Both Memorial Day weekend and the St. Anna Greek Food and Wine Festival in Roseville have officially marked the start of summer for me two years running. It’s never too early to mark your calendar for 2018 and plan to spend a day kicking off your summer, Greek-style.
When I think Greek festival, I think amazing, authentic Greek food – of course, custom and culture, too, but if I’m being honest, the food is top of mind for me. From Moussaka, to spanakopita, and a plethora of salads in between, you have to come hungry and try a little of everything.
But even better than the food this year was the special sampling of five imported Greek wines from vines throughout Greece. Didn’t know Greece was a wine producer, did ya? Well, Greece is one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world, but Greek wine is not widely available here in the U.S. Well, until now that is, thanks to a local importer, Shaji Mathew, who is introducing Greek wines to festival-goers across the region. Now in their second year serving up the Greek Festival in Roseville, his imports are catching on and selling out by the glass.
Shaji and his wife, Vijna, have a belief in sharing the wines “from people who want to swim against the current,” Shaji says. They travel throughout the world to visit wineries and to meet winemakers, mostly those who produce 30,000 bottles or less from Greece, France, Spain, Italy, and Argentina, with plans for introducing some Mexican wines soon.
“I travel to meet the winemakers, get an understanding what the wines are about, to know what they’re doing in their vineyards, so I know what to expect in the wine. Authenticity is key. These wines are not mass produced and there’s a story behind each one.”
With each taste, I was instantly transported to the islands of Crete and Evia, with their blue waters and white rooftops. The white and light red blends were refreshing for a hot summer day: Pop Art, a dry white blend of Athiri and Malagousia varietals from Lykos Winery reflected subtle stone fruit flavors, and my fruit-forward favorite, a Grenache Rouge by Idaia Winery, was very pleasing to the palate.
All the vineyards Shaji works with grow their grapes sustainably, and many also practice organic and bio-dynamic farming. He brings the fruits of that meticulous labor here through his website Terra Vigna, wine club and at festivals, re-distributing throughout the U.S. (where possible), for all to try.
Visit Terra Vigna’s website to learn more about Greek wines, or consider visiting one of these two upcoming festivals to experiences the wines first-hand:
San Jose Greek Festival: June 2, 3 & 4
Reno Greek Festival: August 18, 19, 20
And, cheers! Or, in Greek, ΥΓΕΙΑ (phonetic pronunciation: Yamas)!
Petra, Sacramento
A few weeks ago, a few of the Sac Foodies opted for an out-of-office lunch and decided to try Petra, a new Greek restaurant located in the downtown Firestone complex, also home to other popular restaurants like California Pizza Kitchen, De Vere’s Irish Pub, and Sapporo Grill.
After studying Petra’s menu which included Gyros, hamburgers, salads, Souvlaki, Baklava, and more we placed our orders and waited in anticipation for the Greek goodness. I think it’s safe to say Petra met our lunchtime expectations:
Liz Conant and Brittany Mohr: “We each had a chicken gyro. You know it’s authentic when they stuff French fries into the gyro, just like in Greece! The chicken had great flavor, and the tzatziki was delicious. The only thing we would do differently next time is request an extra side of tzatziki – you can never have too much sauce. We can’t wait to visit Petra again and try more menu items – the baklava is definitely high on our list.”
Karlie Bettencourt: “I have to admit that before going to Petra, I had never tried Greek food before so I had no clue what to expect! I also ordered the chicken gyro and I was pleasantly surprised to find the French fries tucked inside. I tend to be very picky when it comes to sauces but the tzatziki was delicious. It was a great first-time Greek experience.”
Jenna Buhagiar: “I had the lamb gyro and just like Liz and Britt, also thought it was delicious. The lamb was full of flavor and the pita was the perfect combination of super soft on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside. I’d definitely recommend!”
Cecily Fuller: “A simple Greek salad with some chicken added to it was calling my name on this particular afternoon. That might sound a little “light” for any Greek restaurateurs out there, but believe me, they sure didn’t skimp on the chicken which was seasoned to perfection, putting a whole new twist on your typical Greek salad.”
Petra
1122 16th St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 443-1993
It's Greek to Me: Symposium Restaurant
I love Greek food. To me, there’s nothing better than a warm pita overflowing with gyro meat, tzatziki, cucumbers, feta and some kalamata olives on top. Yum.
Lucky for me, a close friend of mine just happens to be Greek and knows everything about the cuisine. So, when she asked me to try out Symposium, a Greek restaurant in Davis, with her as my guide, it was a no brainer.
I spent the entire afternoon wondering what I would order, pretending that I wasn’t going to fall back on my typical gyro entrée. Imagine my surprise when she nonchalantly mentioned in the car ride to the restaurant that Symposium has the best pizza in Davis! I was at a loss for words and, honestly, a little nervous. Pizza? Greek?
When I walked inside, I immediately noticed the restaurant’s full name: Symposium Restaurant & Pizza House. Once I saw the framed pictures of Bill Clinton and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the wall, I figured this place had to be pretty good.
The menu has a full selection of typical Greek dishes plus 26 gourmet pizzas – talk about a tough decision. After carefully looking over the menu while snacking on the delicious pizza dough bread rolls, we decided to split a Gyro Platter and the Spankotiropizza. The platter was simple but perfect with generous servings of gyro meat, cucumbers, tomatoes, homemade tzatziki and warm pita pockets.
As for the pizza, well, let’s just say the Italians have some serious competition! The combination of three Greek cheeses and Spinach on the homemade dough delivered a taste that was out of this world. While munching away, we couldn’t help but notice the surrounding tables’ pizza choices, each one looking like its own unique masterpiece. Somehow, I think we may have left the restaurant still hungry for more!
All in all, Symposium Restaurant & Pizza House knows how to remain true to classic Greek cuisine while also stepping over the culinary edge to make fantastic gourmet pizza equal to any Italian pizzeria.
Symposium Restaurant & Pizza House
1620 E 8th St
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 756-3850