Great 8: Greek restaurants

Gyros, kebabs, salads, spreads, and more. When it comes to delicious food, it's all Greek to me, and these are eight of the region's greatest Greek restaurants. Set in a spot adjacent to the Norwood Airport, Tasos Gyro Cafe is an old-school family-run spot serving ultra-authentic Greek fare. The menu is lined with it, from flaky spinachopita and fresh village salads to Greek comfort food classics like pastitsio and moussaka. And for a modern twist on all of that Greek flavor, try the Opa Opa Fries. Opa Opa Fries are one of those new twists that we did to the American stuff. We use nice steak fries. We cook them in vegetable oil. Our homemade bechamel goes right on the bottom. We add the french fries pile high, tons of feta, mozzarella, a little seasoning on the top. Those french fries are delicious. They're pure deliciousness. Eat Greek in Davis Square Somerville is a fast, casual concept serving some truly tasty Greek fare. The authentic gyros are sliced to order straight from the spit. The chicken souvlaki is grilled perfectly and wrapped in bacon, and the salads and bowls are always fresh. But you know this place is truly legit because they make their own pita, which can be enjoyed with some of their deliciously dippable spreads. So the tzatziki, we make it fresh in-house. It's fresh Greek yogurt with juicy cucumber, dill, and of course our secret ingredients. So the tzatziki is great to dip your corn pita or the traditional pita or even the souvlaki. Located just off Newbury Street in Boston's Back Bay, is a sophisticated spot offering regional Greek cuisine. Every meal should start with some of their imported meats and cheeses and warm house-made breads. Follow that up with an ever-changing selection of fresh seafood or spit-roasted meats. Regional Greek cuisine is not your average Greek food that you're going to find in the tourist spots of Greece. You're going to find these in Yaya's house, in grandma's kitchen. It's stuff that you know I grew up with and stuff that you know that's going to give you a whole different take on Greek food. With a new location on Route 1 in Peabody, Ethaki is an upscale Greek restaurant serving all of your favorite Mediterranean specialties. From tender lamb tips skewered over rice, to a soul-satisfying crock of moussaka, and traditional sweets like flaky baklava. But if you really want to light up your taste buds, there's nothing tastier than the flaming cheese saganaki. This pan-fried cheese is doused in alcohol and set on fire table side for a dish that's a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The Farm Grill on Needham Street in Newton is a family-owned and operated spot with a huge selection of salads, kebabs, gyros, Greek sweets, and more. But nothing quite tops a hearty slice of their pastitsio. Pastitsio is like the ultimate Greek comfort food. Sort of the Greek equivalent of a lasagna. It is stacked up with layers and flavors. You have macaroni pasta on the bottom, you have really beautifully seasoned ground beef on top, and that's all topped with a thick layer of bechamel sauce. All gets baked together in the oven with a little bit of cheese on top. I gotta get a forkful of this beast. Salty in a good way, creamy but not too creamy. Great crunch from that cheese on top, the way it's kind of baked off. It's not the lightest dish in the world, but then again, I'm just here for the tasty food. With four locations throughout Boston and another in Burlington, Greco is a fast casual Greek concept modeled after the gyro shops you find on the streets of Athens. The must-order is the classic, made with fresh sliced pork shoulder and pork belly that's been marinated for 24 hours in Greek seasonings, slathered with their garlicky tzatziki, and topped the way you want it. All on house-made pita. But no trip to Greco is complete without some of their sweet loukamades. These poppable Greek donut holes can be topped with anything from walnuts, cinnamon, and honey to creamy Nutella and Oreo cookies. Astia in Mashpee and Falmouth is a fun, stylish restaurant with a beautiful patio and a menu featuring traditional and modern Greek cuisine. There are juicy skewers of meats and fresh seafood, traditional comfort food dishes like spanikopita and slow-cooked lamb, but we've never seen a Greek salad as beautiful and fresh as their classic horiatiki. This village salad is artfully stacked with sliced cucumbers, tomato, red onion, green pepper, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and real deal feta. This is the Greek village salad. Have you ever seen a salad this beautiful or a block of feta this big? And it is all stacked up like a vegetable jenga. This thing is beautiful and it is delicious. Ain't she a beauty? The Feisty Greek in Norwood is a casual family restaurant serving authentic dishes like moussaka and pasticcio, generous charbroiled kebabs, Greek salads in two different styles, and the restaurant's famous feisty spread, combining feta cheese, ricotta, and habanero peppers. And if you can't decide, there's this enormous protein-packed platter for the whole family. We have a feisty platter and the feisty platter feeds about three to four people. There's some chicken skewers, pork, beef. We got some nice lamb chops in there, some rice, some roasted potatoes, the tzatziki spread, the feisty feta spread. All of that comes with some grilled pita bread. They're eight of the greatest places for Greek cuisine. Only the best make it to the great eight.