Ziziki's Big Opa! By Chef Costa

Every Greek says their YaYa (Grandma) makes the best Keftedes (meatballs).  It seems like this debate has been going on since the time of Socrates.  I can assure you though; my YaYa’s Greek meatballs are the best!  YaYa Katina grew up in Thessaloniki which is in the Northern part of Greece known for its farming and raising of sheep and goats.  YaYa always made meatballs with 100% lamb unlike most keftedes recipes that call for a mixture of beef, pork and lamb or some combination thereof.  Since Ziziki’s meatballs are made with lamb, it was my idea to add French Feta and a bit of Mozzarella for moisture.

When YaYa Katina made Keftedes, she always made a lot of these as my family would eat these as an appetizer, on flatbread like a pizza, with pasta for dinner or just eat them cold, straight out of the refrigerator as a snack.  Ziziki’s country-style Keftedes are flavored with oregano, mint and a bit of crumbled French Feta and Mozzarella.  Our hand-rolled meatballs are baked and served on a simple plum tomato sauce.   After you try Ziziki’s Keftedes appetizer, you judge and let me know if they aren’t the best Greek meatballs you’ve ever had!

Visit us for the very best Greek food in Dallas!

Mary's Wine PIck

I am always looking for that new unique wine to offer at Ziziki’s and…WOW…you will fall in love with the two wines that we are featuring this week from Patagonia Argentina.  Argentina has been making wine since the 1500s, tracing its wine heritage back to Spain, France and Italy.  Located in the province of Neuquen, is a young and innovative new winery…Bodega NQN…which was established in 2001.  The winery is situated in a modern, chic, low-lying building set into the Patagonian landscape…a setting truly representative of the creativity of owner, Lucas Nemesio, who has an architectural background.  The unique wines NQN is producing from this cool climate in the Southern Hemisphere are truly superb.  When I tasted these wines last month with Lucas, I thought they would be a great match with our flavorful Greek cuisine.

Malma Sauvignon Blanc 2010    $8/glass

This Sauvignon Blanc rivals the best from Marlborough, New Zealand.  It is fruity and crisp with a more rounded mouthfeel and nice acidity on the finish which makes this wine a perfect food wine or just great on a hot Dallas summer day.

Malma Malbec 2009    $8/glass

This malbec has intense red color and aromas of red fruit, fresh raspberry, plum and cherry.  The bright fruit has vanilla hints from its oak aging.  This Malbec has good structure and a slight spice on the finish which stands up well to our great lamb dishes, including our Greek meatballs.

NQN brings the kind of passion to wine that gets your attention…these two wines certainly got my attention!

Reds, Whites and Blues this Fourth Of July

It's July 4th weekend - and what better way to celebrate than to celebrate Old Glory, her colors - and all things red, white and blue? Certainly, being Dallas Best Greek Restaurant - we'll need to keep it to red, white and blue FOODS, but you get the idea!

Red Foods

Reds are typically REAL healthy foods - lots of fruits and veggies are in the red family of foods.
Fruit and sweet vegetables: cherries, cranberries, red raspberries, strawberries, watermelon.
Meat: elk, ostrich, pepperoni, rare beef, salmon, summer sausage.
Vegetables: red beans, red peppers, red radishes, tomatoes.

Wine: red wine of course!

White Foods

Well, we hope you aren't lactose intolerant if you're wanting to celebrate with colored foods this Independence Day.  Most white foods are dairy-related. There are a few ideas for white coloration - here are some of those:
Dairy products: cottage cheese, cream, cream cheese, milk, plain yogurt, sour cream, vanilla ice cream, white cheese (swiss, mozzerella, etc.).
Fruits and sweet vegetables: apples (peeled), bananas (peeled), coconut, lychees, pears (peeled), white nectarines, white peaches.

Meat: catfish, crappie, panfish, scallops.
Vegetables: button mushrooms, cauliflower, great northern beans, rice, white asparagus, white icicle radishes, white onions, white potatoes, white sweet corn.
Wine: white wine!

Blue Foods

There's only a couple of naturally blue foods. We've outlined those for you here too.
Fruits and sweet vegetables: blueberries.
Vegetables: all-blue potatoes (peeled or with skins), blue-skinned potatoes (skin on), blue corn.
Red cabbage starts out sort of purple and white, but when blanched in water with a base (such as baking soda) it turns blue.
Wine: None... :(

We'll work on the blue wine! OPA!

OLIVE You, DAD!

Olives aren't just for martinis! They're the staple of a great meal - and diet. This Father's Day - say "OLIVE YOU, DAD" and treat him to a healthy, rich GREEK meal! OPA!

Why are olives important in the Greek diet? Well, as a cooking medium - olive oil is the most common cooking oil used in kitchens world-wide. Certainly - olives can be eaten whole, or used as a garnish - but they are most common in oil form and in salad dressings. Just like traditional Greek restaurant, Ziziki’s uses olive oil for cooking too. For example- our calamari is lightly sautéed with olive oil, white wine, and lemon. Other Greek dishes and appetizers (or, mezzes) are served with whole kalamata olives.

But where do olives come from? Olive trees typically were abundant throughout history in the Mediterranean area. The trees are super-strong, and live many years. Different types of olives come from different areas: Empeltre, Hojiblanca, Lechin, Picual, Cornicabra, Verdial, Arbequina, Picudo and varieties of each. There are also the most common olives in the United States, which are the black and green olives.  Depending on where it's grown, the soil - there are tons of factors too, that go into how the olive will taste. They all have a unique and distinct flavor on their own.

Don't forget our special Brunch Menu just for Dad this Father's Day. Bring him over and say "OLIVE YOU!"

Father's Day On Mt. Olympus

Father’s Day is Sunday, June 19th.

Give Dad a meal fit for a king this Father's Day - celebrate at Ziziki's with a special brunch menu.  But it's a given he'd love that - what else can you do for Dad on his special day to make him feel like he's floating above Mt. Olympus?

First of all ,you should think about what kind of breakfast he likes, seeing as how breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all - and make him breakfast! In Greece, though, a meal early in the morning isn’t very important because of Greek eating customs (meaning late lunches and dinners).

If you are a Greek who likes to eat, though, a cup of black tea sweetened with honey along with some feta cheese, olives, and bread should make any Greek Father very proud! Remember, though, that presentation counts for a lot!

After tha,t make sure you have some kind of gift – it can be very simple, or elaborate as well - just something that you know he will love and cherish. Maybe it's an activity he enjoys, like a game of backgammon or even a Kompoloi! After you present him with his gift and some time has gone by make sure you’re already preparing for the next meal! OPA!

If you decide to cook at home choose an authentic Greek dish like Moussaka (eggplant casserole), Keftedakia (fried meatballs with oregano and mint), Spetsofai (a stew of country sausage, green mild peppers, onions and wine), or any of the other countless number of great Greek cuisines! Then make sure you finish the meal off with a great home cooked dessert like Baklava (layers of pastry with nuts, sugar, syrup and spices).   Disclaimer - if you are uncomfortable cooking any of these things, might we remind you Costa is - of course - extremely skilled in this arena - as his awards indicate, and we are happy to provide any culinary needs on Dad's special day. Or, you can just make reservations and enjoy our Father's Day brunch menu. Opa!

After this meal is over with, take your dad to do something he always wanted to do or maybe just have a party for him that includes his closest friends and greatest relatives! Plan games, events, and just good fun!

Once all of this is over, it's likely everyone will once again, be very hungry, so you will get to eat again!

Zizki's would like to wish ALL the Father's out there a VERY HAPPY Father's Day! opa!

Zizikis Taverna Is An Addison Reader's Choice Nominee

The time comes once again that our patrons and their obvious satisfaction honor us!A special thank you goes out to our Addison patrons, who have nominated us once again for a great honor! We've been named a nominee for Favorite Mediterranean Food Restaurant in Addison with Addison Magazine Reader's Choice Awards! 

We are thrilled to have received this nomination and we thank our wonderful clients for nominating us.


Want to see Zizikis in first place like we do? Then we need your help to win first place! Please take a moment to vote for Ziziki's Taverna: Best Mediterranean Restaurant.

Now, what really qualifies as “best”? Well, “best” can be defined as most advantageous, suitable, or desirable. If you feel like Zizikis’ food - like our many specialties and hot and cold mezzes – are as desirable as we think they are then please don’t think twice about visiting addisonmagazine.com and picking our name!

The Curiousity Of Woman

At one point in time, there were only gods. This came to be tiresome, however, so Zeus ordered Prometheus to create man. Prometheus however, not at all pleased with the outcome of man, decided to steal fire from Heaven. As soon as Zeus knew this he became angered and immediately hired Hephaistos and other gods to create the first woman, Pandora, who would be both cunning and beautiful.


Having this woman made, Zeus presented her to Prometheus’ slightly dim-witted younger brother, Epimetheus. Epimetheus, being taken by Pandora, married her, and they were very happy. As a wedding present Zeus gave them a box, but told both Epimetheus and Pandora that it must never be opened.


So for a good time it wasn’t, until one day Epimetheus went out, and Pandora’s curiosity got the better of her. She decided that she would just open the box briefly to see what was inside and then close it back just as quickly as if nothing had ever happened – this, however, did not work.


As soon as Pandora opened this box awful things – such as lust, hatred, greed, and so on – started coming out, and no matter how hard she tried she could not get the box to shut and she could not get these abstract concepts back in.

So one by one they came out and as she thought it was over, and as she started to close the box, one more concept came out – hope – so that man, while he may have all of these sufferings and afflictions throughout his life, may be able to persevere, because no matter what he will always have hope to help him through it.

But don't fret over the release of all of man's most horrific emotions into the world - instead - come by Dallas wine bar at Ziziki's, or visit Ziziki's Taverna for Dallas Happy Hour or a bit of Mediterranean Fare In Dallas. Not unlike Pandora's Box - you do not know what you are going to get when you first open the doors, and when you come in you get more than you ever expected or could have wished for.