Tom's Foodie Blog Bringing Together Foodies & Good Food
“A TASTE OF GREECE” TO ORANGE COUNTY JUNE 21-23
Greek is one of my favorite cuisines, I can’t get enough baklava, gyro and Saganaki! I look forward to the “A Taste of Greece” festival every June at St. Paul’s Orthodox Church to get my fill of authentic Greek cuisine made from authentic recipes.
The three day festival will feature traditional Greek Cuisine, wine, beer, live music, boutiques. Have you ever wanted to learn how to do the traditional Greek dance? They will be providing lessons and the chance to join in the fun. I joined in several times and it was a good time.
Here is a run down of the details:
Location: St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church (4949 Alton Parkway, between Culver Drive and Jeffrey Road, Irvine, CA)
Dates: Friday June 21 - Sunday June 23rd
Hours: Friday, June 21st 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday, June 22 noon to 10 p.m.; Sunday, June 23 noon to 9 p.m.
Admission: Adults $3 Children under 10 free (with parent). Food prices are roughly around (+/-) $5 per item. Click on this link for a free admission ticket http://www.irvinegreekfest.com/flyer_free_admission_2013.pdf
Of course my main focus at Taste of Greece is the traditional Greek cuisine made from authentic recipe. Some of the items featured at the event will include chicken, lamb chops, Greek fries, gyro, pastichio (Greek lasagna), loucanico (Greek style sausage), spanakopita (spinach and feta pie), Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves), saganaki (Greek brandy-flamed cheese), loukoumathes (Greek doughnut holes), Greek Salad, Calamari, Greek coffee, wine and beer. My guilty pleasures is taking home a big box of traditional baked goods. My personal favorite pastry is called Kataïfi. This pastry looks like it is wrapped in shredded wheat, it is made with nuts on the inside and soaked in a sugar or honey syrup.
For more information on the “A Taste of Greece” festival, please visit www.IrvineGreekFest.com.
About St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church
St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church began in 1977 when a handful of people took the initiative to organize a new Greek Orthodox Church in Orange County. Today the church is flourishing with large youth and senior citizens programs, modern Greek language classes for children and adults, a bookstore and a beautiful sanctuary filled with mosaic artwork. The church places an emphasis on “Philoptochos” - also the name of the church philanthropic group - a Greek word meaning “love for the poor,” by supporting Kids N’ Cancer; an orphanage for boys outside Tijuana, Mexico; digging wells for villages in Africa; building churches and providing medical supplies for church run clinics and hospitals in Tanzania; and much more. For more information, visit www.stpaulsirvine.org or call (949) 733-3102.
