Odyssey brings taste of Greece to St. Charles

Fans of Greek food need not journey all the way to Chicago's Greek Town on Halsted Street to enjoy their favorite dishes. On the edge of St. Charles, Odyssey Authentic Greek Taverna brings a taste of the Mediterranean to the Western suburbs.

The Pashos family, headed by Pete Pashos, took over the former Dimitri's Mediterranean Grill 2½ years ago and retained the Greek-accented decor already in place. (They also have a location in Lombard.) The St. Charles dining room features Greek columns, an oversized map of the Mediterranean over the open kitchen and other atmospheric touches. The decor is not overly ethnic, particularly since the high ceiling reveals pipes and other elements found in more contemporary urban eateries.

The high ceiling is a good idea in a restaurant that serves flaming saganaki — kasseri cheese flambéed tableside. This saganaki, like most others I've had over the years, tasted of lemon and salt but not too much of either ingredient. It's advisable to consume the cheese quickly, before it cools off. While this dish is good, half of the reason to order it is to be able to witness the fiery showmanship and shout “opa!” — perhaps the best-known Greek word in America.

All of the dishes are made from scratch and some of the recipes for the Greek specialties go back a century or more. Pashos imports the olive oil and spices from his native country.

Alternative starters on the lengthy all-day menu range from the cold taramasalata — a savory blend of cod roe with potatoes, onions and extra virgin olive oil — to charbroiled octopus and, for the less-adventurous, mini souvlaki of pork tenderloin kebabs with sliced tomatoes and Greek olives.

A choice of two soups or a small Greek salad is included with entrees. With the salad offering too-ordinary iceberg lettuce and a few other expected ingredients, I highly recommend ordering soup instead. The house soup, avgolemono — chicken soup with egg yolks, lemon and rice — is available every day. Odyssey's version is lighter than many I've had, with a homemade taste of rich chicken broth and lemon with a little salt. The day's other choice, chick pea, or revithosoupa, is an all-vegetarian option with rosemary, oregano, garlic, onions and olive oil. It too was light and delicious.

A couple of traditional Greek entrees followed. My favorite was the dolmades: grape leaves stuffed with ground beef and rice, topped with an egg-lemon sauce. The beef, which Pashos said is 80 percent lean, was nicely seasoned, as was the accompanying rice pilaf, prepared with a touch of tomato sauce.

The gyros plate also is available as an entree, served with pita bread and a tangy tzatziki sauce of Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Gyros fans will be happy with the generous portion of this familiar pressed lamb and beef meat seasoned with fennel, mustard and cumin seeds, peppercorns and olive oil.

Portion sizes are generous, and most entrees come with a choice of rice pilaf or roasted potatoes flavored with the ubiquitous olive oil, lemon and garlic. I personally don't mind repetition of these flavorings, since they are a big part of what makes the Mediterranean diet so healthy — and flavorful.

Considering the size of the menu of more than 90 items, it can be hard to decide what to order. In addition to traditional Greek cuisine, other sections include Greek pasta, fish (including a whole sea bass deboned tableside), chicken, broiled steaks, chops and burgers.

A Sunday-only special that Pashos highly recommends is roast spring lamb flavored with natural juices and herbs. Roast leg of lamb and braised lamb with tomato sauce touched with cinnamon are available daily.

A children's menu for those 10 and younger includes both Greek and American choices.

For dessert, alternatives rival the familiar baklava pastry. We liked the galaktoburiko. The moist semolina-custard cake was made with a delicate phyllo dough crust set on a layer of caramel sauce. And it was big enough to share. It's less cloyingly sweet than baklava and somewhat reminiscent of bread pudding. According to Pashos, the dish is labor-intensive and thus few Greek restaurants offer it. A lighter dessert choice is Greek yogurt with honey and walnuts.

A nicely balanced wine list nearly covers the globe and features some of the excellent wines now imported from Greece. A good two dozen vintages are available by the glass. Bottles range from $17 to $48.

Service grew a bit lax as the restaurant filled up, perhaps indicating some frugal short-staffing. On the plus side, we were warmly greeted immediately upon arrival, and our server was personable and willing to answer our questions.

<b>Odyssey Authentic Greek Taverna</b>

3755 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 443-6600

<b>Cuisine: </b>Greek

<b>Setting: </b>Classic dining room

<b>Entrees: </b>$11.50-$25.95

<b>Hours: </b>11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Sunday