Center Stage at The Greek at the Harbor

On a busy holiday weekend, our group of friends went to the Ventura Harbor Village to dine at The Greek. Arriving in the harbor, we were first entertained by seals playing in the water just outside the restaurant. Little did we know that was just the beginning of a very entertaining evening!

We were lead to our table, which was located right in front of the dance floor where all the action was soon to take place. The Mediterranean décor of the restaurant keeps you entertained also. There are many things to look at, from the Greek columns and statues to the clouds and cherubs painted on the ceiling. There is also a very large heated seating area on the outside patio, which overlooks the harbor, offering a magnificent view!We started our evening out with a Greek martini, complete with Greek olives, some Greek wine and of course some ouzo. For our appetizer, we ordered the Saganaki, which is a show in itself! It is cheese that is brought to your table, sprinkled with 151 and lit on fire! Flaming cheese! The fire is doused with a squirt of lemon and then cut. The aroma of the melted cheesy goodness comes out and you can’t wait to taste it! It is crunchy on the outside and melted on the inside. A great taste sensation! We also enjoyed a traditional Greek salad with lots of feta cheese.

Throughout the evening, we were surprised by many different events. Our waitress would occasionally excuse herself to go participate in a traditional Greek folk dance or song. What a fun place to work! You get to dance and sing while you work! There was also a belly dancer who moved throughout the restaurant, wearing a beautifully ornate costume. She even did a dance where she balanced a large sword on her head as she danced! She encouraged audience participation by getting people of all ages to g et up and dance with her.

For our main courses, we dined on the Greek combo platter, a vegetarian sampler and Lamb Exohiko. The Greek combo platter had some vey tender meats and a dish that looks and tastes a lot like lasagna. The vegetarian sampler has many items that taste like meat! You wouldn’t know you were eating vegetables! The Lamb Exohiko is roasted lamb stuffed with spinach and feta cheese, wrapped in filo dough and baked to perfection! Everything was very tasty and exciting to try!
There was still much more to be enjoyed, and we didn’t even have dessert! We witnessed the ouzo dance up close and personal, where a man balanced a glass of ouzo on his forehead while spinning around without spilling a drop. For his finale, he stands on his head and picks up a glass in his mouth and drinks it.

Enter Aris Mikelatos, the Greek god of performing! We were pleased to have him set up for his wine dance at our table. He informed us that precision is everything in what he does and he has had a lot of practice. What he was about to do was unbelievable! He places a glass full of wine upside down on a napkin his head. Then, he places another one full of wine right side up on top of that one. And then he dances with both of them on his head!

The best was yet to come! The last dance of the night was the Greek table dance. Aris does not dance on the tables- he dances with the tables, in his mouth! This is the most amazing and dangerous dances you will ever see. They make everyone move back from the dance floor and warn parents with children to keep them close. Aris picks up a table in his mouth and dance around. If that is not difficult enough, he stacks another table on top of that one, with a bottle of wine and a wine glass, and a lit candle! He picks them all up in his mouth and dances around with them, in his mouth! Incredible!

At The Greek, we enjoyed some great food and lively entertainment. You get dinner and a show all in one scenic location!

Insider info: Aris chews on cork to exercise his jaw and prepare for the Greek table dance.

No Room for Dessert at Winchesters Grill & Saloon

On a recent Thursday evening, we three friends visited Winchesters Grill & Saloon for dinner. After entering through the grand patio, we were greeted at the door by the proud owner, Sam. Being the gracious host that he is, he led us to a roomy, comfortable booth inside the open beamed, rustic restaurant. With the copper lights hanging overhead and the beautiful wood interior, I got a very warm and comfy-casual feeling. Taking in the atmosphere, I noticed the intricately cut iron artwork that separates the restaurant and bar seating area. “The Duke” was looking down on us from his prominent place on the wall, which added to the western flair.
At the sprawling bar across the room and everywhere else you look inside the restaurant are beer tap handles. Every beer tap handle you see in there is a beer that was served at Winchesters Saloon. With 41 beers on tap, it’s no surprise! Winchesters has the largest beer on tap selection from Los Angeles to San Francisco. So many beers, so little time! With the great mix of background music that is played and the wonderful smokehouse smells coming from the kitchen, it’s no wonder this place is such a popular watering hole! Besides beer, they have a wide variety of specialty drinks and martinis, as well as a wine list to choose from. I decided on the Winchesters Mojito, their summer drink special. It was very refreshing and minty!
We chose the appetizers that most people might be afraid to order, because we aren’t like “most” people and this isn’t just any restaurant! They serve all the “normal” appetizers, like cheese fries, jalapeno poppers and potato skins, but they also have more interesting things like venison stuffed mushrooms and fried duck strips. Yes, duck! They are served with a honey mustard sauce that is sweet and spicy all at the same time- an excellent choice as an enhancement to your steak or chicken entrée as well.

The dinner menu has a variety of salads, sandwiches and burgers, as well as the western grill dishes featuring various cuts of steak, chicken breast and salmon. Occasionally they will add some special features to the menu, like and ostrich steak or a venison burger. All of the western grill menu items have large portions and are served with a great selection of sides and enhancements to add to the flavor. The smallest steak is a ½ pound chateau cut top sirloin, which is what I ordered. This steak is considered the “filet” of top sirloin. It is a very tender and tasty cut of meat. I would never have known it was a top sirloin if it didn’t say so on the menu! It is the center cut of the top sirloin and was cooked to perfection! I also added the Black and Bleu steak enhancement, which is Cajun spices and melted and slightly browned bleu cheese on top. I got my meal with garlic mashed potatoes and a small pot of beans and corn mixed together for a very colorful presentation. The food tasted even better than it looked!

I thought I needed to order a steak at Winchesters, since it is a western grill and saloon, but one of my friends ordered the cedar plank salmon and it turned out to be my favorite! Who would have thought that a bar and grill would have excellent fish? It was so moist and had a wonderful smoky taste!

Needless to say, I had no room for dessert, not even for Chocolate Death cake! And I do love my chocolate! I did have a taste of their famous root beer float. The root beer comes from a keg, and it has a much richer taste than those made with regular carbonated root beer. Of course the root beer comes from a keg- with 41 beers on tap, why wouldn’t it! The float is comes in a very large schooner type glass, just like the meal portions- it is a generous serving.
Like the generous portions, the owner Sam is generous as well. He spoke to us numerous times throughout the evening and told us many things about his restaurant. You can tell he is passionate about the business. He takes pride in what he does and who he hires. He seems to be the perfect boss! When asked to pose for a photograph, he said to take a picture of his team instead. He said, “It’s not about me, it’s about my staff.” We happened to be there on the night of the demolition derby at the Ventura County Fair. It was a slow night for Winchesters, but as Sam said, “You can’t base the business on one night.” That is true! Winchesters is usually a busy place on most other nights and you can see why. With such great atmosphere, helpful staff, delicious food and a knowledgeable leader, you can’t go wrong!

Insider Tip: Look for the rubber chicken! It is hidden in a different place inside the restaurant every week. It is in plain sight, but you still need to look closely.