Zorba's Bistro: It's All Greek to Me!

– Sydney "Brown Nose" Blanchard

When Zorba's Bistro reopened last year, many Baton Rougeans rejoiced. From 1984 to 2000, Zorba's had been a local favorite and one of the only Greek restaurants in the city to serve nothing but Greek food (as opposed to Greek and Lebanese fare).

I had never been to the original Zorba's, but recently when Blair asked me what I wanted for lunch, I suggested we check out the new Essen location. 

Zorba's new location on Essen Lane has a cheery outdoor area.

If the day hadn't been so rainy, I'd have insisted we sit outside. The new location has a lovely outdoor seating area, painted white with a vaulted overhead ceiling and patio umbrellas in shades of blue. 

The interior was just as nice. It was dimly lit with scenes of Greece and woven baskets lining the walls, and it offered us refuge from the rain.

Our waiter, a family member of the owners, helped us choose our appetizer and main course. He recommended we start with the Chef's choice, cheese saganaki, or Greek kasseri cheese flambéed at our table and drenched in lemon juice. I'm not one to get excited about squares of fried cheese, but this stuff was amazing; crunchy and lemony on the outside, warm and gooey on the inside. 

We didn't start the fire! Our waiter lit our cheese saganaki on fire.

As per our waiter's suggestion, Blair ordered the Big-Z Lamb Burger, a thick portion of seasoned lamb meat on a bun topped with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes and served with Zorba's house salad and feta cheese fries. The burger was gigantic and juicy, but Blair and I were blown away by the feta cheese fries. I kept stealing fries off her plate. They were insanely delicious. 

We live for these feta cheese fries. 

I ordered the combination souvlaki, which was a massive plate of beef, chicken and gyros served with rice pilaf, Zorba's house salad and grilled bell peppers. This was perfect for people like me who are trying to watch their carb intake. It can be really hard to cut back on carbs, but this colorful plate made it painless (minus the rice pilaf). 

Chicken, beef, and gyros combination souvlaki plate with rice pilaf, salad, and grilled veggies. 

We were stuffed to the gills, so we passed on dessert, but we swore we'd try the baklava the next time around. And there will be a next time. 

Greece: Street Food Bite and Booze of the 2014 World Cup

Continuing on with the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014, we explore the street food filled country of Greece (playing Colombia at 11am CDT). There's a plethora of options for street food treats and normal dining, I might have to take a trip because it looks like Greece lives to eat about as much as I do! Let's take a look at Souvlaki and the Greek Buck!

Patio Daddio BBQ

Souvlaki is an extremely popular Greek dish. Tender cuts of meat marinated in olive oil, citrus, and herbs stacked on a skewer and roasted over a toasty grill, this is easy to make and easy to eat while you fire off the foghorn from the couch. It's no secret that Greeks get together and cook with their giant families. Souvlaki is kind of a miniature version of what they eat every night and is a quick grab and go for everyone shopping for dinner at the markets during the day. Get grilling with this recipe.

Photo Credit: Tipsy Bartender

The Greek Buck is a cocktail made with the famous Greek Liquor, Ouzo. Ouzo has a sort of minty, licorice, anise flavor to it. It's fresh, clean, and lifts the palate. This particular cocktail also includes some silky brandy and bubbly ginger ale. I like this because it's really refreshing and gets me through that second half of the match after I've been snacking too much. Try it out and let me know what you think!