THE GREEK JOINT, a little piece of Greece in Hollywood, FL.

It was a lovely Sunday afternoon when my hubby, a few of my friends and I, had a fun Greek Day experience.

First, we made our way to Cinema Paradiso, in Hollywood Florida. This quaint and small theater usually plays independent films, however, for the month of September, they were playing “My Fat Greek Wedding 3”.
I have enjoyed all the movies from the series, so I definitely wanted to see movie, #3. One of the unique features of this theater, is that it has a presenter giving a synopsis and explaining the characters of the film.

Since it was my sweetie’s birthday, I wanted to make it special. I researched Greek restaurants in Hollywood FL. that had good reviews and found THE GREEK JOINT.
After the movie and to continue our Greek experience, we all walked across the street to
THE GREEK JOINT.

When we arrived, we were greeted with a big warm smile from Roula, the manager. The indoor and outdoor seating is quite spacious. The interior design consisted of white and blue colors which gave the space a feel of the Mykonos islands.

Let’s talk about their menu. There were eight of us and our pállate was about to have the experience of our lives. They have an extensive menu. We tasted four appetizers: Hummus, Shrimp Santorini, Greek Joint Ribs and Grilled Octopus. We also ordered a Greek salad and for an Entree, we ordered the traditional Moussaka.

I will describe them in the order that I mentioned. Hummus: It’s one of the best I’ve ever tried. It had an unbelievable creamy texture with a pinch of savory paprika, accompanied by fresh Pita bread. Next was the Shrimp Santorini: This dish was sautéed with garlic and delicious juicy diced tomatoes with feta cheese. The sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes, made it flavorful and light at the same time. Here comes the Greek Joint Ribs: They were lightly drizzled with latholemono……they were so soft and tender they melted in my mouth. Latholemono is a specialized sauce made of oil and lemon mixture with oregano and seasonings. The perfect combination.

Then the king of the night came out, The Grilled Octopus; it was so delicious that I wanted to get up and dance….. so tender with the perfect texture, drizzled with a sweet exquisite extra virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar.
We couldn’t leave with out trying two more dishes; The Greek salad and the Moussaka. One of my favorite salads is the Greek salad. I’ve tasted so many and this one didn’t disappoint.…sweet tomatoes, fresh red onions, crisp red and yellow peppers and delicious flavorful kalamata olives, tossed in a mouthwatering tangy vinaigrette dressing. Just truly delightful! As they were serving the salad, Roula brought a tasty dip for our bread. Just an extra treat. “I ask her what’s in the dip”? and she smiles with a sassy smirk and said “MAGIC”.

The chef/owner came out to meet us. We all congratulated him on the amazing dishes and operation. He smiled and told us that the menu was a collection of his mother’s recipes. His mom is from an island called Lefkada. Lefkada is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, connected to the mainland by a causeway. It was heart warming to meet him.
Here comes the last dish, the traditional Moussaka: It was layered with potatoes, eggplant and sautéed ground beef a bechamel crust. Bechamel is a traditional French white sauce, used to enhance flavors. This delightful array of textures and flavors made me want to sing a Greek song. One of my friends, whom had lived in Greece as an exchange student and had tasted many traditional Moussaka. She said this is as close to Greece as she could remember. It was just AMAZING.

It was time to celebrate My hubby’s birthday. So all the staff came out with the cake I brought and we all sang Happy Birthday to my sweetie.

Every guest’s eyes on this table turned wide eyed, with every bite they took. I watched the dark blue night make its entrance, and greet the echoes of our laughter…. our hearts beaming with love and our souls filled with satisfaction.

I give this restaurant a super high score! I’m not a James Beard or a Michelin reviewer, however, I’m a foodie and chef at heart.
It’s a little piece of Greece in the Hollywood, FL. area with the warmest service, most delicious, traditional, unique Greek Cuisine and a great price point.
THE GREEK JOINT it’s now on my list of favorite restaurants. I surely will be back soon!
I hope you get to visit and make sure you say “Hi” to manager, Roula and chef/owner Chris and tell them that you read my review. You’ll never know when they’ll surprise you with something special.

If you like to keep in touch with me and never miss my performances, new videos, stories, poetry and reviews on the places that I love, local, national and international, you can join my private email on my Lifestyle Inspirational Blog, JOURNEY INTO A BEUTIFUL WORLD I will leave you with my most treasured belief “The World is Filled with Infinite Possibilities”
With Love, music and beauty from within,
Lourdes Valentin