Astoria Shish Kebob House

After rock climbing, we were famished. Well I was hungry for sure. Since I didn't know the area very well Susan recommended Astoria so off we drove to Greektown.

Susan took care of the ordering and at first I thought it was too little but then I was proved wrong. There was definitely more than enough food to feed all four of us.

First off was the moussaka. My first time trying this was at Loui's Kouzina. It was so yummy. Here it was made differently. The components were similar with ground beef, eggplant, potatoes and bechamel sauce however, the flavoring was completely different. Nonetheless it was simply delicious.

Here we have the pork souvlaki and Santorini feast.

The pork meat was succulent and juicy. As for the seafood feast I wasn't really a big fan of it. The salmon was a bit dry. The rest of the items were mediocre.

We also had 3 huge bowls of salad as well sadly, we were only able to clean out 2 bowls.

Portions were generous, the meat dishes were tasty and the prices were fair.

Great recommendation Sue. Next time I want to try the gyros.

TOTAL BILL $61...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Astoria Shish Kebob House

390 Danforth Ave.

(close to Chester Station)

416-463-2838

Loui's Kouzina...Our Own lil Food Fest

My last trip at Loui's Kouzina was for brunch.

This time I came for dinner.

Since I had a little altercation in the parking lot at the event Night It Up, me and my boyfriend decided to skip the food event and have our own food fest at Loui's Kouzina. Hey no problems finding parking here at least. I hate crowds don't know why I even tried to go to that crazy event. It was insane!!!

Ok enough of my ranting back to the food.

Messini

Chicken, pork or lamb???

I wanted to see what the rave was all about at Messini Authentic Gyros so I bought 2 gyros to try. I opted for the lamb and pork since normally when I buy gyros I like to buy the beef and lamb. My friend kept pointing out her fave is the chicken.

Man I should have gone with the chicken.

Both the lamb and pork were really dry. The meat wasn't moist or juicy and with all the fries packed into the pita it was way too starchy which almost ended up being lodged in my boyfriend's throat.

The only unique quality of the pita is the generous portion of fries stuffed into the pita. Other than that the meat was not seasoned very well and was quite flavorless. It was a huge disappointment since I was really looking forward to eating this. Maybe my expectations were too high after seeing almost 400 reviewers on Urbanspoon claiming they liked the place. Or maybe it just wasn't my night.

I won't write it off completely till I taste the chicken gyros since that is the most popular one according to my friend Maggie.

One other great thing about this place besides the huge rationing of food is the fact that it was a steal. For $10 you have dinner for 2. Just can't argue with that no matter how unpleasant my experience was.

TOTAL BILL $10...MAY EAT AGAIN?!

Loui's Kouzina

Definitely a hidden gem in the town of Markham.

If you want a home cooked Greek meal then head over to Loui's Kouzina.

It's a cozy little restaurant located in the plaza at Woodbine and 16th. The place is filled with pictures of Greece hanging on the walls and there's an open kitchen at the back of the restaurant where you can see the cook prepare the dishes.

Me and my friend wanted something from the breakfast menu as well as an item from the lunch menu so we got the best of both worlds and ordered one from each menu.

For out starter we couldn't decide between the spanakopita or whether to try something new. Our waitress told us everything on the menu was homemade including the dips. The only exception was the spinach pie. Upon hearing that we decided to opt for the biftekia which is grilled beef balls. It was a good choice. Although at first glance it looked like 4 burnt black balls nonetheless, it did not taste scorched at all. It was juicy and savory. I never tasted meat balls that flavorful before. It was a hit.

Next is the moussaka. This was my very first time trying it and it was absolutely delicious. It had crazy layers of texture and flavor comprised from potato, eggplant, zucchini and ground beef all topped with bechamel sauce and served with a side of Greek salad. It tasted light despite the look of it and yet hearty and comforting at the same time. I will certainly be remembering the word moussaka from now on.

From the breakfast menu we chose the french toast. It was a great way to end off the meal. It was pretty much our dessert. At first it just looked like regular toasted bread but once again looks are deceiving. This was yummy.

I definitely have to return to try out the remaining items. You can feel the passion and love put into the food. The waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable on all the food items. Excellent quality, generous portions and great service. All in all a perfect place for an authentic Greek dining experience. OPA!!!

TOTAL BILL $33...EAT HERE NEXT!!!

Loui's Kouzina

9255 Woodbine Ave.

(close to 16th)

905-887-6464