Oct. 27, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

Savor the flavors of Greece with a trip to Grille 26 – but do it soon.

The latest feature menu is inspired by executive chef Patrick Schmidt’s travel to Greece a few years ago – and it’s here for only a few weeks.

“I just like to travel, and about five years ago I was watching for plane tickets, saw the price drop and decided I was going to Greece for two weeks,” he said. “So when I came back, we were inspired to start thinking about trying some new features. We were going to do it last year but held off because of the pandemic, so we’re excited to offer them this year.”

Here’s a taste of what to expect.

Greek salad

Freshness is the star here with this blend of cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, Kalamata olives and bell peppers – flavored with mint and dressed with a red wine vinaigrette.

“It’s a super light, fresh and enjoyable salad without the lettuce,” Schmidt said. “We’re using local tomatoes and cucumbers whenever we can, which of course is nearing the end of the season, but we will order from our local farmers whenever it works out.”

Saganaki – pan-fried cheese

This is one of those dishes you must try before it’s gone because this Greek cheese was specially imported by Grille 26 for its feature menu. It’s a Kefalotyri cheese, “and it’s super flavorful and made with goat’s milk,” Schmidt said. “It’s got a lot of flavor and a good amount of saltiness, but it all comes from the cheese.”

He compares it to a cross between Parmesan and cheddar. The pan-fried dish is accented with brandy and lemon juice, and it’s served with pita bread.

Moussaka – Greek-style lasagna

The Greeks do lasagna a bit differently – and deliciously.

“It’s got eggplant, a mixture of ground lamb, red onions, wine and tomatoes, and the top is a bechamel sauce, which gets thicker when it’s baked,” Schmidt said. “A lot of people think it looks like cheese, and there is cheese in it, but it’s not cheese. It’s a bechamel sauce, and when you put it together, it adds creaminess, and it’s a wonderful dish.”

Pork souvlaki – skewers

Start with lemon- and olive oil-marinated pork for this traditional Greek dish.

“It’s street food in Greece – meat on a stick,” Schmidt said. “It’s super light, and the marinade is fresh and seasoned, so the flavors are great, and it comes with roasted eggplant topped with tomato, feta, basil and covered with tzatziki sauce.”

The pita

And just in case you don’t already see enough reasons to sample this menu – every dish also comes with pita bread made fresh daily for Grille 26 by local culinary favorite Sanaa Abourezk.

“We’ve really enjoyed working with her and, of course, pita is the classic way to complement a Greek dish,” Schmidt said.

This feature menu will be offered until about mid-November, when it will be replaced by – sorry if you’re not ready for it – winter features through the end of the year.