Authentic Greek food with all the comforts of home

Try not to walk too fast down 6th Street on your way to the Steelers game or that show at Byham… Try not to walk too fast down 6th Street on your way to the Steelers game or that show at Byham Theater ‘mdash; you might miss Christos, a welcoming staple of Greek food in Pittsburgh. ‘ Christos is what every man and woman should imagine when visualizing Greek cuisine. Not only is it almost near perfect in its menu, it’s also awesome in its home-like atmosphere. ‘ As soon as you walk through the door, one of the servers shouts from the other side of the room, ‘How many will be eating with us?’ ‘ Not that the shouting takes away from the atmosphere. Because the dining room is so small, these waiters make the restaurant seem more like your old, Greek aunt’s house where you go for lamb every few months rather than a quick-in-quick-out ‘we want your money’ deal. These people are honest. I really think that they are just trying to serve up some excellent food. While I personally might have gotten one of the quieter waiters, he was still friendly and courteous in his manner. Yet, it’s easy to compare attendants when there is one waiter with gray hair in the back laughing and conversing with the people at his tables like they were his nephews and nieces who had come home. As small as Christos appears from 6th Street, inside you forget about the size issue. The tables are set up so everyone has his own bit of personal space, and holding a private conversation is not that hard at all ‘mdash; the only accompaniment to light conversation is a soothing Greek soundtrack. With Greek artwork and architecture all over the place, it’s hard not to feel Greek yourself. Even with cozy surroundings and friendly staff, though, a restaurant needs to have warm, delicious food that is reminiscent of my mother’s meals. Not too long after we placed our orders, the chicken-lemon rice soup was brought out. For those people who might be unfamiliar with Greek cuisine, do not be surprised to find lemon juice and lemon wedges freely doused on most meals, especially those with lemon in the name. The soup had a sour, tangy lemon taste, but the main entree immediately made me forget any previous troubles of the day. A combo meal of Moussaka/Tiropita ($9.50) wowed us immediately. The crusts were golden, warm and flaky, and the ground beef was moist. This was feel-good food. The Tiropita was absolutely astounding ‘mdash; it was worth burning my tongue for that first hot, chewy bite. The crunchy, layered crust was only the prelude that was to be a smashing combination of so many cheeses that I could only just sit there and melt in its cheesy heaven and reflect on why cheese is a food from God. Both the Moussaka and Tiropita were served with a round, minute portion of rice pilaf and a healthy portion of broccoli (although it too was saturated in lemon dressing, making my face pucker to some extent). Lastly, Galaktobouriko ($3), an egg custard dessert baked in filo, was brought to the table. One more time, I savored the sweet syrupy sauce and complexly textured custard and was content. Christos’s menu is diverse and different from the gyro stand on the street. While you can get a gyro, a quintessentially Greek food, in the restaurant, it is ironically the only item on the menu that isn’t completely homemade. Look beyond gyros ‘mdash; the restaurant’s lamb and chicken dishes are scrumptious, considering their modest prices from $9 to $15. Christos isn’t just a place to take your parents to when they come in ‘mdash; it’s good for every occasion. Going to a show? Christos. Going on a date? Christos. Celebrating a birthday? Wine and liquor store … then Christos! Or skip the spirits store, because while I unfortunately am not of legal age and could not purchase any of it, the fine homemade wine list had some exquisite choices that are definitely worth reading over. I’ll certainly be back to Christos in a few more years to examine that list one more time, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be back in the next month for some fantastic Greek food and authentically welcoming Greek hospitality.