Review: The Parthenon Greek Grill and Taverna

By Marcus Scheer

On Tuesday evening, my friends and I headed to The Parthenon Greek restaurant at 56th and Hwy 2. With tall, imposing stone columns inside and outside the building, it was clear that this restaurant is dedicated to presenting customers with a unique and authentic Greek dining experience. Paintings of sculptures and full wine racks were on display around the restaurant.

After being seated, we were initially presented with a drink and appetizer menu. This is a bit out of the ordinary, because most restaurants list appetizers in the same menu with entrées.  At The Parthenon they offer numerous appetizers, specialty drinks, wines (Greek, house and specialty) and beers (Greek, imported, domestic and even micro-brewed), so perhaps they won't all fit in one menu. Or perhaps the owner, George Kazas, is encouraging diners to enjoy a complete and unhurried dining experience.  Either way, the variety  of appetizers was impressive.

I ordered a Greek beer called Hillas ($3.75) and a calamari  appetizer ($8.99) that our waiter claimed was “the best in town.” The ‘premium quality lager’ had the look and taste of an even mix between a light American beer and a wheat beer. It was refreshing with a hint of wheat—overall a delicious beer.

When the calamari arrived, only two at our table looked excited. The others had never had this treat of breaded  and fried squid, which is served with a lemon butter sauce. After sampling the calamari, everyone became fans of the appetizer, which was tender and tasty.

Our waiter was very informative when describing the dinner menu and daily specials, which proved to be very helpful. Again, The Parthenon’s wide selection, while impressive, also made my dinner choice a bit challenging.  I finally decided on the Gyro Platter ($10.95), which came with pita bread and two sides. I chose the Greek potatoes and seasoned beans.

The lamb was tender and seasoned just right. The Greek potatoes consisted of boiled and peeled potatoes that contained a full olive oil flavor with hints of pepper and lemon juice. The beans were equally enjoyable, reminding me of baked beans with a nice, zesty seasoning. Overall, the Gyro Platter offered great tastes in sumptuous portions. Of the six at our table, not one finished their entire entrée.

But of course, we had to sample some desserts. Any doubts about being too full were forgotten in the time it took to look at the two glass display cases containing the restaurant’s many authentic Greek desserts. We decided to share the half-dipped chocolate baklava and chocolate-dipped paste.

This was my first experience with baklava, and this honey-drenched pastry was amazing. Made from filo (a pastry that consists of many ultra-thin layers of buttered dough) half of the layers were covered in chocolate and were well-balanced with traces of cinnamon and crunchy walnuts. If you have to pick one dessert, the baklava should be at the top of your list.

The chocolate-dipped "paste" was a piece of chocolate cake covered in chocolate. If you are not a fan of chocolate, this cake is the wrong choice for you. For chocolate lovers, this dessert, which had almost an ice-cream cake feel to it, is a dream come true.

By the time we finished dessert, I discovered that we had spent nearly two hours at The Parthenon, and it had nothing to do with the service. We had simply enjoyed a good, long dinner without realizing it. The atmosphere was ideal for whiling away the hours eating good food with good company. The staff was helpful and took special care to keep our orders correct and to be prompt. While the prices may be a cut above what some college-aged students can afford on a regular basis, the food came in large portions and I was able to take home enough for another meal. Overall, for tasty, authentic Greek food, The Parthenon hits the spot.

The Parthenon Greek Grill and Taverna
5500 S 56th St. #100 (56th and Hwy 2)
Lincoln, NE 68516
402-423-2222
www.theparthenon.net
Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.