Get us to the Greek

A lot has been written about the Mediterranean trend lately, but a closer look shows Greek cuisine specifically, is on the rise across the globe. And it’s taking over our city, one resto at a time.

In just the last few weeks, Mamakas and Greek Street, specializing in spanikopita and other pies, opened as did Tzatziki on Pape and Original Gyro Grill a little while ago. In recent months, It’s All GRK has been expanding across the city, with their locally-sourced meat, grass-fed-beef and free-range chicken.

While the Danforth might house more nail spas than Greek restaurants these days, the interest in this perceived healthy food continues to rise. The fact that Greek yogurt is the new superfood of the moment, could have something to do with it (“Back in 2007, it accounted for less than 1% of the US yogurt market. Today it accounts for more than half of dollar sales in the category,” Food Navigator-USA.com).  

Or perhaps it the mainstreaming of gluten-free, no carb and Mediterranean diet trends. With people demanding healthier choices, it’s no wonder that Greek salads continue to appeal for workplace meals. And the wide range of meat, seafood and vegetarian dishes also makes it easy for anyone with dietary restrictions to navigate around them.

Modern Greek restaurants are catering to these needs, as are fast food chains. I just got a flyer from Mr. Sub for The Souvlaki Sub, available for a limited time. 

Expect the Hellenic craze to stay awhile. After all, just look at how long kale’s held in there (and still going strong).