Greek Quarters (YUM!)

Oakleigh is a small suburb of Melbourne, where my friend Debra and I go for the most amazing Greek treats you can imagine. It’s a mini-version of Astoria (Queens, NY). Debra (Greek) introduced me to the area about two years ago and I am now addicted. The best place to be in Oakleigh is Eaton Street, a pedestrian mall just off of Atherton Road, buzzing with locals and LOTS of cafes and restaurants, plus some and retail shops, all with Greek names. Best things to eat there? The list could fill pages, but what we always get is the café frappé (metrios, or medium sweeet), loukoumades and spanakopita. Café frappe is a foam-covered iced coffee drink made from instant coffee that was originally invented by the French people (thus the name). Frappé coffee is very popular in Greece but in Romania, too, especially during the summer. The loukoumades are deep fried balls sprinkled with cinnamon and soaked in a honey syrup. Heaven! In the ancient Greece, these deep fried dough balls were served to the winners of the Greek Olympics as "honey tokens", which says it all. Spanakopita for me is the equivalent of the best Greek bread, filo dough with spinach and feta, also with some amazing spices. In the picture I posted are the stuffed capsicum (red peppers) from Café Nikos, the place where Debra and I go religiously. The bakery/patisserie department is normally off-limit because I could buy and eat half of it. It’s just scrumptious stuff!