Greek food is fresh all summer

St. Nicholas’ 49th Annual Greek Festival

May 2-7

Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and… St. Nicholas’ 49th Annual Greek Festival

May 2-7

Lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and dinner 5-9 p.m.

419 S. Dithridge St.

$4-9

Starting this week in Pittsburgh, gyros, phyllo dough and baklava are in season — Greek food festival season, that is.

Oakland’s St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral kicks off a summer showing of Pittsburgh’s Mediterranean community with its 49th annual Greek Food Festival.

Throughout the summer, Greek Orthodox churches in the area, like the North Side’s Holy Trinity and Mount Lebanon’s Holy Cross, hold Greek food festivals to show off their culture.

According to Holy Trinity festival organizer, Chris Balouris, the festivals help spread Greek culture within the churches’ communites and outside of them in addition to being some of the churches’ largest fundrasiers.

“It really helps non-Greeks understand our culture and food and learn a little bit about us,” he said.

St. Nicholas’ festival is the first and easily the largest Greek festival in the Pittsburgh area, serving thousands of people during its five days.

This is the Rev. Demetrios Gardikes’ first festival with the St. Nicholas parish.

“It’s a lot of fun. We have a live band and entertainment every night. It’s a real joy to see the children dancing, some as young as 5,” he said.

The festival is in a large indoor dining room and features an a la carte menu with traditional foods like beef stefatho, baklava, spanakopita and imported Greek wine, as well as an outdoor grill featuring gyros and chicken on a pita.

Like most other festivals in the area, the church’s parishioners make all the food, and with first and second-generation Greek immigrants manning the kitchen, festival food is some of the most authentic found in Pittsburgh.

“If you were to go to an Athens taverna, you’d see the same things on the menu,” parishioner and cook Elaine Andrianos said. “And you know, having been there, I actually think ours is better — more homemade, at least.”

Preparation for St. Nicholas’ festival began in January when the cooks, mostly retired parishioners and senior citizens, began baking and freezing the food.

In the church’s kitchen, the bilingual and bicultural environment is slowly changing. The first and second generations are beginning to see third-generation church members getting involved with all aspects of the festival and Pittsburgh’s Greek community.

Ages of workers and cooks at the festival range from 16 to 80. Many members of the older generation are glad to see younger people taking up the Greek traditions and sharing them with festival patrons.

“I feel an obligation to carry on the tradition. We’re going strong and proud of it,” Andrianos said. “We’re very anxious to extend our Greek hospitality to our patrons.”

Next year will be St. Nicholas’ 50th annual Greek food festival. Though the parish hopes to outdo previous years’ festivities, its members aren’t thinking too much about details just yet.

“Let’s just get through this year first,” Gardikes said with a laugh.