Cristos Greek Taverna - 4 stars
4624 Hastings St., Burnaby, BC, Phone: (604) 299-0008
I love variety when I go out to eat, so small plates like dim sum or tapas, sharing several dishes with a big group, or ordering lots of different appies always appeals to me. You get to really taste what a restaurant has to offer and you have more opportunity to find those hidden gems - the dishes that become your faves.
Needless to say, one of my favourite things to order at Cristos is their appetizer platter. It’s supposedly for 2 people but it’s huge and varied. You get to try all their most popular dishes - homous, pita, tzatziki, calamari, kefthedes, dolmathes, spanakopita, and feta. The calamari is especially good and includes both the tubes and legs (my fave) of the squid. I also love the kefthedes (those Greek meatballs) which are made into mini patties and grilled, and the dolmathes with their lemony sauce. The homous and tzatziki are a perfect accompaniment, and will leave you with a garlicky aura for days to come.
Other yummy menu items include the saganaki (fried cheese), gyros, avgolemono soup, and the garlic prawns. Their salads - Greek and the house salad with shrimp, are both tasty but not stellar. Best to choose these when produce is at its peak.
Service is another reason to come to Cristos as they have some of the friendliest waitresses in town. They make you feel like you’re coming over to their house for lunch. Prices are reasonable - lunch appetizer platter for two, two soft drinks, tax and tip will come to under $35.00.