Costa's (brief report)

Went to Costa's in Greektown on Tues. with out of town friends. We were ordering pretty lightly, so we didn't test the kitchen very deeply.)

Overall, a very pleasant experience in all categories.

We were 4 plus a toddler and the waiter first brought us to a 4-top, but the host then came by and immediately suggested we move to a large round table by the window which was perfect. The window fucnctioned as a giant TV screen for the toddler, leaving the adults to chat peaceably. We were also right next to a fake fireplace with an extended mantle that made a perfect little nook for exploring, safely removed from other diners and foot traffic.

On to the food.

Apps. were roasted beets and grilled zucchini with skordalia. Stuffed calamari, saganaki.

The veggies and skordalia were just fine. As they should be but no surprises.

The squid was very nice indeed. Served on greens and with very fragrant garlic sauce. The squid itself was pleasantly, but not overly, chewy.

I'm not all that experienced in saganaki, so I don't really have a benchmark. I expected the flaming to result in a somewhat melted, gooey plateful of cheese to then slather on bread. In fact, after the fire died down, the remaining square of cheese was largely unaltered. Very salty, somewhat chalky and firm. It was quite nice on the bread, but not what I expected. (What sort of cheese is used? I don't know and didn't ask.)

A small "greek" salad was ordered and my friend was disappointed in the absence of anchovies. (I believe the components were accurately described on the menu, but he had ordered without checking closely, just assuming that a greek salad would have them.) A discussion ensued on whether so many people were averse to anchovies, that they had simply given up and taken them off without changing the name of the salad.

Fried calamari were ordered and were a nice but unexceptional version of this ubiquitous dish. Nice golden rings. Not greasy. Accompanied by a light tomato sauce. (I did miss the fact that there only rings, no tentacles. This also suggests the possibility of a frozen product being used. Though perhaps they chop up the tentacles and use them for stuffing in other dishes or something.)

My wife had the roasted veg. plate. Very flavorful if cooked a bit more than we expect in this country with everything just barely grilled and still crispy as the norm.

I had the special garlic chicken. A half bird - a bit more bone to flesh ratio than I consider ideal - but excellently done. Not a crisp skin, but a very, very flavorful one. Very mellow, aromatic garlic haze surrounding the plate, no sharp, unsynthesized raw garlic notes. The meat was all extremely moist. The breast was not dry at all.

The accompanying mashed potatos were divine. Moist but not soupy. Salty and garlicky and plentiful. I would have been happy to see something green accompany the plate, but had I thought about it, I could have ordered something. We were more in social mode than chow mode.

Desserts were standard issue. A choc. mousse cake for the child which satisfied him, but looked completely run-of-the-mill. I tried the galaktabouriko and it was pleasant.

Had a regular coffee which was fine. Better than in many restaurants that don't feature good coffee.

I tried a Marathon beer for the first time. A pleasant lager style, but not special, it seemed to me. Washed down the meal.

Tab for the above was $86 pre-tip. (Though this doesn't really tell very much as we ordered so lightly and ecclectically.)

I would happily go back and explore the menu a bit deeper.

mrbarolo wrote:I'm not all that experienced in saganaki, so I don't really have a benchmark. I expected the flaming to result in a somewhat melted, gooey plateful of cheese to then slather on bread. In fact, after the fire died down, the remaining square of cheese was largely unaltered. Very salty, somewhat chalky and firm. It was quite nice on the bread, but not what I expected. (What sort of cheese is used? I don't know and didn't ask.)

The most common cheeses are kasseri, kefalograviera, and kefalotiri, in that order I suspect. All are firm, salty, aged cheeses. (usually about 4 months old). Kasseri is usually the cheapest..

Traditionally in greece saganaki is small cubes of cheese that are very lightly browned on all six sides and served up, so they are essentially raw on the inside. The 'slab of cheese fried and flamed' is a purely greek-american restaurant creation, I believe a chicago greektown (maybe parthenon?) creation.

Saganaki (both styles) is very easy to make at home. Go to a greek grocer, caputo's, or caputo cheese market (I'm sure other markets have them too, but those are the ones I know) and pick up some kasseri or kefalograviera.

Slice off about a 1/2 to 3/4" slab of it -- thinner if you like it more melted, thicker if you like it less melted -- and fry it in a nonstick (or well seasoned cast iron) pan in half olive oil, half butter, until browned on both sides. Take it off the heat and squeeze some lemon juice onto it.

--

My family has always found costa's to be very good (perhaps the best in greektown), but unless we're in Oak Brook (they've got a location out near there), we tend to go to Parthenon or some of the others instead. I'm not sure why, really..

-ed

I'm not all that experienced in saganaki, so I don't really have a benchmark. I expected the flaming to result in a somewhat melted, gooey plateful of cheese to then slather on bread. In fact, after the fire died down, the remaining square of cheese was largely unaltered. Very salty, somewhat chalky and firm. It was quite nice on the bread, but not what I expected. (What sort of cheese is used? I don't know and didn't ask.)

Saganaki is usually Kasseri Cheese dipped in egg yolk, dredged in flour, and browned in a hot skillet. Then is removed to a hot platter, drizzled with brandy, ouzo, etc., and lit. As the flames die down the fire is put out with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Bruce wrote:Saganaki is usually Kasseri Cheese dipped in egg yolk, dredged in flour, and browned in a hot skillet. Then is removed to a hot platter, drizzled with brandy, ouzo, etc., and lit. As the flames die down the fire is put out with a squeeze of lemon juice.

right right, i forgot the egg wash and flour. brandy/ouzo is optional, obviously..

edit: a sidenote is that 'saganaki' refers originally to the two-handled small cast iron pans in which the dish is cooked and served..

-ed

gleam wrote:

Bruce wrote:Saganaki is usually Kasseri Cheese dipped in egg yolk, dredged in flour, and browned in a hot skillet. Then is removed to a hot platter, drizzled with brandy, ouzo, etc., and lit. As the flames die down the fire is put out with a squeeze of lemon juice.

right right, i forgot the egg wash and flour. brandy/ouzo is optional, obviously..

-ed

I used to eat Saganaki frequently in Detroit's Greektown years ago. I since learned to make it on my own and its a great appetizer or addition to a meal with a salad.

I too have eaten "flaming" saganaki in Detroit's Greektown, though I haven't been in years. Bruce, do you know if the Bouzouki Lounge still exists? I have fond, seedy memories of that place from when I was an impressionable youth.

We've made saganaki a few times (tho it's been years... why did we stop?) using kasseri or kefalotiri cheeses. Ask your grocer for a taste, and buy what seems right.

A quick dip in egg thinned with water, then a bit of flour, then pan fry until GBD (golden brown and delicious).

I haven't seen the browned, cubed variety, but in London about 12 years ago, we were served small slabs of cheese on a hot stone, like raclette. No breading, no flame, delicious.

If the cheese was cold and hard in the center, they screwed up. It should be almost but not quite melting.

kl wrote:I too have eaten "flaming" saganaki in Detroit's Greektown, though I haven't been in years. Bruce, do you know if the Bouzouki Lounge still exists? I have fond, seedy memories of that place from when I was an impressionable youth.

I've been gone from Detroit for 15 years. I don't remember the Bouzouki Lounge. I was in Greektown about 3 years ago and the area had changed quite a bit since I was last there.

kl wrote:I too have eaten "flaming" saganaki in Detroit's Greektown, though I haven't been in years. Bruce, do you know if the Bouzouki Lounge still exists? I have fond, seedy memories of that place from when I was an impressionable youth.

I've been gone from Detroit for 15 years. I don't remember the Bouzouki Lounge. I was in Greektown about 3 years ago and the area had changed quite a bit since I was last there.

Costa's - 340 S. Halsted - Closed due to fire - http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010 ... atery.html

Heard it on the radio going in to work. Apparently it's completely destroyed as well as a neighboring building.

Source

Unfortunately, that's more than a flesh wound.

Nearby grocery and gift shop were destroyed, too. Bartender tried to put out a fire near the fryer, or so he says. Anyway, about 45 people are now out of work in the worst economy in years. I never ate there, but you don't want to see anybody's livelihood go up like that. It would be suicide-inducing.

Oh my goodness, I heard about this while at a seminar today and a woman there had family members that worked in the vicinity(they were alright). I had not been to that location. I must say that the best loukaniko I have ever had in my life was at Costa's(Oak Brook). Just the perfect homemade sausage hitting just the right notes of orange and fennel on top of a grilled onion and bell peppers. In my opinion, all other versions pale in comparison.

Costa's
1 S. 130 Summit Ave.
Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181