Meal #60 – Greece

Greece is the home of philosophy, democracy and some wonderfully mythic sagas. This meal, as all who attended agreed, was the stuff of legends.

White Village Greek Tavern
582 Glen Huntly Rd
Elsternwick

White Village Greek Tavern is a busy restaurant that is decorated with the highest levels of Greek décor – blue and white paint and bouzoukis on the walls…classy! There is no set menu; instead the waiters just keep coming with Greek dish after Greek dish, and for $36 a head it is truly a banquet fit for any Greek hero. However, as the food arrived so quickly, and was so tasty, and because we were so hungry – we forgot to take photos of the dishes. This weeks gorgeous gang of Greek gastronomes were Paul, Deb, Ross, Sai, Rami and Caroline.

The meal started with fresh bread served with three different dips – tzatziki (yogurt and cucumber), taramosalata (fish roe) and an eggplant dip. This was quickly followed by a huge plate pilled with whole fried whitebait; another plate with a large slice of fried cheese; a plate with a dolma (stuffed vine leaves) for everyone; and a dish of diced marinated red capsicum. I think that was all that was served as entrée – I was too busy stuffing my face to take any notes. Of the lot, the fried whitebait was the standout dish, not only were the fish succulent and tasty, but there was so much served Port Philip Bay must be severely depleted of these species!

For the main course we were served up plates of grilled fish, prawns, calamari, lamb, chicken, lamb skewers and Greek green salad with fetta. The highlight of the mains was the tender lamb skewers which literally melted in your mouth.

If you’re a strict vegetarian, this restaurant isn’t for you, however for vegequarians and carnivores this is the restaurant for you. Being located in Elsternwick, the waiters are also used to dealing with Jewish dietary restrictions and were served extra grilled fish for those not eating the prawns. At $36 a head, this feast was worth every penny!