Food: It Was Greek To Me

Editor's update 1/11/11: The Santorini Greek Bar and Grill has closed, but in its place is Dimitri's On The Water.

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The fifth of July was another one of those soggy days in SOG City and the Camellia of the Cuyahoga was getting cabin fever. Remembering a previous soggy day's adventure, I suggested we go Greek at the Santorini Greek Grill and Bar in Tarpon Springs. The Lily of Lima jumped on that suggestion, so off we went.

We have been going to Santorini's for years. We love their food and enjoy sitting at one of their water-side tables. We are always reminded of a meal we had at a little taverna at water's edge in Amoudi Bay on the island of Santorini. It was there that we met our own "Shirley Valentine." That was also where a waiter took a seafood order at another table, stripped to his underwear, donned a wetsuit, and with mask, snorkel, flippers and a spear gun, jumped into the bay to provide the patrons with the freshest of seafood. No one at Santorini's in Tarpon has ever done that for us. Our only disappointment!

We have dined from all over the menu. My bride loves their Greek Salad with a blob of potato salad while I prefer the traditional Greek salad without lettuce, horiatiki. The lamb shank is a real winner for me and the Oleander of Ohio enjoys the mousaka and chicken souvlaki. I salivate over their pan-fried smelts, but my all time favorites are the octopodi, either the char-grilled octopus with a side order of horta or the Mediterranean octopus. Both are tender and delicious and my mouth is watering even as I type. I believe I should have another glass of perfectly chilled Greek Retsina.

I cannot speak with authority on Santorini's fried calamari, but a sweet four year old lady at an adjacent table pretty much polished off a complete order and proclaimed the dish to be quite satisfactory. Would that more children be as mannerly and well bred as this charming lass.

We had a very pleasant outing yesterday to Tarpon Springs and to the staff and management of Santorini's we say, efharisto.