Let me tell you this, Taste of Greece is not a place for first daters due to all the garlic or if you are looking to impress someone with fancy dinner napkins folded into swans and fresh flowers on the table.  What you will get is some of the most amazing looking and tasting food. After eating you will be thinking about what you will order on your next visit.  When I say that Taste of Greece is a “Mom & Pop place”, it truly is.  The owners look like they have been together since their early 20’s and have supported their family and most likely extended families with this restaurant.

Since it is a Greek restaurant you need to order a starter of Hummus that comes with fresh grilled pita triangles.  When I say that grilled pita makes it completely different, it does!  There’ll be too much hummus and thank God you have a fork.  The Chicken Souvlaki is rather amazing and definitely an item that you could order every week guilt-free and come away happy.  Their Tzatziki Sauce will make you want to order a pint, and in comparison to other places it has only a little dill and still gives you all that great flavor you expect.  If you are in the mood for a chicken parmesan sub, then order the Chicken Fratzolaki.  Fans of “soggy bread” sandwiches and those who adore the look of food will fall in love with this sandwich.  Definitely a two-hander or knife-and-fork, the Fratzolakis also come in Eggplant, veal, and shrimp.  They also have a Greek Loukaniko that is country sausage with sautéed onions and peppers in their own tomato sauce.  Just when you think it cannot get any better, all the sandwiches comes with choices of sides and the Potato Salad is definitely worth at try and literally talked about.

At Taste of Greece they not only have sandwiches and salads, but have entrees that will make your eyes pop out of your head and drool uncontrollably.  They also have a wide variety of pizzas that are either 12” or 14” and are affordable without being technically Gourmet.  A Greek one has Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, onions, tomatoes and artichoke hearts.  Since this is a Greek restaurant and located in Key West, they truly have captured the idea of finding food that blends with locally available fresh supplies.  A lot of their food consists of seafood and the things not grown or captured here is imported from Greece.  They have about twelve vats of self-serve olives for resale, as well as countless olive oils, dressings, wines, and beers for anyone looking for that specific Greek specialty.

If you do not trust this review, ask reliable people in the area and pay close attention to their facial expressions and natural reactions.

Taste of Greece
A Mediterranean Market, Bakery, and Deli
Taste of greece
1101 Truman Avenue
Key West, FLORIDA
33040-3351
(305) 293-6694
-Mark’s List

By Sheri Elfman

I was so excited to check out Steak 954 at the W, not only because it was in the chic new W Fort Lauderdale, but because it was one of Stephen Starr’s restaurants. Starr is especially well-known in Philadelphia, New York and Atlantic City where he has some of the most fabulous restaurants you’ve ever seen. Buddakan, Morimoto, The Continental, Pod, El Vez – almost everything Starr touches turns to gold, so I was especially eager to see how Steak 954 would measure up.

I went during for a Monday lunch and was excited to see that the place was populated with leisurely ladies lunching and scattered with various couples. Mark and I were seating by the window so we could gaze out at the outside seating area and beyond that, the beach.  We were impressed with the sleek design of Steak 954. The chocolate colored hard wood floors, the lime green seats, the gigantic jellyfish tank all give the restaurant a sophisticated air.

We started off with a bottle of Fiji Water, iced tea and Diet Coke . I was impressed that the iced tea came with the option of simple syrup in addition to a variety of well-known sweeteners.  We then chose the crabcake appetizer  which was a large fresh crab cake served over a tartar sauce, along some greens. The crab cake was non-greasy and pure lump crabmeat.

For my meal, I had a turkey club, which featured applewood bacon, avocado and bibb lettuce with the turkey on whole grain bread. I almost went with the Steak 954 Burger, but I cannot resist anything with avocado and bacon in it. The sandwich was the perfect lunch and the combinations of flavors classic and well done, but the portion is quite large, so you will definitely take home leftovers. Our waiter noted that it is rare that someone finishes that sandwich and I believe it. The sandwich came with a side salad with an addictive dressing.

Mark ordered the 6-ounce filet with truffle fries. He requested his filet cooked medium rare and it arrived extremely tender and juicy. The side of truffle fries were perfectly salty and some of the best fries I’ve ever had.

We decided to share a dessert because we couldn’t resist the idea of crème brulee with blueberries. The decadent dessert came with a side of tiny homemade warm donut holes rolled in powdered sugar. It was definitely a delicious treat and worth every calorie.  Mark ended his meal with a Double Espresso, which he was very pleased with.