My Big Fat Greek Dinner

Imaginary calorie counting. What does that mean? It means I ate a smart breakfast, no lunch, and a smart afternoon snack in preparation for the zero calorie Greek dinner I was going to partake in with my friends. Can you see where imagination would have to be employed?

We celebrated Kathy's, her sister Cindi's and Jeff's birthdays at The Acropolis Greek Taverna. It was one of the most fun dinners I have ever had. We seated 11 people which meant that I had to agree to taverna or family style dining for a set price (excluding alcohol) when I made our reservations. They brought us a little bit of everything from appetizer to desserts to share. Our table was covered from one end to the other of the following courses:

1. Greek salad
2. Saganaki (cheese flambe)
3. Spanakopita (spinach pie)
4. Four Mediterranean dips with pita bread (cucumber, eggplant, hummus, salmon)
5. Fried smelt (fish)
6. Calamari (fried squid)
7. Grouper (fish) over veggies
8. Beef and Chicken Kebabs
9. Lamb and Orzo
10. Plates of desserts
11. * and during hedonistic delight in consuming the obscenely delicious food you could order drinks like cola, water, tea, regular coffee and/or specialty coffees included in the price. Most of us had alcohol in addition and the mixed drinks were fabulous! I had a Kamikaze.
    

The atmosphere was definitely for fun. There was live entertainment with a musician, the waitstaff dancing arm in arm like a weaving centipede around the tables at different moments, belly dancing and birthday music sang in a Greek techno dance theme several times. It got loud with the Opa!(s), the clapping during the belly dance and general din of the crowd.

Paper napkins tossed are all over the place by the staff. OPA!


Dan got tagged. There are more pictures of him dancing with the belly dancer, but we won't go there. It was great!


Just another course...


Almost got too full for this...I said almost!



This was worth it all. We were laughing, drinking, eating and more laughing for almost four hours. I would love to do it again!



Oddly enough: My old friend Sam from high school sent me a note from classmates.com this afternoon. I am so pleased he wrote me. He is full blooded Greek. His summers were spent in Greece and he would come back sporting a dark golden color. Sam still lives in Wyoming and is a power lifter. Now if only our other pal John would contact me, we could have our trio back. Through Sam, I learned how to drink ouzo and enjoy my first real Greek food. I remember laughing a lot in class and outside of class when he was around. If he's reading this: I also remember what you and John gave me for my 18th birthday (or was that graduation?). Let's just say it could give quite the buzz.
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My Big Fat Greek Dinner