Spring - The Presence of Persephone

Persephone must be free, because Spring is in full swing. 

Demeter was the goddess of the harvest and everyone, gods and mortals alike, worked hard to keep Demeter happy, because the moment she became sad or mad, the crops could die, and what made her happiest was enjoying the company of her daughter, Persephone.

One day, though, Persephone, as she was picking flowers, was kidnapped by Hades (who was enamored with Persephone the moment he saw her) and taken into the darkest depths of the underworld.

Locked in a room in the Hall of Hades she refused to eat. Legend said if you ate anything in Hades, you could never leave. She did not know if the legend was true, but she did not want to risk it in case someone came to rescue her. After a while, like any good Greek girl, Persephone was starting to get hungry for her native Mediterranean food. (She'd have probably enjoyed getting out for a evening cocktail and a mezze or two at Ziziki's Taverna!)

Nearly a week went by, but finally, unable to stand her hunger, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds. Sadly, she would now have to live in the Underworld forever.

Then Zeus, worried, sent Hermes, his youngest son, the messenger, to make a deal with Hades. Even as a baby, Hermes was great at making deals. (Everyone knew that!) So, When Hermes heard that Persephone had eaten six pomegranate seeds, he had to think quickly.  The deal he made with Hades was that if Persephone would marry Hades, she would live as queen of the underworld for six months out of the year. However, each spring, Persephone would return and live on earth for the other six months of the year. Everyone agreed to the plan.

So now, each Spring, Demeter makes sure all the flowers bloom in welcome when her daughter, Queen of the Underworld, returns to her. Each Fall, when Persephone returns to Hades, Demeter cries, and lets all the crops die until Spring, when the cycle starts again.

We feel pretty lucky for these seasons, especially since Spring is when we get all of our fresh ingredients for our Greek cuisine. Like tomatoes – which can be used as roma tomatoes to go with your Caprese Salad or your Mediterranean Bread, and potatoes – which are an especially good side when roasted and served as a side dish, just like the seasoned rice, with yummy sauces and other Springtime specialties at all Zizikis Restaurants. OPA!

Eating Out With The Kids

Eating out at a Dallas restaurant is always a fun and exciting idea, until one realizes that they have little children who are – well – picky, to say the least.

Eating out for a family doesn’t always have to mean the nearest fast-food joint, though.

At Zizikis award-winning Greek restaurants - we have a kid’s menu that brings food that kids are traditionally used to eating, and puts a Greek twist on it.

Instead of the same old grilled cheese sandwich, why not try our grilled cheese pita that consists of handmade pita broiled with two cheeses and served with Ziziki sauce? Or how about having chicken tenders with roasted potatoes instead of ordinary French fries? Or why not try something a little different with our chicken or lamb skewer that’s served with pita, Ziziki sauce & roasted potatoes?

At Zizikis, we have everything to keep your children satisfied, and you!  If they’re scared of trying something traditionally Greek, like Mousaka, then there is always Pizza and Chicken to keep them satiated and happy.

OPA!

Eggs, Easter and Greek Brunch

Join Us at All Three Ziziki’s Restaurants for a Special Easter Brunch Featuring Complimentary Mimosas or Champagne. 

Our regular dinner menu will be offered for dinner on Easter.




EASTER BRUNCH MENU

Complimentary Glass of Champagne or Mimosa

A flavorful selection of your favorite Ziziki’s items:

• Spanakopita
• Dolmades
• Mediterranean Salad
• Greek Island Chicken
• Rigatoni with Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce

Plus these signature brunch items…

• Mediterranean Shrimp
• House Smoked Salmon with
• Bagels & Herbed Cream Cheese
• Buttermilk Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup
• Greek Scrambled Eggs with Feta Cheese & Basil
• Roasted Leg of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce
• Ya Ya Katina’s Baklava

Easter Eggs and Chocolates For All Children

3 seatings at 11am, 12:30pm & 2pm
$24.95 per person

Specifically on special holidays, and on weekends, reservations are recommended for any size party; and if you have a party of 20-40 please consider our private VIP dining room at our Travis Walk location and semi private dining room at Preston.

Take A Bite Of Scylla!

The Greek tale of the Scylla, a monster, with six heads, that Odysseus must sail past during his travels, is an example of one of the earlier sightings of what we now know today as The Kraken. Stories tell us that this huge, many armed, monster could reach as high as the top of a sailing ship's main mast, making it obvious as to how one would attack the ship in the first place; by wrapping their arms around the hull and capsizing it. After that the crew would either drown or be eaten by the monster.

The Kraken of this myth is probably what we know today as the giant squid. The giant squid can grow to a remarkable size, and like all squid, a giant squid has eight arms, a mantle (torso), and two longer tentacles (the longest known tentacles of any cephalopod). These giant squid also have a sophisticated nervous system and complex brain, and some are thought to be able to wrestle with something as big as a whale.

Whether Scylla was truly a giant squid, or maybe just an over-sized octopus, she would – in all reality – still taste as good as any other type of seafood anyone has ever had. Size isn’t what matters when it comes to seafood – but it could help a bit. At Ziziki's, you could opt for the smaller version of Scylla & the Kracken: calamari or to stick to the souvlaki's with yummy sea-snacks like tuna and shrimp. Opa!

Greek: It's Good For You

Greek cuisine is classified as a type of Mediterranean cuisine and, as the years have gone by, this type of food has become more and more prevalent in today’s “dining-out” industry. Dining out has even now become more common in Greece itself, and has been for a while now.

What makes Greek food stand out most is the fact that in almost all recipes, one can find a good amount of olive oil and a bit of Greek culture to go with it.

Greek life, in essence, is all about the celebration of said life. Even in ancient Greece, dancing was extremely important to the people. They believed that dancing helped one become more mentally and physically fit, and they even had close to two-hundred dances. These celebrations, or festivals, can last, at a minimum, a couple of days, or go on for so long as up to a week.

Greek life and culture is one of loving and living life to the fullest, and a Greek restaurant has the ability to give one the right atmosphere, the right food, and the great fun that being Greek can bring into one’s life.

Going Green and Going GREEK For St. Patty's Day

March 17th is well known around the world as St. Patrick's Day.  Ireland is well-represented by pubs and bars all across Greece, with with Crete being the most popular with those from Ireland and visitors from all over the world. There are over 20 Irish themed pubs and bars on Crete alone.

And certainly - in Greece, where there's always a reason to celebrate - you can imagine that Greeks take part in the enjoyment of the green beer - or - the green beer BOTTLE.

Mythos Beer is one of the most popular bee - and it comes in a bright green bottle.

But instead of flying to Athens for some special beer - why not head over to one of our three Ziziki's locations or Ziziki's Taverna in Addison for a festive atmosphere, spirits and scrumptious mezzes?

So go green ...and go Greek!

Slainte!

Mardi Gras - Greek Style!

Of course, you know about New Orleans, and Rio de Janeiro and their extravagant and exotic Mardi Gras celebrations coming up! BUT, the GREEKS have been doing CARNIVAL longer than anyone - in fact, they invented it! OPA!

While the Greek Carnival is just as festive and exciting as Mardi Gras, there are a few differences that occur in Greece. First of all, they use the Greek Orthodox Easter Calendar - which usually differs from the Western Calendar.

Carnival ( or Apokriés meaning "saying goodbye to meat") begins on a Saturday evening with the opening of the Triodion - beginning of Pre-Lentin (40 days before the beginning of Lent). They do not recognize “Fat Tuesday” in Greece - instead they celebrate “Burnt Thursday” (11 days before Lent) feasting on a variety of grilled meats.

The weekend following (“Tsiknopempti Weekend”) continues with many parties and other events to “Meat-Eating Sunday”, when is the “last day” for meat eating. This is a very popular day at most Greek restaurants, like Ziziki’s Restaurant and Ziziki’s Taverna.

But, a week later on the last weekend of the Carnival season is the Main Carnival Weekend. Patras holds the largest carnival in Greece and filled with concerts, masked balls, parades with amazing floats and many special events for children over 3 fun-filled days. On Saturday, there is a special service for the dead in Orthodox churches and ends on “Cheese-eating Sunday” or “Tyrofagos” - you know the Greeks LOVE their cheese. The Great Lent begins on "Clean Monday” which marks the end of the Greek Carnival.

But, that doesn’t mean you can’t continue the celebration - the party is always going on here at one of our Zizikis locations. Come in and see us sometime!