The taverna is the heart and soul of Greek food culture: a simple restaurant with that invariably rickety look, with more tables out on the sidewalk or garden than inside, clustered together in the main square, along the harbor walk or at a beauty spot on the edge of town. Its next of kin include the psistaria, a taverna specializing in grills and the ouzeri, an establishment primarily for drinking ouzo but serving a range of appetizers as well. It is usually best to inspect the wares in the cook's display. A preview is especially important when ordering fish, which varies enormously in size, quality and price.

Standard taverna fares include "Greek Salad," which Greeks call "Horiatiki," or "peasant salad"; tzatsiki, a yogurt and cucuber mix laced with garlic; melitsanosalata, a creamy eggplant dip; fried squid, or "Kalmaria"; grilled octopus or "Ahtapodi", sometimes prepared as a salad; mousaka, a casserole of eggplant and minced meat; dolmades, vine leaves wrapped around minced meat and rice; stifado, beef chunks with onion usually served with rice orzo; and pastichio, the Greeks version of lasagna, except prepared as a casserole.

In addition, there is the usual variety of grilled meats and fried fish. Souvlaki is lamb or pork bits grilled on a skewer. Gyro is a big mound of meat, usually pork, wrapped around a spit, roasted and peeled off in thin slices. Bifteki is breaded minced meat, and is prepared as a large meatball, and always best dowsed with lemon.

Don't expect to find American style "drip" coffee in a Greek Taverna, but instead a thick heavy "Greek Coffee" is served. Desserts are always best gotten from a local "Zaharoplastio" or coffee house.

Good food, wine and most importantly good company in a local taverna, can give you a true taste of life in Greece. This is where most business and life's affairs are usually discussed. For a Greek there is no greater pleasure, well almost.......we mustn't forget about romance!

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