Pinelopi’s Greek Kitchen - Nepean, Ontario

Who doesn’t like Greek food?  I love it!  Lamb, souvlaki, galaktoboureko, ouzo, it's all good. 

If you’re looking for excellent Greek food made with passion, a modern decor and attentive servers, Pinelopi’s Greek Kitchen is for you.  Whether you’re celebrating a special event or you want a quiet romantic dinner, I strongly recommend this place.  It is off the beaten path, but well worth the trip.

They get quite busy so definitely call for reservations to avoid disappointment on the weekends.  If you want a nice, quiet romantic dinner I suggest you go earlier or later in the night to avoid the rush as the restaurant isn’t huge and tends to fill up quickly. 

For starters we ordered a Greek salad, Dolmades and the Smelts.  The salad was a generous size for sharing.  The vegetables were fresh and crisp with a tangy vinaigrette and delicious feta cheese.   The Dolmades did not disappoint.  There were 4 smothered with a velvety lemon cream sauce.  I find these are way better than the vegetarian ones I’ve had elsewhere.  The lean beef adds to the flavour.  Not being a fan of smelts, I wasn’t going to have any but my date raved about how good they were so I caved.  They were served with tzatziki and seafood sauce.  Never mind the seafood sauce, the tzatziki was super thick, rich and flavourful.  You’ll love it!  Oh my, the smelts were awesome!  As a child my Mom made these for my Dad all the time so over the years you get bored of the same thing.  These were different.  The exterior was crispy which gave you a nice crunch when you bit into them while inside the flesh was moist and flavourful.  A chilli spiced oil was splashed on them, yet they remained crispy.  The batter was light, but very well seasoned and the spiced oil added a kick that elevated the flavours.  It felt like I had fireworks going off in my mouth!  They quickly disappeared, we were left wanting more.  Talk about addictive, can’t wait to go back and have more!  They were delicious, way better than Mom’s (sorry, I have to be honest!).  Just these 3 appetizers alone were more than enough to fill our bellies, but we had already ordered the main courses.  Thankfully they didn’t come out right away, the waiter was kind enough to give us a breather to digest. 

My date ordered the Moussaka.  A sort of Greek lasagna layered with eggplant and potatoes instead of pasta.  It had a thick meat sauce and wonderful layer of creamy béchamel sauce served with Greek salad!   Kind of made him feel like he was eating doubly healthy after the appetizers.  Lol

I ordered the special of the day which as the parmesan crusted sea bass (if my memory serves me correctly, I could be wrong on the fish as there were 2 different ones offered that night).  To my surprise, this plate was huge.  It was served on a bed of white rice with stir fried vegetables and 2 skewers of shrimp!  My date got the shrimp, it was way too much food for me.   The fish was incredible and perfectly cooked.  The crust was nice and crisp, but inside the fish was moist and flaky.   You tasted the subtle spices and then the sharp parmesan which was a perfect compliment to the mild white fish.  Needless to say I couldn’t finish my plate so most of it was packed to be enjoyed the following day, unfortunately not by me!

To finish off, I asked if we could please compliment the chef.  She gratiously came out and humbly accepted our praise.  After-dinner drinks were brought to the table.  Even though I was stuffed, I couldn’t leave without having the Vanilla Kadaifi.  It's made with shredded philo, walnuts, custard, cream and a delightful syrup.  Everything is made in house with great attention to detail.  The plates are beautifully decorated and the staff is warm, outgoing and very attentive.  The family takes great pride in their food and making it an enjoyable experience for their guests.  Eating here brings back memories of my best friend’s Mom’s cooking.  I always look forward to visiting her and gorging on Greek specialities.  Alas she lives far away so Pinelopi’s helps me bridge the gap! 

My recommendation would be to get a group of friends together, order a salad or two, an assortment of dips and appetizers with a few rounds of drinks.  It’s nice to try a variety of different things then go back and indulge in your favourites.  The portions are generous and if you’re still hungry you can order more, but make sure you leave room for dessert!

Give it a try and Opa!
Carm the Foodie