, 2009

According to a recent study, the meat industry and all its components contribute more than $832 billion (5.8% of the GDP) to the US economy. That is no small figure. In these days of economic recession we hear giant numbers tossed around like they are pennies, but let’s consider what this particular huge number does, other than provide sustenance for unvegans all over the country.

This money goes towards employing more than 6 million people who will earn almost $200 billion because of the industry. But it is not simply about the individual people, but what the industry does for the country as a whole.

Going Global at Plan Check

Fries of the world.

A couple of weeks ago, The Backyard Bite invited me to The Burger Culture Clash, sponsored by Stussy (which apparently still exists) and Plan Check. Plan Check, by the way, is a sort of new (since February) restaurant in West LA with Chef Ernesto Uchimura of Umami Burger fame. As my love of burgers, especially those of the umami variety, I jumped at the opportunity.

Although I arrived alone, I was not the only lone eater. Just next to where I was seated, I met e*star LA and we decided to share a meal called loneliness, because it’s better than eating alone. We made quick friends over our respective blogs and Midwestern roots, then got to work at dissecting the special menu, which Plan Check will be featuring for the next month if anything tickles your fancy.

‘Greek’

Greek Tapas at Mediterraneo

Lacking Meat at Noosh Deli

Getting Chili on Top at Lulu’s Coney Island

Getting Loose at Leo’s Coney Island

Road Tripping to the Mad Greek Cafe

An Ode to Olga’s Snackers

Unlikely Good Greek at Aliki’s Greek Taverna

Going Greek at Papa Cristo’s

Eating Greek the Fast Way at Daphne’s Greek Cafe

Yanni’s Greek Taverna

Rants and Raves

The Meat Industry Supports America

Going Global at Plan Check

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