When I think of Greece I see large ivory columns, sun-drenched beaches and olive-skinned natives. Stories of Hercules and more recently, Percy Jackson, come to mind and for some reason the food never really stood out. I was missing out on something grand though. There is a whole landscape of great food from the gyro, which is pita bread with meat, onions, tomato and sauce, to spanakopita, which is basically spinach pie, and a personal favorite, avgolemono, which is like chicken soup with rice and a tangy lemon flavor.

For this week’s competition I will be surveying Sacramento for the best Greek food. The three restaurants I chose were based on friend’s referrals, their proximity to Sacramento State and how hard it was to pronounce everything on their menus.

Now onto the competitors!

Greek Village Inn: The Greek Village Inn, located just behind the Safeway on Howe Avenue, feels like a home away from home. It’s warm and inviting, with soft Greek music playing in the background and paintings adorning the walls. I feel like if I were from Greece I would come here to get a taste of home. Even if I weren’t from Greece, which I’m not, I would continue going there to get a taste of good food. The food I did order was the gyro sandwich with the aforementioned avgolemono soup and the sinfully delicious saganaki. Saganaki is basically flaming cheese. They bring it out and set it on fire right in front of you. I wish all my food was prepared that way, life would be much more exciting.

The gyro sandwich, not served on fire but still good, was served open-faced with a lamb/beef mixture piled on the pita bread and had diced tomatoes on top with two big dollops of feta cheese on the side. I loved it. Feta cheese has a creamy texture and a salty taste to it and that combination tied the whole meal together. I liked everything here, everything except the $30 check, but it was worth it for great Greek food.

Opa! Opa!: Opa! Opa!, just down the road from Sac State on J Street, this Greek eatery serves up gyros and pitas to satisfy even the greatest Greek appetites. I’m no Hercules, but I was up for the challenge and ordered the barbecued leg of lamb sandwich. The menu describes the lamb as, “tender slices of lamb marinated with herbs and spices we can’t tell you about,” which is fine by me because whatever they did put on there it was amazing. The lamb was so tender and juicy, I almost wanted to ditch the bun, lettuce and tomato and just eat the meat. I kept it though, mostly for the goat and feta cheese spread they applied to it, which rocked. At $6.99 this meal didn’t hit my wallet quite as hard either, which is always a welcome addition to my dinner.

The staff was very nice here as well, but I did get the feeling I was a customer here and not a guest. It didn’t have the same feeling of home that Greek Village Inn has, but I still recommend Opa! Opa! for a great Greek experience.

Petra Greek: Petra Greek, located downtown on 16th Street in between K and L Streets, is the fanciest hole-in-the-wall restaurant I’ve ever been too. While the front of the restaurant isn’t much more than a window, the restaurant extends back quite a bit sporting two big screen televisions and plenty of seating. You can watch your cooks prepare your food or grab a window seat and watch downtown life flow by.In my visit I ordered the chicken souvlaki pita, which is seasoned chicken cooked on a skewer, de-skewered and placed in a warm pita with french fries. Whenever you introduce french fries to a place they don’t normally go I am a fan. If there was someway I could have french fries stuffed with more french fries I would do it.

Back to the pita though, it also had tomatoes and tzatziki sauce, which kind of tastes like mayonnaise though it consists of yogurt, cucumber and dill. I wasn’t as big a fan of that. I pushed through though and was definitely able to enjoy my pita. This pita cost $6.99 as well, so as far as prices go Petra was right on par with Opa! Opa!

And the winner is…

According to Opa! Opa!’s website, their namesake is a old saying meaning happiness and good life. If you ever find yourself at any of these Greek restaurants happiness and a good life, or at least a good meal are sure to follow. Where you will be the happiest however is the Greek Village Inn.

The Greek Village Inn, though more expensive than the other two choices offers the rare combination of great food and a truly wonderful atmosphere. I really felt like I was invited over there for dinner, the staff was friendly, the food was excellent and I felt like I was home. The only thing that didn’t feel like home was when I was brought the check; mom usually doesn’t charge me for dinner.

If you don’t agree or want to share with me your own Greek food adventures, comment or write me at [email protected].

Matt Rascher can be reached at [email protected]