Another great festival is upon us, the Savannah Greek Festival. I always return with the same group of friends; sampling the Greek menu and tasting the wines while listening to Greek traditional music.
My first encounter with Greek culture came when I was just out of third grade, three neighborhood brothers were Greek, so I learned alot from them, especially their grandfather who fought for Greece during World War 1. When I was 14, the family spent a month in Greece and we were also able to see Greece on the big screen during the summer of 1981 with the release of the James Bond film, For Your Eyes Only. The family had a great time there and almost but a home, but chose instead to buy in the Cape Vincent area.
After I pledged a fraternity, I was introduced to the Greek traditional liquor, Ouzo. We used to drink flaming Ouzo shots, what fools we were. After college, I moved to Hilton Head and was exposed to additional Greek entrees from both the Island and Savannah.
In the summer of 2001, one of the brothers, Gregg, was getting married and I was a groomsmen, so I traveled cross country to Los Angeles to partake in the Ceremony. The rehearsal dinner was fabulous, all traditional Greek foods. Gregg's family explained and taught me very much about traditional Greek cuisine. It was a great experience, plus some Ouzo to wash it down. That Christmas my mother gave me a Greek cookbook.
Savannah's Greek festival is famous for it's food; they do take out. It takes 20 minutes to get through the line. It is so worth the wait, everybody is enjoying themselves. Vendors surround the entrance; selling olive oil, clothing, foods and other treasures. If you like to eat, this is one you cannot miss.
The festival begins October 16 and runs through the 18th. It is open everyday at 11 AM and closes at 9 PM. The festival takes place at 14 West Anderson Street, the Hellenic Community Center. I am posting the website, so you can see the menu items and view the schedule of events.
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