Souvlaki … spanakopita … tyrotika… baklava — the words roll easily off a salivating tongue.
The annual feast of traditional Greek dishes and delicacies was again a great success as the Taste of Greece Dinner served nearly 1,200 people Thursday evening. Hosted by the Traverse City Orthodox Mission Church and held at the First Congregational Church, the dinner offered plates of grilled kabobs, roasted potatoes, spinach pie, cheese pie, bread, Greek salad and baklava for both dine-in and take-out.
A fundraiser for the church's building fund this year as the congregation welcomes a new full-time priest, Rev. Iakovos Olechnowicz, the Taste of Greece has become a summer tradition in town.
"I like the food, like the baklava,” said Bob Sutherin, as he and his wife waited in a long but steadily moving line.
Taste of Greece founder Chef John Batsakis again orchestrated the food, this year throwing together roasted potatoes Greek style at the last minute that garnered effusive compliments. The owner of the U & I Lounge for 16 years through 1993 and a pioneer in town serving Greek food, Batsakis is thrilled at how many people attend and enjoy annually.
"I started this thing six years ago, just kind of did it as an experiment to see what kind of people we would draw and how many,” he said. "It was from four to eight o'clock and we sold out by six o'clock. I did it all myself, cooking the food and all the organizing; now we start planning in January and have committees.”
The growing congregation of 60-100 families, drawn from around northwest Michigan, is thrilled to have a full-time priest instead of periodic services by a visiting one from downstate. Welcoming Rev. Iakovos Olechnowicz on July 1, church goals are to eventually purchase property and build a church.
"We're looking for a more permanent home and we're tying to find our niche not only in the community of churches but in respect to social services in faith-based initiatives,” said Olechnowicz, a priest for 20 years whose most recent posting was in Binghamton, N.Y.
Not Greek himself but a pastor in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, Olechnowicz noted that the Traverse City church is a blend of different ethnicities who follow the faith.
"Our community is American, Russian, Serbs — a lot of different ethnicities, we kind of use the salad bowl approach,” he said.
Reflecting on the Taste of Greece event, Olechnowicz added: "I think it's important for people to have an opportunity to enjoy some of the Greek culture that enriches all of us.”
An estimated 60 volunteers, many drawn from the church and including students from St. Francis High School, kept the event flowing smoothly.
"They were just marvelous kids and we so much appreciate them,” said Bob Underwood of the high school volunteers. "They worked outside and they worked inside and they washed pots and pans and sold tickets for our 50-50 drawing with just great enthusiasm. They just never gave up.”
With two church-purchased grills going full bore outside cooking up the marinated pork and chicken kebobs — souvlaki — inside kitchen volunteers worked efficiently at various stations to fill plates at a brisk pace. Outside, more volunteers directed parking lot traffic or the take-out line and delivered orders whisked hot from kitchen to car.
Veteran volunteer Doug Partlo of Traverse City spent a hot and greasy afternoon cooking outside. He and a cohort grilled 750 pounds of meat on church-owned equipment purchased in 2006.
"We used to hire someone to grill so last year we decided to buy our own,” Partlo noted, alluding to the event's success and staying power in the community.