Photo by Morgan Banno
As we round out summer and head into fall, I wanted one last fresh meal for The Gabber Newspaper‘s Top Tastes that was light and flavorful before menus turn into thick soups, heavy cream sauces, and autumn-inspired dishes.
For this edition, we sampled Greek cuisine at three local favorites: Athenian Garden, Neptune Grill, and Odi’s Mediterranean Kitchen. I love Greek food as a meatless option, although I have been known to nosh on chicken souvlaki from time to time. I ordered lemon chicken soup and falafel at each location, along with hummus to round out the meal.
The next time you’re craving great Greek cuisine, check out these three options for the best Greek food in South Pinellas. You will not be disappointed.
Best Greek Food in South Pinellas
Photo by Morgan Banno
Best Lemon Chicken Soup — Athenian Garden ($13.25)
I almost always order Avgolemono, lemon chicken soup, when I dine out for Greek food. Athenian Garden in Tyrone has the most luscious soup ($7.25) I’ve ever had.
It’s almost velvety in texture. It’s rich with lemon flavor and the chicken was cooked perfectly. Had I known it was that good (this was my first time trying it here), I would have ordered their largest size to go.
Athenian Garden also has a delicious falafel wrap ($13.25). While falafel is technically Egyptian in origin, it is on many Greek and Middle Eastern menus. Their falafel was moist on the inside and crispy on the outside, which is difficult to do without drying it out. And the hummus is extra garlicky.
Athenian Garden, 6940 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg. Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. 727-345-7040, atheniangardens.com.
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Photo by Morgan Banno
Best Hummus — Neptune Grill ($11.99)
Neptune Grill has the best hummus of anything I’ve ever tried, anywhere.
Neptunes is always consistent with their menu, so you know you’re in for a good meal. The chicken souvlaki is juicy with fresh veggies, and the saganaki (flaming cheese) is damn near addicting.
My falafel appetizer had loads of fresh dill flavor. Neptune Grill offers a great, authentic Greek dinner menu. Plus, if you dine outside, you’re guaranteed views of Boca Ciega Bay.
Neptune Grill, 5501 Shore Blvd., Gulfport. Tues., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Wed.-Fri., 12-9 p.m.; Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; and closed Mondays. 727-623-4823, neptunegrillgulfport.com.
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Photo by Morgan Banno
Best Wraps — Odi’s Mediterranean Kitchen ($13.50)
This was my first visit to Odis Mediterranean Kitchen on St. Pete Beach. It’s a cute, family-owned and operated café that serves Greek fare and subs.
The Avgolemono ($7.26) was pretty good. The falafel wrap ($13.50) was loaded with fresh, crunchy veggies, but the homemade dressing was the best part.
Odi’s also serves a variety of subs and wraps, all made with Boar’s Head products. The portions are huge at Odis, so go hungry.
Odi’s Mediterranean Kitchen, 6355 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. Mon.-Wed., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; and Closed Sundays. 727-564-0101, odiskitchen.com.
What is Top Tastes?
The Tampa Bay food scene is awesome. It’s constantly growing as new establishments pop up and now diverse food concepts are everywhere. In addition to restaurant reviews, I’ll be on a months-long campaign to sample specific dishes at various locales and then ranking my favorites. Follow along as I sample everything from salads and sushi, to Cubans and coffee in St. Pete, Gulfport, and the Gulf Beaches. This is a collection of food comparisons from a small sampling of area restaurants. By no means have I dined at every establishment that serves every category of food in this competition.
If you disagree with my rankings, that’s totally fine, but please be civil about it. And lastly, you won’t see me writing about Stella’s or the Salty Nun. It’s not that they don’t deserve the love, but my wife owns Stella’s and is part owner of Salty Nun, so in the interest of fairness (and marital harmony), those eateries don’t get to play.
