Restaurant Review: Opa!! for Greektown’s Greek Islands Restaurant
“There are those who are Greek. And those who wish they were Greek.”
Gus Portakalos, ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’
Grecian cooking at its bestis about a deliciousbalance of proteins, grains, vegetables, and a liberal helping of fragrant spices.
While there are many great Greek restaurants in Chicago, only one has billed itself “the most popular Greek restaurant in the United States.”
Greektown’s Greek Islands Restaurant began in 1971, and today, the same owners continue with the founding principles of great food, great service, and value.
As their website notes, from Greece they select and ship the highest quality extra virgin olive oil, superior wines the best cheeses, herbs, and seafood.
Start your journey through the Greek Islands with starters like Fried Eggplant, atraditional favorite of fried eggplant smothered in a tangy tomato cheese sauce, or Kontosouvli, whichis pork on the spit, served with onions, pita and horseradish yogurt sauce. Dolmades are a Greek tradition…grape leaves stuffed with ground meat and rice, topped with an egg-lemon sauce. Flaming Saganaki Cheese is a tableside performance of flambéeing a fine imported Greek cheese with a dry white wine, ending in a hearty Opa!! Calamari (squid) is served grilled or pan-fried in Greek Islands’ zesty homemade cocktail sauce.
One of my favorite Greek specialties is Avgolemono, a soup made with homemade chicken broth, rice, and egg-lemon. Soothing , creamy and delicious, Greek Islands serves the soup daily. Psarosoupa is a special seafood gumbo made with red snapper and grouper chunks. Athenian ~ Traditional Greek Salad has fresh lettuce, fresh vine tomatoes, Greek olives and feta cheese. Paschalini Salata is a unique, finely chopped mix of romaine, dill, and scallions.
Entrees include such traditional fare as Mousaka, a mix of baked eggplant, ground meat and potato casserole topped with béchamel sauce, Combination Plate of roast leg of lamb, mousaka, dolmades, meatball, vegetables and potatoes. Grilled Vegetarian Shishkabob are two skewers of the fresh vegetables of the day. Roast Leg of Lamb is a domestic lamb flavored with au jus sauce, served with rice and potatoes or briami (roasted vegetables, the Greek way).
Specialties at the Chicago restaurant include their Broiled Loin Lamb Chops, a char-broiled Colorado loin lamb chops served with rice, potatoes, or briami. Suckling Pig Fournou is a tender and juicy baby pig, oven roasted to perfection and served with potatoes. Lamb with Hilopites is the Colorado braised lamb in a tomato sauce served with Greek pasta. Lamb with Spinach is the Colorado braised lamb in a tomato sauce served with spinach. Check daily for specials.
Seafood selections include a Broiled Swordfish Shishkabob with fresh, tender swordfish chunks marinated and then broiled to perfection, served with rice & potatoes or briami. Shrimp Tourkolimano are shrimp, crumbled feta & tomato sauce baked in a sizzle plate, served with rice & potatoes or briami. Grilled Octopus is tender octopus in a Greek marinade, served with rice & potatoes or briami.
Ala carte Vegetable Options shouldn’t be missed, including Fresh Artichokes served in their homemade egg-lemon sauce, and Bamies… baked okra in a light tomato sauce.
Finish the meals with a delectable homemade Baklava, or Karidopita, a Greek dessert cake made primarily from walnuts and covered in a sweet syrup, or Galaktobouriko, acreamy semolina custard baked in layers of buttery phyllo pastry and soaked in citrus-flavored syrup.
Yum to all!
Greek Islands is located at 200 S. Halsted Street. They are open Tuesday – Thursday, 11am – 9pm, Friday and Saturday: 11am-9:30pm, and Sunday, 11am – 9:00 pm. They are closed Mondays. While it doesn’t appear they take reservations, for information, click here.
Alison Moran-Powers and Dean’s Team Chicago
