Tag Archives: food

The Best Salad in Greenwich, CT

I’ve never really considered myself a foodie by any means, but it was recently brought to my attention that I describe food with the same gusto and panache with which Joan Rivers judges celebrity fashion. Alas, this brings me to today’s post.

taken with my iPhone

Taken with my iPhone

The most magnificent salad to ever gain entry to the velvet ropes of my taste buds was the Five Shades of Green salad from the recently renovated Famous Greek Kitchen (formerly known as Famous Pizza and Souvlaki) located in the Byram section of Greenwich, Connecticut. The restaurant itself has been around for quite some time and my family has always been frequent patrons of the establishment, however I haven’t been there in quite some time simply because I lived out of town. We went last week to watch my cousin Jesse perform – he’s a friend of the restaurant owners and also a big fan of the same salad.

Luckily for us, that night was a soft launch after the renovations and what we came to discover was a revamped menu! Souvlaki, as we always called it, is a traditional Greek restaurant but we always enjoyed its slight Italian influences –namely in the form of their delectable pizza. Their new menu reflects more traditional Greek plates than I previously recall it having (they could have offered only Greek plates since the restaurant’s inception, but I was an oblivious consumer in my early years). Last week’s visit was different, though, and knowing that their pizza was fabulous, I opted to try something new – especially now that I’m always interested in finding the “Best Of…” type foods, and this, simply put, is the best salad I’ve ever had.

The five greens consisted of granny smith apples, avocado, cucumbers, pistachios, and a chive vinaigrette. The salad also featured craisins as well as gorgonzola cheese. I requested they include some grilled chicken into the mix simply because after glancing at the name of the dish, I assumed it was like a traditional salad with a lettuce-type base. I came to find that it was not a traditional lettuce-based salad, and was pleasantly met with a mixture of utterly delightful greens that were light on the palate, filling for the belly, and moderately priced at $8.95. I had a house pino grigio to accompany the salad and my what a great choice that was. The wine didn’t so much cancel out any flavor enhanced by the chive vinaigrette as it actually helped to bring out the flavor even more.

The salad was so pleasant to the palate and I highly recommend checking out the remaining pieces of the menu if you get a chance – I know I sure will. You can check them out at www.famousgreekkitchen.com or on Facebook and Twitter.

Some Habits Never Die

I was preparing some dinner for myself tonight when it hit me – I am in a love affair with carbohydrates – particularly pasta.

We’re going to completely disregard the fact that I’m of Italian descent and was basically raised with a tomato flavored pacifier. What better time than now to realize that the year that I spent living on my own consisted of a very simple diet – a bountiful amount of good alcohol, and an equally large sum of dirt cheap food. It’s clear that my caloric priorities did not include incredibly healthy cuisine options (for that I raided my roommates rations – yes, I ate the hummus before AND after break, just kidding).

What’s not to like about pasta – especially at 89 cents per box? I quickly learned that anything is good with pasta. A few of the pasta fusion dishes I concocted included beets, chickpeas, mushed chickpeas, green beans, stewed tomatoes, garlic powder, steak… The sky is literally the limit when it comes to pasta accompaniments – and that is one of the beautiful results of combining olive oil, a writer’s imagination, and a collegian’s budget.

My eating options have certainly changed since returning home – mostly because I live with my parents and they can afford to buy me some awesome healthy options. Today, however, was different. I veered past all the vegetables, and organic alternatives that I force my mom to buy. Today, I craved pasta; nay, I yearned to consume the succulent wholesomeness that comes out of tube shaped wheat and flour.

While I’m happy that I no longer need to survive on such options of dubious health benefits, it was certainly great to come home and see my old friend inside the cabinet. Just in case you were wondering, I opted for a more traditional route and used real sauce for my pasta. And, true to form, had the requisite spill.