 |
The above quote from old Socrates, the wise philosopher of ancient Greece , still makes a lot of sense, especially in this country of much abundance. We know we should eat healthy foods - and not too much of it - in order to nourish our bodies. But how many of us use excuses to overindulge in food; it makes us feel better when we're sad and we celebrate with it when we're happy. Socrates' words about not letting food rule our lives is especially hard to follow when you dine on the fabulous food that is served at the My Big Fat Greek Restaurants across the Valley.
If you're into reading articles about good health, you already know that eating Mediterranean-style food is very good for you - foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, fish and olive oil. These foods are good for your heart, cholesterol reduction, and weight control. All the My Big Fat Greek Restaurants serve delicious and healthy Mediterranean food, although the cuisine at these restaurants has been tweaked to appeal to the American palate. For instance, Greeks love their olive oil and don't mind seeing their food floating in it. So while olive oil is good for you, most Americans would rather see a more subtle touch of it in their food. The cooks at all the My Big Fat Greek Restaurants make sure that there's no excess oil in their moussaka (eggplant, ground meat, cream sauce) and pastitsio (macaroni, ground meat, cream sauce) dishes. There are also American-style dishes like hamburgers and pizza, enhanced with Mediterranean spices, to attract even the fussiest of eaters. |
We dined recently at My Big Fat Greek Restaurant located in Paradise Valley near the Paradise Valley Mall. This restaurant is one of several run by two men who go by one name only - Yianni and Christo. Yianni, a single father of two girls, came to the United States from Greece at the tender age of 17, where he had worked in the family's restaurant business. He lived in Chicago , Seattle and Los Angeles , honing his restaurant entrepreneurship skills before he settled here in Arizona . The first My Big Fat Greek Restaurant opened in Tempe on the college town's popular Mill Avenue . Following that success, Yianni and Christo opened four more - in Paradise Valley (the one closest to the North Valley ), downtown Scottsdale , Mesa and Awautukee. The ambitious owners are planning to expand and open four more - two in Glendale (one across from the Glendale Arena), one at Van Buren and 3 rd near the Herberger at Copper Square and one at 23 rd and Camelback. They are also planning to put one in the Tucson Mall.
All five restaurants are run out of the main restaurant in Tempe . Most of the food, except for the salads and dips, is made there and distributed to the other restaurants by two refrigerated trucks, which start out at 5:00 am every day. Yianni wants the food at all his restaurants to be consistent in flavor. "I don't want each restaurant to have to teach their employees 'Restaurant 101,'" he says. Yianni's and Christo's restaurants employ a total of 400 employees and have three managers at each to oversee operations. The largest restaurant, which seats 300, is in Awautukee and features musical entertainment (Yianni himself plays piano there). "It's a place where you can have a $2 million atmosphere for the price of a simple meal," he says.
In addition to the moussaka and pastitsio, other delicious Greek dishes to try are souvlaki (beef, chicken, lamb, pork or shimp grilled on a skewer), spanakopeta (spinach pies), souzoukakia (meatballs seasoned with cumin, garlic and rosemary in tomato sauce), tzatziki (cucumber yogurt dip) and hummus (chickpea and sesame dip). If your palate leans to more American cuisine, they also serve delicious burgers, wraps, pizza, steaks and seafood. For high drama you absolutely have to try their dramatic flaming saganaki, which is delicious Greek imported cheese melted by a leaping flame fueled by ouzo and metaxa liqueurs. And the desserts - Greek gods must have made these! You can have traditional baklava (layers of filo, pistachio/walnuts sweetened with honey and spices), or flambé baklava (another flaming wonder), baklava cheesecake, NY cheesecake, chocolate cake and tiramisu. Opa! |
 |
INFO> 10625 N. Tatum, Paradise Valley , 480-607-1212, azeats.com/mybigfatgreek/default.htm
**************************************************************************************************************
If you hanker for a small taste of Greece , you won't have to go much farther than Anthem, where Mr. Gyro II opened last year in the Safeway shopping mall, right next to Subway. The two owners Tony Koma and Ben Odeesh are not Greek, but Assyrian, an ethnic group that goes back to biblical days. Born in Chicago , Tony does have a Greek grandmother and a Greek cousin. He owns two other restaurants, Mr. Gyro I on 35 th and Bell and Burger Mania, also on Bell . He's lived in Phoenix for the past four years after spending some time in Las Vegas after leaving Chicago .
In addition to their fabulous Greek dishes, Mr. Gyro II also serves burgers and Chicago-style hot dogs and Philadelphia cheese steak sandwiches. The quality of the gyros (pronounced "yearo"), the souvlaki and chicken is excellent; the meat tender and moist. Delicious pita bread dipped in creamy hummus and tzatsiki (yogurt and diced cucumbers) will make your mouth water. And the quantities! You won't leave this restaurant hungry!
So, whether you're longing for an ethnic fix or just want to remember your days in Chicago or Philly, you've got to come here. If you've never had the pleasure of tasting good Greek food or the spicy goodness of Chicago hot dogs or the scrumptious taste of a Philly cheese steak sandwich, don't wait any longer to add these items to your list of experiences.
INFO> Mr. Gyros II, 3655 W. Anthem Way ( Safeway Plaza ), 623-551-6458 |
