Opa Taverna in Orlando

I arrived one day early (after a day of major drama) in Orlando for the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Therefore after major lack of sleep on the almost Delta red-eye (it left HNL at 4:00pm but the trip to MCO takes at least ½ day) and shopping at the Prime Outlets, I finally had my first meal, a very late lunch or early dinner however you look at it at Opa Taverna in Orlando.

Since I was parched (Orlando was 93 degrees in the shade with a touch of humidity – feels worse than Lost Wages 100 degree ambient temp), I had the Koukla Cosmo… which sounded Greek but was basically your standard Cosmo… but refreshing none-the-less.

My meal started with the complimentary Hummus which arrived in a wooden mortar and pestle and my server proceeded to hand mash the garbanzo beans with garlic, spices and olive oil. WOW! Big cred just for the tableside service. I was about to order the usual cold appetizers and Greek fries but my server recommended the Hot Appetizer plate with Lamb Riblets, Calamari with Tomato Sauce, Keftedes, Chicken Wings and Spanakopita and the Grilled Octopus.

Tableside prepared Hummus… with toasted and herb salted pita bread… let’s say it together… MMMMM…

The Hot Pikilia or hot appetizer plate (not pilikia, pikilia) had fried calamari with a tomato sauce, grilled chicken wings (probably from Hooters influence right across the mall), keftedes or ground beef meatballs (perfect with the Nemea which highlighted cinnamon notes in the wine), grilled lamb riblets and spanakopita or herbed spinach pie in phyllo dough.

The Grilled Octopus was as tender tako as I’ve ever tried. The interior had the consistency of a tender omelet – I KID you NOT! If someone placed a morsel in your mouth and you chewed, you wouldn’t know it was tako it was SOOOOO tender. I asked my server how it got this way – boil for a LONG time then refrigerate and grill after the order is placed.

I had two indigenous Greek wines; a white described as “like” Pinot Grigio – the Savatiano from Megapanos which had lemon and stone on the nose (like Pinot Grigio) but more forward stone on the palate with a short finish – great with the tako and a red wine called Nemea – lots of plum and dark fruit on the nose but with a lighter palate and medium finish – great with the Keftedes, lamb riblets and spanakopita.

I wanted to try desserts but was stuffed so I settled for liquid dessert – a Mavrodaphne dessert wine from Cambas – like drinking a spicy chocolate coated raisin.

I told my server that I would be around for 6 days so in the words of the Governator, “I’ll be bahck”…