It's Greek to me!

When Sarah came to visit me last weekend, I really tried to show her the best of the best in Winston-Salem dining. Although probably not Michelin star worthy, the few restaurants in Winston-Salem that I frequent each have something special to offer. I took Sarah and four of my medical school friends to my favorite Greek restsaurant, Athena's Taverna. [Note: If I'm in the mood for gyros and have cash handy, I actually prefer Grecian Corner right next to my school]. Athena's is one of those cozy Greek restaurants that make you feel like you are in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The owner and all of the employees are part of this one big Greek family, and they even have Greek dancing on Tuesday nights.

We ordered the saganaki - a popular appetizer of flaming cheese that definitely deserves an oompah! Unfortunately, my camera was too slow for an action shot of the flames, but you can see the residual smoke. This appetizer reminded me of our past Greek/Latin dinners in high school at Melos Taverna with Mrs. Fields. This cheese was fantastic with the warm bread they provided - it was definitely one of those novelties you have to try at a place like this.

My favorite dish at Athena's is the arni psito - slices of the MOST tender lamb with rice, lemon potatoes, and vegetables. The chef just knows how to do lamb right because the texture is insanely perfect. I always say I want to try something new when I go, but I just cant resist this dish and end up getting it every time. Because they give so much delicious food, I have yet to make it to dessert...