Festivals! Part 1 – Greek Fest

Last year I finally convinced Michael that festivals were fun.  That meant going to Greek Fest took a lot less persuading this year.

I think I’ve decided that Greek Fest will be the official start to summer, and the kick off to festival season.  It was two weeks ago, and the weather couldn’t have been better.  Blue skies and sunshine!  It was a fabulous afternoon to drink frappes and munch on Greek salad, spanakopita, mousakka, and Greek potatoes…. Oh the potatoes!  All while sitting next to the water with a view of the yacht club.  Now if only I had my own yacht…

And the desserts!  The best baklava I’ve ever had!  And these almond and honey stuffed phyllo things.  So good!

*Disclaimer:  Not all those desserts were for me.  Michael and I shared.

Unfortunately, I didn’t win the trip to Greece that was up for grabs.  Maybe next year?

Opa! Greek Fest

Every year, Greek Fest happens in Halifax.  For the last four or five of those years, I’ve been saying I should go to Greek Fest, but it’s never actually happened.

This year, that changed.

I finally made it to Greek Fest!

I didn’t know if it was going to happen.  Michael isn’t really the festival going kind of guy (seeing as how there would likely be more than two people there), plus he never wants to go to the Greek restaurant Ela! for supper, and he claims he hates feta.

I was delightfully surprised when Michael agreed to go this year!

Neither of us were sure what to expect, but I knew I wanted spanakopita and baklava!

Luckily, the rain cleared up on Sunday and we went when they first opened so we could get a parking spot.

I had the Vegetarian Plate and Michael ordered the Greek Plate.  They both had delicious lemon roasted potatoes, Greek salad, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), spanakopita, and tiropita (a feta cheese pie), and mine had a stuffed pepper and Michael’s had moussaka.

And guess who said they liked the tiropita, the FETA cheese pie?  Michael!  This from the guy who said he didn’t like feta.  I knew no one could resist feta’s salty goodness.  Feta is delicious!

And then there were the desserts!  They were all lined up along a table and they all looked SO GOOD!

I knew going in it was baklava for me.  The only other time I can remember eating baklava was when I made some for my grade nine ancient history class when we were learning about the Greeks.  I can’t remember what my grade nine version tasted like, but I can assure you, it was nowhere near as good as the Greek Fest baklava!

I also had this sort of shortbread-like cookie that was COVERED in icing sugar… YUM! 

Michael had one of those cookies, a diple (deep-fried Greek pastry), and a galaktoboureko (custard in phyllo).  I had a taste and they were pretty good too.

Funny story:  I couldn’t remember what the galaktoboureko was called so I kept calling it galactorrhea which means “spontaneous flow of breast milk.”  Ya, so not the same thing.

We also entered in a draw for a trip to Greece, but since no one has called me yet, I guess that means we didn’t win.  Darn.  Greece is only at the top of my wanderlust list.  Until I make it there, I’ll have to settle for eating Greek food.

Now that we’ve had a pleasant “fest” experience and I’ve realized Michael doesn’t hate them as much as he claims he does, I think we’re going to take in a few more fests this summer.  Stay tuned!