|
|
|||
A Traditional Taste Of Greece In Commack Greek Village is a charming Greek restaurant in Commack that has been in business for over 30 years. Upon entering, the take out counter is to your left and to the right is an entrance to the large dining area. Beautiful murals are displayed on the walls along with a number of family photographs, giving patrons a glimpse into their family heritage.
The
restaurant is family owned and operated by Milton Steliaros and his son, Aristides
(Aris). Milton ventured to the United States in 1956 from the Greek island of Chios.
His journey took him to Texas and eventually to New York where he began his career
in the restaurant business as a dishwasher. In 1958 Milton started working in a
diner as a line cook and shortly after met his wife and got married in 1961. After
acquiring much experience working in diners and learning the business, Milton became a chef in
1965. Even without attending culinary school he brought many Greek inspired recipes
into these diners, perfecting his cooking skills along the way. Greek Village was opened in 1980 and shortly after opening its doors, Milton’s Greek salad dressing hit the tables becoming a huge success (below center). Aris joined his father’s business venture in 1994 and their partnership became an instant success. Together they decided it was time to grow their business and in 1998 Greek Village expanded with a larger dining area, a private party room and a new, extensive menu. Since then Greek Village has continued to please their customers and we were eager to experience what they had to offer.
Our
server Theresa was friendly and accommodating. She was always making sure we had everything
we needed, generously supplying us with new plates and silverware with each new
dish. She started us off with a Bean Salad and Pita Bread (regular and whole wheat)
with yogurt sauce (below). The Pita Breads were very fresh and combined with the yogurt
sauce created an addicting treat for our taste buds. The yogurt sauce featured a
slight garlic essence, which was quite enjoyable.
Next was the Mixed Spreads Platter – a sampling of traditional Tzatziki, Scordalia, Hummus, Taramosalata and Dolmadakia (below left). The platter was garnished with tomatoes, olives and cucumbers, which like the pita bread, served as great dippers. Each spread was deliciously satisfying and while we were familiar with the Tzatziki and Hummus, Milton took the time to explain the three other offerings. Scordalia is a potato and garlic dip, Taramosalata is a caviar inspired spread and Dolmadakia are stuffed grape leaves.
The outrageous Saganaki was next to come from the kitchen (above right). This imported Kefalotiri cheese melted over sliced tomatoes and served with lemon wedges was simply heavenly. The flavor was just incredible, prompting us to finish every last bite and deem this appetizer an instant favorite amongst the table. You’ll
find Spanakopita (spinach pie) at almost every Greek restaurant out there, however
it can be a hard recipe to perfect (below left). With the first bite we were pleased to learn
Greek Village offers an amazing, authentic Spanakopita, generously stuffed with
fresh, flavorful spinach and a subtle amount of feta cheese. The outer crust is made
from crispy, flaky phyllo dough, offering a nice crunch to complement the smooth,
flavorful filling.
Our first entrée was the Octapodi Skaras – tender octopus broiled under an open flame then drizzled with oil, vinegar and oregano (above right). The presentation was simple, yet elegantly plated and we were pleasantly surprised with the texture complemented by the flavorful medley of oil, vinegar and oregano. The tender octopus was prepared flawlessly and served alongside perfectly roasted potatoes and vegetables. If comfort food is what you seek, we highly recommend the Moussaka - a colossal favorite of sliced potatoes, meat sauce and eggplant, layered and topped with a delicious Béchamel sauce (below left). Similar to a Shepherd’s Pie, the Moussaka is overflowing with luscious flavors, making it hard to resist!
We continued with the Gyro Platter consisting of beef with spices, sliced off a vertical skewer and served over soft rice and fresh vegetables (above right). This entree presents a quintessential Greek gyro, however they do not serve it with tzatziki sauce as most Greek restaurants traditionally do. Instead, they serve their signature sautéed onion sauce alongside their gyros, and although it’s not considered traditional, it is surely an excellent additive. Milton’s
Special Chicken features tender chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta cheese
then baked in a fresh tomato red wine sauce (below left). The aroma immediately enticed our taste
buds and we soon experienced the excellent combination of flavors generated by all
components of the dish. The chicken was thin, tender and juicy and combined with the
tasty stuffing and savory sauce creates a praise worthy, must order chicken dish.
Our
final entrée was the Roasted Leg of Lamb, roasted then sliced and served in a
savory gravy with oven roasted potatoes over spinach and feta cheese (above right). It is a
pleasantly thin cut of meat, which allows the lamb to soak up lots of flavor
from the gravy. We
were delighted to learn all of the desserts served at Greek Village are made in
house in their private, on premise bakery. We sampled three traditional Greek
desserts, all of which smelt delicious as they were presented to our table. To
accompany our desserts we were also offered some Greek coffee, and consider yourself
warned, it is extremely strong (below left)!
The
Kataifi is shredded wheat dough filled with crust almonds and baked to a golden
perfection in their homemade honey syrup (above right). It offered a nice consistency and great
flavor. Next
we were treated to their Baklava – phyllo dough layered with almonds and walnuts
then baked to a golden color, served heated and topped with homemade honey syrup
(below left). It
is an authentic presentation of the renowned Greek dessert.
Lastly
we sampled the Galatobureko, which is one of their most popular desserts (above
right). The phyllo
dough is layered with a semolina custard, baked to a golden color, served heated and
topped with homemade honey syrup. This dessert was extremely light and fluffy,
clearly proving why it is such a best seller. Our
dining experience at Greek Village was one to remember. Here you’ll experience
authentic Greek dining fully equipped with traditional foods, authentic Greek music
and attentive service. Milton, Aris and the rest of their staff go above and beyond
to ensure the satisfaction of their patrons, it’s no wonder they’ve been a
staple in the restaurant business for over 30 years!
|
