1) Pastichio – found as a dinner item option on the dinner plate in the main hall. It’s a ground beef, cheese sauce and macaroni casserole and, without a doubt, one of the best Greek dishes. It’s also one of the hardest to come by. Usually, you’ll only find it at the dinner tables of Greek grandmothers or (you guessed it) at Greek Fest.

2) Spinokopita – Phillo/spinach pie. I think this is also an option on the dinner plate in the main hall.

3) Gyro – One of the more common Greek items to be found, but most places use poor substitutes for the best ingredients. Greek Fest does a great, authentic job.

4) Loukoumades – I always try to get them to sprinkle some extra powdered sugar. This is probably the easiest Greek dish to make at home. I used to take Pilsbury biscuit dough cut it into thirds, ball them up, then deep fry. Add honey and powdered sugar and it’s pretty tasty. It’s not too much more trouble to make from scratch either.

5) Calamari … Although, it might seem counter-intuitive, the tentacles are the best part. They’re much more crispy and tasty, while the squid heads are very chewy.

Also, for everyday Greek food, Roussos has the hands-down, best calamari. While I have a personal bias, if you try it and compare it even to the calamari at Greek fest, I think you’ll agree with me.

AND Roussos is renowned for their Greek salad. In fact, it’s listed on the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die (look under Spanish Fort.)