Go Columbia

Sunday is final day to get your Greek food fix


Cuisine is the star of the Greek Festival, which also includes music, dance and merchandise with a Greek flair. The pastries are always a favorite.
Cuisine is the star of the Greek Festival, which also includes music, dance and merchandise with a Greek flair. The pastries are always a favorite. The State

The Greek Festival is here! The Greek Festival is here!

Many of us wait in anticipation for this end-of-summer celebration of goodness at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, this year set for Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 17-20.

The great food, the delicious desserts – what to try first?

Here are some of our favorites, perfect while enjoying the live music and wandering through the festival shops.

Souvlaki: Classic Greek festival fare. Two marinated pork skewers with bread. Add Greek potatoes and a salad as a basket.

Saganaki: What’s better than a thick slice of slightly salty cheese set aflame? Crunchy and gooey at the same time.

Gyros: Another classic combination of roasted beef and lamb with tomato, onion and tzatziki sauce on a pita. Yes, I’d like Greek fries with that!

Lamb chops (as part of an appetizer plate): Seasoned and grilled. Use the bone as a grip, and eat lollipop-style.

Lamb chops (Thursday and Saturday dinner menus): Good portion served on a bed of manestra (orzo) with spanakopita, Greek salad and bread.

Spanakopita (inside): Spinach and feta cheese combination that is light enough to justify binging on dessert.

And for dessert...

Loukoumades: Fluffy Greek doughnuts served warm, drizzled with honey syrup and cinnamon.

Kourambiedes (inside): Butter cookies, like wedding cookies, rolled in powdered sugar.

Flogeres (inside): Light, flaky layers of phyllo with walnuts and spices, rolled, baked and drizzled with honey syrup – and chocolate!

Baklava ice cream sundaes (inside): A cup of soft-serve vanilla ice cream topped with crumbled baklava. Talk about turning it up a notch.

Daily dinner menu

Service starts inside at 5 p.m., eat-in or to-go. All entrees come with manestra (orzo) with spanakopita, Greek salad and bread.

Thursday: Choose from half of a broiled chicken, pastichio (Greek version of lasagna), roasted lamb and keftedes (meatballs in an egg and lemon sauce).

Friday: Half of a broiled chicken, keftedes or peasant shrimp (sauteed with onion and feta cheese).

Saturday: Half of a broiled chicken, keftedes or roasted lamb.

Columbia’s Greek Festival

DATE: Thursday through Sunday, Sept 17-20

LOCATION: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1931 Sumter St.

HOURS: 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday; noon-8 p.m. Sunday

ON TAP: Food, church tours, dancing and music, festival shops

INFO: (803) 461-0248, columbiasgreekfestival.com

This story was originally published September 15, 2015 at 6:23 PM with the headline "Sunday is final day to get your Greek food fix."

Get one year of unlimited digital access for $159.99
#ReadLocal

Only 44¢ per day

SUBSCRIBE NOW