To this day, you can count on the first weekend of October being dedicated to this festival and people from all over Portland stop by to eat, drink and pretend their Greek.
Food:
You can buy a tradition Greek meal for 13 tokens, which includes, dolmathes, pastitsio, keflethes, green beans yiahni, salad, bread, beverage, and dessert. However, I like to go the a la cart way and buy a Gyro and Spanikopita, 7 tokens and a lot of food.
Drink: They have a beer and wine garden open until 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday.
Save room for dessert: Probably the very best part of the Greek Festival is their dessert, which they will so kindly box up for you to bring home. These pastries are incredible and you can't leave without buying at least a slice of baklava. My absolute favorite are the Diples, which are like little doughnut holes, drizzled in honey and cinnamon. My Italian grandma used to make a version of these and they are perfect for dessert or kept overnight for breakfast in the morning.
Guide to Greek Pastries: Take note that the Greek really love honey . . .
Baklava
Delicately thin pastry leaves (filo) spread with butter and filled with a walnut/spice mixture and topped with syrup.
Bougatsa
A custard type filling in filo. Topped with honey, cinnamon and powdered sugar.
Diples
A delicate butter and egg pastry deep-fried and dipped in honey. Sprinkled with spices and nuts.
Kadaifi
Kadaifi dough with butter, chopped walnuts, cinnamon and cloves, topped with a honey syrup.
Karithopita
Spiced walnut honey cake.
Koulourakia
An all butter and egg braided cookie. Not overly sweet and good with coffee.
Spiced Orange Koulourakia
A braided cookie make with pure vegetable shortening and spices.
Kourabiethes
An all-butter and egg yolk shortbread-type cookie flavored with brandy and dusted heavily with powdered sugar.
Melomakarona
An orange-flavored cookie spiced with cinnamon. Dipped in honey and sprinkled with nuts.
Pasta Flora
An all-butter cookie with an apricot filling.
Paximadia
Choose one of the five flavors of this Greek biscuit: lemon, orange, amaretto, anise, or chocolate.
Rolla
Rolled filo with walnuts and spice mixture, topped with honey syrup and chocolate.
Tsoureki
Braided sweet bread, make with eggs, milk, sugar, and butter.
Word to the wise:
-Over 15,000 people stop by over the course of the weekend, so don't be alarmed that it will be crowded and you may not have somewhere to sit right away. Make sure to get a table before you buy food and aim for non-peak times like 12-1 for lunch and 6-7 for dinner.
-Tokens are $1.00 a piece and are the only way to buy anything at the festival. Pick them up at the tables sitting closest to the entries. Also, if you don't spend all your tokens, they will kindly give you cash back.
-They have a cooking demonstration that often goes very unnoticed. I've heard its amazing and they teach you to make all the traditional dishes and then let you taste everything afterward! Saturday and Sunday only, 1:00. Admission: three talents.
-Go inside the Cathedral; it's beautiful and you can light a candle for your prayers.
-Stay late on Friday and Saturday night for the Greek party!
Hope to see you there!
58th Annual Greek Festival
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
SE 32nd and Glisan
October 2, 3, 4 2009
10am to 10pm Friday and Saturday
Noon to 8pm on Sunday
I remember skipping fifth period so we could continuing eating at the Greek fest. This is the first time I've read your blog -- i dig it! -hannah
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