Best Greek Restaurant in Baltimore?

[B.K.]

Originally Posted by westsideboy

The best Greek food in Maryland is going to be at my house tonight! Our pumpkin plant is still making flowers, so fried squash flowers, goat cheese, and honey are my midnight snack. Thanks dear wife!

You are truly lucky! I don't like summer squashes or zucchini, but the stuffed and fried blossoms are the bees knees!
Growing up we were lucky enough to have a Greek family as neighbors. The wife was an old friend of my father's family, so we were occasional dinner guests, as they had kids our own age as well. She was an amazing cook, and we always looked forward to an invitation. Great skordalia, moussaka, pastischio, dolmades, an amazing stewed lamb dish with lots of onions and prunes, raisins, apricots and other dried fruit served over orzo. Home-made baklava or another pastry similar to shredded wheat stuffed with custard or sweet cheese soaked in honey for desserts.
They also kept their own beehives and fig trees, and grew most of their own herbs and vegetables as well.
Every Easter the husband, Pete R., would dig a pit in the yard and roast a whole lamb with potatoes and invite the neighborhood for a feast. Good old days of youth!

[dogpark]

Originally Posted by B.K.

You are truly lucky! I don't like summer squashes or zucchini, but the stuffed and fried blossoms are the bees knees!
Growing up we were lucky enough to have a Greek family as neighbors. The wife was an old friend of my father's family, so we were occasional dinner guests, as they had kids our own age as well. She was an amazing cook, and we always looked forward to an invitation. Great skordalia, moussaka, pastischio, dolmades, an amazing stewed lamb dish with lots of onions and prunes, raisins, apricots and other dried fruit served over orzo. Home-made baklava or another pastry similar to shredded wheat stuffed with custard or sweet cheese soaked in honey for desserts.
They also kept their own beehives and fig trees, and grew most of their own herbs and vegetables as well.
Every Easter the husband, Pete R., would dig a pit in the yard and roast a whole lamb with potatoes and invite the neighborhood for a feast. Good old days of youth!

That's awesome, sounds like great neighbors!

Once upon a time I worked on large mechanical contracts in secure Federal installations. The family that ran teh contracting comapny is Greek and one of the sons ran our crew. He was tough but fair and we worked hard (I was one of the few non Greek or Hispanics on that crew). Right around Easter though, he was joyous, playful and lenient, even brought in some homemade Easter bread to share. We met other members of the family too, wonderful warm people.

[westsideboy]

Originally Posted by B.K.

You are truly lucky! I don't like summer squashes or zucchini, but the stuffed and fried blossoms are the bees knees!
Growing up we were lucky enough to have a Greek family as neighbors. The wife was an old friend of my father's family, so we were occasional dinner guests, as they had kids our own age as well. She was an amazing cook, and we always looked forward to an invitation. Great skordalia, moussaka, pastischio, dolmades, an amazing stewed lamb dish with lots of onions and prunes, raisins, apricots and other dried fruit served over orzo. Home-made baklava or another pastry similar to shredded wheat stuffed with custard or sweet cheese soaked in honey for desserts.
They also kept their own beehives and fig trees, and grew most of their own herbs and vegetables as well.
Every Easter the husband, Pete R., would dig a pit in the yard and roast a whole lamb with potatoes and invite the neighborhood for a feast. Good old days of youth!

I always feel a bit bad for the bees since we steal their flowers! Still, at this time of year, they are slowing down too. I am thinking the dessert you are thinking of is galaktaboureko, which is sweetened semolina pudding between phyllo dough sheets. Kataifi is shredded wheat like treats soaked a honey/sugar solution, so it could be that too.

We did something a bit different last night, my wife used buckwheat flour as a batter for the squash flowers, so they tasted like buckwheat donuts when we ate them with the honey. Firefly Farms sells some really neat goat cheese varieties, so we finished of our wedge of that too.

Yeah, holidays are a great time. Nice breads, lamb, generosity. I remember one Thanksgiving where my wife's Yia Yia made a 3rd turkey (I always called turkey #2 the "display turkey") to send home with the honored guest. There was lamb too, of course. I always joke that family meals are a failure if at the end of all of us eating, we made a dent in any of the dishes.......there is always so much!

[barante]

I like the new Samos even better. Inside seating, as well as tables outside. In the new shopping center southeast of Boston & Conkling. Near where Target is. Lots of other eating options as well.

[Infinite_heights77]

I've spoken to some of my Grecian friends and they've expressed to me that Samos is just "ok, so-so" to them, and the prices are too high for the amount of food you pay for.

[ffknight918]

Originally Posted by barante

I like the new Samos even better. Inside seating, as well as tables outside. In the new shopping center southeast of Boston & Conkling. Near where Target is. Lots of other eating options as well.

I like the new one but it's a bit different of a menu than the original. I guess it just depends what you are in the mood for.

[emmiesix]

I am not Greek, but I live with one and have visited his family on long vacations in Greece every summer. I'm also a food snob, lol.

That said, Samos is indeed "just ok" with us. I would call what they do "Greek-American" -- you know, the same way no one actually thinks Taco Bell is "Mexican". They put dressing and lettuce (!!) on their "greek salad" which is a huge red flag. So is pita with everything. Go to Greece. Pita is used for Gyros, but otherwise it's not seen much. They use normal bread for most things like everyone else. That said Samos was not the *worst* Greek food we've ever eaten, so there is that.

The best Greek food in our opinion are the expensive places -- Black Olive #1 and Ouzo Bay a close second. These are very close to eating at similar fine-dining places in Greece and are really good. Of course, they are not really the place to go to get myerifta or gemista (aka the stuff your grandmother or yia-yia makes). Also Cava Meze is coming soon -- it is a chain we know from DC and they do very decent modern Greek food along with some other nationalities.

Edited to add that Souvlaki in Hampden is pretty decent if you want the more budget-friendly fare. I think the Bifteki is way better than the Souvlaki though. And I wish they would switch to hand-cut fries instead of pre-fried frozen. The latter is only seen in the worst tourist shops in Greece...

[nurider2002]

Originally Posted by B.K.

Big fan of Samos, too. Been going there since their main focus was as a sub/pizza carryout that offered a few Greek specialties done very well. Ikaros on Eastern Ave. also used to be very good, but I haven't been there for a few years. Their grilled Porgy used to be so outstanding that I stole their recipe.
Biggest disappointment in Greek has been the Black Olive, where "authentic"="very expensive." First time, they were the hot, new, trendy, Greek fishhouse with great reviews. I took my parents from Atlanta there. I hated apologizing to them afterwards. Second experience years later with just my wife and me was equally bad, but even more over-priced.
Favorite Greek Restaurant in the Country is still The Parthenon on Halsted Street in Chicago-old fashioned, traditional Greek and Greek/American favorites, cheesy-fun atmosphere, free shots of Ouzo if you have to wait for a table, the best Sagnaki, fried sweetbreads and grilled Octopus I've ever had. Go there every time I'm in the Windy City.

Just ate at the Parthenon in August. AMAZING. Haven't been to Samos but seems everytime I go there's a line to get in! Wish they would get a liquor licence.

[Honincanton]

Samos on Oldham street is the very best. Cash only and there is an ATM inside the restaurant which is usually packed. The offshoot of this is Samos in the new Canton Crossing shopping area but the original Samos is tops. According to my Greek friend the grilled octopus at Samos on Oldham street cannot be beat...well charred & piping hot.