LTH,
I've been a huge fan of this place ever since stevez told me back in April of 2012 that it had been acquired by 2 brothers, both long-time veterans of Greek Islands. I feel fortunate that it's near my office because it has become our ace-in-the-hole, go-to place for lunch; generally once a week. I also have dinner here on a regular basis. The menu is large but unlike large menus at so many other places, this one is deep with quality items. The daily, house-made soups (lentil, navy bean, fish, etc.), whole grilled fish, grilled octopus, house-made gyros, braised lamb dishes, grilled lamb chops, keftedes, bekri meze, spanakopitakia, cold dips (taramosalata, tsatziki, skordalia, etc.), salads (Chef George, Paschalini, etc.), vegetable side dishes (peas, okra, green beans, etc.) and many of the specialty entrees (lamb hilopites, chicken spanaki, moussaka,etc.) are all highlights. Yes, it's possible to go wrong here but in my dozens of times eating in at Psistaria and carrying out, the instances have been extremely rare.
Here are pics of a few of my top items . . .
Navy Bean SoupThis one is served on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It's not my very favorite of the house-made soups at Psistaria (that would be the lentil, served on Tuesdays and Fridays) but I always look forward to this one.
BreadThey don't bake it here but it's delivered daily and it's always fresh. This hearthy bread has a great depth of flavor and is perfect for sopping up olive oil and sauces. The lighter sesame bread (not pictured) is also particularly delicious . . . especially with a big schmear of taramosalata on it.
ArakaThese peas are available every day. They're the best take on this type of preparation I've ever had.
Paschalini Salad with Gyros Side - (Chopped Romaine Lettuce, Green Onions & Dill, Topped with Crumbled Feta)
When I eat in, I often order a gyros appetizer as a topper to my Paschalini salad. It's a great combination, especially with the dill and scallions in the salad.
SpanakopitakiaAbsolutely the best version of this dish I've ever had in a restaurant.
So many people I know from within our community (and outside of it) consider Psistaria to be the new gold standard for traditional Greek fare. But looking at the
main thread (link to first post after current owners took it over), I'm not convinced that that sentiment really comes through. Sure, there are plenty of positive posts but they don't seem to convey the enthusiasm with which people talk about this place in casual conversation, nor the frequency with which they eat there. My hope is that this nomination will inspire posts of support from some of Psistaria's fans here at LTH -- some of whom eat there regularly and speak glowingly about it but haven't yet posted about their positive experiences. At the very least, I hope it will inspire people who haven't been to Psistaria since George & Tom took it over to check it out.
All that said, there have been plenty of favorable posts about the place. Here a few things other LTHer's have written about Psistaria:
PIGMON wrote:Trix and I had an outstanding lunch at Psistaria in Lincolnwood yesterday.
jvalentino wrote:Made my second trip here today, and again left very impressed. Had mostly duplicates from my first visit-whole fish, gyros which were great again. We also got the lamb riblets this time, and they were very good too.
This place is doing it right.
Dlongs wrote:The gyros are really great, nice and crispy. The tzatziki sauce is thick, tart, and has cucumber strewn throughout.
ett094 wrote:the salads were very fresh, nicely cut and dressed, the octopus was wonderful, my fish was expertly grilled and the prices are very very reasonable.
LynnB wrote:We loved the grilled calamari - got a double order for the table as a starter. Super-tender with a nice char from the grill. Pepperoncini and olives rounded out our first course as most meals come with soup. Soups were enjoyed (lemon rice and chickpea were the choices at our table - they have a few others.)
Entrees of lamb, whitefish, and shrimp were all exactly what you would expect at a top-notch Greektown place. Of the sides we had, the spinach rice and the roasted potatoes were the big winners.
queequeg's_steak wrote:Had another great meal here last night
jay2021 wrote:We have been to Psistaria many times over the last year and I agree that the food is wonderful which is why we keep coming back.
Sweet Willie wrote:had a cup of the lentil soup to start, which was VERY good, especially with bits of torn crust from the house bread I put in it as well as a splash of red wine vinegar (a small bottle of which is provided w/the soup).
Darren72 wrote:My most recent meal was in November and it was outstanding. I was with a large group, so we were able to sample a ton of appetizers and good number of entrees. Nearly everything was fantastic. It was a Thursday night, if I recall, and they were quite busy. I eat at the Halsted Greek places a lot and my meal at Psistaria just blew away those experiences.
So, for 2014, I enthusiastically nominate the very deserving Psistaria for a GNR.
Psistaria Greek Tavern (website)
4711 W Touhy Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
(847) 676-9400
=R=
Same planet, different world