Kali Orexi!
It’s Greek Fest Time Again
By Jordan ShayCan’t you just taste the tantalizing flavors of roasting lamb with rosemary potatoes, the sticky honey-sweetness of baklava, and the refreshing crisp mint taste of tatziki? You must be dreaming about Memorial Day weekend, because it’s almost time for New Orleans’ 35th annual Greek Festival. Each year, the festival features the best of everything Greek that New Orleans has to offer – most notably, lots of the people and food of Greek heritage.
As you might expect, no festival in New Orleans would be complete without a lot of delicious specialty cuisine, and the Greek Festival is no exception. Kali Orexi is the Greek version of “Bon Apetit!”– literally translated it means good appetite. Be sure to bring your kali orexi when you attend this year’s festival, because the offerings are plentiful. With so many delicious Greek dishes to choose from, you’ll have to come back for a second day in order to try everything you want. Entrées include many flavorful meat variations including dolmades, Greek style oregano chicken, slow-cooked seasoned lamb, and gyros with refreshing yogurt and cucumber tzatziki sauce. Greek style fish and calamari will satisfy any seafood cravings, too.
Vegetarians are easy to please at the Greek festival because every Greek vegetable dish one can hope for is on the menu also: Greek salad, braised artichokes, fava beans, feta fries with Greek spices, and all the olives you can possibly eat. The elegant spanakopita, layers of filo pastry layered with spinach, is also an all-around crowd-pleaser.
For dessert, the baklava sundae is a delicious New Orleans variation of the traditional dessert; a delicious swirl of soft serve ice cream tops a gooey piece of baklava with nuts and cherry. If that doesn’t suit your fancy, sample some rice pudding with a port wine and fig reduction, Galaktouboriko, a light custard wrapped in layers of filo with honey, or Kourambie, an almond butter cookie dusted with sugar. The Pastry Shoppe sells over twenty different types of homemade Greek delicacies, including Loukoumades, the Greek version of a beignet. These delicious mounds of dough are lightly fried to a golden brown, then drizzled with honey and dusted with powdered sugar, making the perfect end to a Greek meal, combined with a Greek coffee or frappe.
Speaking of beverages, there are, of course, a wide variety of libations to choose from. No appetizer is complete without a glass of smooth Ouzo, the traditional Greek aperitif with a mild licorice flavor.
As with any cultural event, it isn’t just about the food – the atmosphere is equally important and Greek Fest gets its atmosphere from the Greek people. Hellenic dancers perform Greek dances in traditional garb several times on each festival day. The dancers are members of the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church and they spend the entire year practicing in anticipation of these performances. Once you’re sufficiently inspired by the dancers, you can head to the dance floor yourself, where a live Greek band performs. You can learn to Zorba the night away under the tent by the bayou.
Plenty of other unique activities abound at the Greek Fest to appease your active side. The Greek Fest sponsors a 5k walk/run if you’re feeling ambitious. Fun for the whole family abounds in the Athenian playground, where there is a rock-climbing wall with four levels of difficulty. Start with the easiest level, Monkey Hill, to break yourself in, and work your way up to the most difficult challenge which will earn you the right to brag that you conquered Mt. Olympus.
Also located in the Athenian playground are canoe rentals. Rest your feet and rent a canoe for a relaxing tour of the bayou after getting your fill of rich and flavorful food.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral is the oldest Greek Orthodox Church in North and South America. Several interesting guided tours, led by Church historians, are held throughout the festival. An added bonus during the tour is Byzantine Chanting by Holy Cross School of Theology Choir Members.
Hopefully, by the time you have sampled the wide array of the activities available at Greek Fest, you will have worked up a sufficient appetite to go back to the food tents for seconds. Or just bring a cooler and buy the cuisine by the pound to save for later like many festival regulars do. Yes, the food really is that good. Can’t you smell those tantalizing flavors wafting back toward you again? The roasting lamb and frying Loukoumades? Go ahead and indulge yourself; Greek Fest only happens once a year. Kali Orexi!