Which Greek food comes to mind when you think of Greek cuisine? I began writing, cooking, sharing and photographing this blog to show you that Greeks do eat other foods beyond souvlaki. However, we do still eat souvlaki and I still get excited when I taste a well-made souvlaki when dining out.
During my recent visit to Thessaloniki (Greece’s second largest city) I caught-up with as many family & friends as I could. One friend that I couldn’t see was Stella Spanou as she was in Germany. We did have some brief on-line chats and I quizzed her on some places to check out for good eats. Stella is a Thessaloniki gal and she recommended I go visit Kostas’ Souvlaki, on Agio Dimitriou (St. Demetrios) St., just west of the Turkish Consulate.
Located near the city center (just a short cab ride) you will find Kostas’ Souvlaki. There are many references to Kostas’ souvlaki on-line and my friends in Thessaloniki confirm this place is pretty damn good! A good souvlaki needs fat and the best made souvlaki comes from pork butt (from the shoulder) or pork belly. Either way, some fat has to be present so it renders down, keeping the leaner meat moist and the result being juicy, succulent pork souvlaki.
I walked into Kostas’ in mid afternoon, well after lunch hour and I was the only sit-down patron. I watched as many came in for their take-out orders and I patiently waited for my order to arrive. I started off by pouring myself an ice-cold Fix Hellas (Greek) beer..fitting for souvlaki & fixins’s.
An order of fries is a must when ordering souvlaki. These were frozen pre-cut fries but they were not reconstituted and that’s fine by me.
Next up was to order an “angouro-tomata” or Cucumber & Tomato salad…think a stripped-down Horiatiki or Greek salad with no Feta or peppers.
I know that I was in Kostas’ for his souvlaki but I do also love a good soutzoukaki – a slender mince sausage (no casing) and so I threw in a few soutzoukakia into my order.
The souvlakia are housemade on the premise , marinated in onions and oregano on the souvlaki. My recipe for pork souvlaki is done much the same way. Throw in some bread and the meal is served.
I ate all that I could – fought the good fight and I managed to leave a small bite of soutzoukaki and some fries. The entire meal was delicious, seasoned properly and the only noticeable food left on the table were some fries. I needed buffet slacks and a bed to sleep off this big lunch!
If going to Greece, venture beyond Athens and the cruise-stop Greek Islands…there’s a whole other country to explore and if you’re a foodie and love Greek food – Thessaloniki delivers as a food destination. Try the foods the Greeks are eating but if you must go and grab a souvlaki – it might as well be the best.
Visit Kostas’ Souvlaki at Agio Dimitriou 152, Thessaloniki, tel. 2310-213634
15 Responses
You did a great job with all that food. This is my kind of eating!
I remember that I ate souvlaki every two days when I travelled through Greece! Thanks for sharing. Those look fantastic. Because of you, I am now feeling sooo hungry that I could eat a cow!!!! ;-P
Cheers,
Rosa
My mouth is watering! You have no idea how hungry you just made me…not only for the food but for Greece.
I remember being in Thessaloniki and eating peaches right off the trees that were the size of a baby’s head…never in my my life since have I ever tasted anything so amazing! I will never forget the juice running down my face in the heat of the day…
Man, I wish I was going to Greece this summer. It’s the simple foods that sometimes taste the best and are the most satisfying.
Και το σουβλάκι του Κώστα υπέροχο φαίνεται, ζουμερό-ζουμερό, αλλά και το σουτζουκάκι τέλειο!!!
Oh yum. Souvlaki is my favorite!
Maaaaan!!! This is a torture!!! I am not going to my beloved Salonika until August. Meanwhile there is not a single good souvlaki in Amsterdam…
Kostast souvlaki is indeed the best in that area. I remember few years ago every Protomagia we would gather with a huge gang of students at the grass field behind the Law School of Aristoteleio and have a picnic with literally 100 souvlakia from Kostas! Back then the fries were home made and not frozen, but I bet the souvlaki haven’t changed a tiny bit! Btw another good souvlaki place is just in front of Leukos Purgos, at Pavlou Mela 1 (don’t remember the name, but it’s exactly on the corner). Aaaand since we started the “meat talk”, if you are somewhere around Sykies, go to Sotiris taverna (behind kolimvitirio) and order a kotsi! UNBELIEVABLY GOOD!!!
Damn, I’m hungry and homesick!!!
Peter – that souvlaki on the grill photo is fabulous! I can smell that smoky goodness from LA!
LL
Looks really good, with only the right amount of fat to keep the meat juicy!
Wow, you did really well to get through all that food. I would have given it good go, too. All washed down with an attractive-looking beer too. Perfect.
Julia
My brother lives across the street in Ag. Dimitriou. Kostas’ handmade souvlaki just used to be famous in the past. That’s all.
Read the comments in [Tavernoxoros](http://www.tavernoxoros.gr/#p=t648) (in Greek). Über-expensive simple souvlaki in €1.5 ≅ C$ 2.15 (no pita just meat with a piece of bread).
The staff is not helpful at all.
I would like to see you in the unknown sides of the city :¬)
kind regards, an RSS reader.
IK, Kostas souvlaki is not the cheapest but it’s still good and worthy of trying (for the new visitor to Thessaloniki). Do you have any other souvlaki recommendations in/around Thesaloniki?
Looks like a delicious meal! Sometimes the basics are the best!
Fix beer is quite good, I agree. But if you have ever drunk Mythos then there is only second best when drinking anything else made in Ellada. Even my wife, who is not a beer person, loved it. As to the souvlakia, those in Ellada beat those anywhere else in the world – maybe it is the atmosphere, who knows but mmmm I am hungry again
Ange, which beer is better is a matter of taste. Did you know that both Fix and Mythos are foreign-owned?