It’s all Greek to them
Tastes of Greece isn’t just the name of a restaurant. And it isn’t just a place to have authentic Greek food.
For proprietors Elizabeth and Gianni Gaitanis, it is a place where customers can immerse themselves in Greek culture by listening to the couple describe the country and by enjoying the Thursday night musician playing the bouzouki, a traditional Greek string instrument similar to the guitar.
The couple opened the Greek restaurant in Laguna Niguel in 2009, about 10 years after coming to the U.S. from Greece.
Elizabeth, who was born in the U.S. and moved to Greece in her 20s after college, had planned to stay there for only a couple of months. Instead, she stayed for about 22 years because she fell in love with the culture and with a native Greek man, Gianni.
The pair initially worked in the travel industry in the U.S., but that fell through during the 2008 financial crisis.
“Things started changing,” said Elizabeth, whose family taught her how to prepare Greek food at a young age. “The travel business wasn’t going as well, but we always loved entertaining and having friends over to our home and sharing our experiences from the travel industry, especially from Greece. It turned from an entertaining-at-home business to a real business with the intention of not only sharing and cooking the food for the community but sharing the Greek culture as well.”
Gianni said he felt that Orange County needed an authentic Greek restaurant, because many of the locations were chains with Americanized versions of the cuisine.
“Everyone was asking me about good, authentic Greek restaurants to go to eat, so in 2008, I told my wife let’s open a Greek restaurant in this area because there isn’t one,” he said, adding that about many of his customers have visited Greece since the restaurant opened, upon his recommendation.
Everything about Tastes of Greece, from the homey furniture and fine china to the gyros and roasted lamb, is reminiscent of the country.
The gyros are prepared in the traditional Greek way, with French fries inserted in the sandwiches.
“The Greek Americans don’t even know about that, but in Greece, that’s the way the gyro is sold,” Elizabeth said. “During my time in Greece, I was able to pick up things that are completely authentic.”
The regular menu features more familiar dishes like gyros, salads and kabobs, while a separate “special” menu, which is changed regularly, explores more traditional foods, such as roasted lamb and octopus.
Elizabeth said the couple’s restaurant has the feel of a Greek home, with floral couches for guests to sit on while dining and framed photos of Greece.
The Gaitanis said many of their products, including chamomile tea leaves, feta cheese, mountain-grown oregano, wines, beer, pasta and olive oil, are imported from Greece. Only the vegetables and meat are sourced locally.
“Whatever we don’t think can be substituted with a local product will come from Greece,” Elizabeth said, adding that she aims to provide a healthy menu. “We freshly cut everything we use. Everything starts from scratch here. The Mediterranean diet is a healthy one. We don’t use lards, butters or anything like that.”
The Gaitanis have extended their love of Greece and cooking to home gatherings. They have hosted Easter celebrations for their customers and friends at their Laguna Hills home, complete with a roasted whole lamb.
“A lot of people know this tradition,” Elizabeth said. “For two years every Easter, we would invite customers over to our home to enjoy the roasted lamb. We had this big party with the Greek music in our backyard. It was a lot of fun and a big success. People ask for it every year now.”
Elizabeth estimated that about 25 percent of the restaurant’s customers are Greek. She said the number may seem low, but that’s only because Greek people tend to cook for themselves at home.
She said she and her husband have developed genuine connections with their customers, aided in part by their constant presence at the restaurant — Elizabeth in the kitchen and Gianni in the front. They also have a team of employees.
“We’ll come out and talk to our customers,” she said. “This happens on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter if we know them or don’t. Everybody that comes in here walks out as a friend.”
Bob Savrou, a Laguna Hills resident who came to the U.S. from Greece in 1963, said he usually visits Tastes of Greece every Thursday night to enjoy the Greek food and music.
“It’s wonderful having a place like this that we can go to that really reminds my family of being back in Greece,” he said. “The food is more of a northern Greek cuisine. They have these wonderful dishes that you just don’t find anywhere. It’s kind of this hidden little gem in Orange County.”
Tastes of Greece is located at 30012 Crown Valley Pkwy. in Laguna Niguel. It is open from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays.