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Saturday 9 April 2011

Is Kalamata the Best Greek in Town?


Plumber still working in the kitchen, so with no running water, dinner out (again). But what to eat; craving Greek or Italian; don't know of any close by...

A click on Urbanspoon app brought out tons of junk pizza places, but among those one Kalamata Greek Taverna stood out. Let's try it.

A sweet, rushed waitress cleaned the window table of choice in 30 seconds and the best Greek dining experience in the city began.


When I lived in Montreal, my authentic Greek friends taught me that Greek Salad has only tomatoes, cucumber, onions, feta and olives, and light sprinkles of salt, oregano and olive oil. Kalamata's Greek Salad was as authentic as I recall those home made salads in Montreal to be. This was served with freshly baked (not microwaved) hot Greek whole wheat flour pitas. I was in Mediterranean heaven.



Being hungry and to obtain a point of comparison, two typical Greek appetizers were ordered - Keftedes & Spanakopita. Again, freshly made (judging from the textures and the time to serve) and delicious. The Spanakopita was large, fully stuffed with spinach and feta, and crunches in your mouth. The seven Keftedes were simply flavoured, perfectly fried and not over-packed with unnecessary spices. The Tzatziki was excellent - made with real Greek thick yogurt, enough garlic to make it tasty, but not overdone. Eating it with the leftover pieces of the Greek pita kept me in the Mediterranean heaven.


While the lamb souvlaki platter may look like any other one in any Greek restaurant, the taste is definitely miles apart from anything I had in Vancouver. A generous portion of lamb that was perfectly grilled and lightly spiced. The potatoes were not swimming in lemon and oil - simply roasted with a bit of salt and paprika, and perfectly made rice with fresh carrots, celery, peppers and spinach. The plate on the right in the picture above are the leftovers to go from the great meal in Mediterranean heaven.




Kalamata Greek Taverna
388 West Broadway
Vancouver, BC
Kalamata Greek Taverna on Urbanspoon

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