LI Cuture Post

Long Island Culture Guide: Greece

Posted June 9, 2010 by Naveen Sultan

Strolling along beautiful beaches, the taste of heavenly seafood, and the works of Plato—this all comes to mind when daydreaming about Greece. OK, maybe you don’t daydream about dead philosophers, but those other things, for sure.

Luckily for us, Greek immigrants have called Long Island home for generations, and it’s hard to throw a piece of pita bread out here without hitting a bowl of hummus. Beginning in the early 1900s, clusters of Greek immigrants moved to Freeport, Hempstead, Mineola, Merrick, and Baldwin to open small businesses. And some of those coffee, pastry, and flower shops still survive today.

Before the opening of the first Greek Orthodox church on Long Island 65 years ago—St. Paul’s Cathedral in Hempstead—parents would run Greek schools where their children would learn about their heritage. Today, there are 14 Greek Orthodox churches on Long Island in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, according to Katherine R. Boulukos, a Freeport-based Greek history buff. Different than the schools of days past, churches today offer classes for both children and adults who want to learn about Greek traditions.

Ready to explore the mysteries of the Mediterranean? Start by heading over to the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection for a festival jam-packed with gyros, dancing, and everything else short of a Minotaur. And for more Hellenic happenings, read below.

Celebrate Greece:

Didn’t Aristotle say something about feeding the soul with kebabs? That’s how I remember it anyway. Skewer yourself at the three-day Church of The Holy Resurrection Greek Village Festival (1400 Cedar Swamp Road, Brookville; 516-671-5200; June 11; Fri 6pm-11pm; June 12; Sat 3pm-11pm; June 13; Sun 3pm-9pm; free), a carnivalesque primer in Greek culture. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the beautifully lighted tents, fake Doric columns, and friendly smiles of the church hosts who greet you at the entrance.

Dance the night away to the rhythmic Mediterranean melodies of traditional Greek music by Minore, who will perform at night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Saturday evening, The Holy Resurrection Church choir will serenade you with PG-rated Greek love ballads. It is a church choir, after all.

During a free moment, take a guided tour of the Byzantine-style church and prepare to be memorized by the breath-taking architecture inside. Or browse the flea market for handmade crafts and Greek jewelry, like a Mati bracelet, which protects you from evils. Disclaimer: May not work on your uncle’s garlic breath.

Kids can occupy themselves with face painting and sand art, or they can watch their peers from Holy Resurrection parish perform a Greek dance in traditional clothing.

Make sure to come on an empty stomach because the home-cooked food, Greek wine, and sweets will leave you stuffed for days. On the menu: gyros; spanakopita (cheese and spinach pies in filo dough); homemade pastichio (baked macaroni layered with meat sauce and topped with a bechamel sauce) and moussaka (layers of eggplant, potatoes, meat sauce topped with bechamel sauce).

Leave room for sweet treats from the dessert stand such as loukoumades (fried dough topped with honey and cinnamon), kourambiedes (butter cookies rolled in confectioner’s sugar and topped with a clove), and of course the ever popular baklava (layers of filo and chopped walnuts and honey). 
 


A Side of Ambrosia With That?


Nothing beats the taste of a home-cooked meal, unless it’s a home-cooked meal at a restaurant. For close to 30 years Zorba The Greek (572 Jefferson Plaza , Port Jefferson Station; 631-473-9220; Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-11pm; Sun noon-10pm ) has been serving authentic Greek meals to Long Islanders. Their traditional dishes made from old family recipes like moussaka, lamb chops, stuffed grape leaves, and falafel are “food fit for the gods,” as the restaurant says. 


Want to get all, “I’m a celebrity sailing in my yacht and having dinner with other beautiful people in Santorini?” Then head to Limani Restaurant (1043 Northern Boulevard, Roslyn; 516-869-8989; Mon-Thurs 5pm-10pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm; Sun 11am-10pm) and pretend you’re a jet-setter as you chow down on oysters, Little Neck Long Island clams, lobster, and whole-fish entrees like royal dorado and swordfish. For dessert try the baklava or ekmek (shredded filo custard and pistachio whipped cream). 
 


A Taste of Athens at Home
Ready to concoct your own mouth-watering Greek specialties at home? Take a trip to Bakaliko Greek American Grocery Store (115 Broadway Hicksville; 516-932-8988; Mon-Fri 8am-7pm; Sat 8am-6pm; Sun 9am-3pm). This local market is stocked with imported feta cheese, homemade dips, a vast selection of olives and olive oil, and daily fresh pastries. The best part? It’s all reasonably priced. P.S. – they’re known to offer free samplings now and then.

Practice Your Alpha, Beta, Gammas

Break out your Trapper Keeper because you’re going back to school, Greek school that is. The Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Resurrection is offering yearlong Greek language lessons for adults (1400 Cedar Swamp Road, Brookville; 516-671-5200; September 2010-June 2011; $700 per student). Classes will teach beginners the basics of reading, writing, and conversational Greek.

Experience Ancient Greece in a Long Island Garden

Enjoy an evening of Greek-inspired art and architecture at A Midsummer Night (Old Westbury Gardens, 71 Old Westbury Rd, Westbury; Saturday, June 12; 5pm-9pm; $12.00 in advance, $15.00 at the gate; kids free. Call 516-333-0048, ext. 301 for advance tickets or to register online). Dance Visions, a classical and contemporary dance group, will be performing acts inspired by Greek mythology in the Boxwood Gardens beginning at 6pm. Take in music from the operas of Iphegenia and Orpheus in the Underworld while you ponder the merits of the hunt next to a garden sculpture of Diana.
 
 


In Their Words:

“I’m a second generation American, my parents were born in this country but I was never allowed to speak English at home as a child. That’s how important being Greek is to us,” Stella Hetzer, co-organizer of this weekend’s Greek Village Festival said.


Image by Klearchos Kapoutsis via Flickr.

Tags : art, church of the holy resurrection, classes, dance, food, greece, greek, long island culture guide, music

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