Awesome Eats @ Parthenon Restaurant

For 29 years Emmanuel and Sophia Psaras have been making and serving their Greek goodies out of at the end of a small shopping strip in Fredericksburg. The moment you walk through the door you are welcomed by the aroma of rich marinara and baked cheese.

Their menu is pretty extensive and includes American, Greek, and Italian cuisine.  Greek specialties include Souvlaki ( the pork is marinated with spices and the chicken with lemon and oregano and are served on Pita bread with Feta cheese and tomatoes) and Dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice, onions, tomatoes and olive oil) as well as Spinakopitakia (spinach and cheese puffs in phyllo).  The Gyros have savory meat shaved off of the rotating spit and served on a pita bread, topped with the Grecian dip Zaziki.  Mousaka—layers of eggplant, potatoes, marinated ground beef and finished off with Béchamel sauce— is a house favorite.

When Sophia was asked what Awesome Eats she would recommend, she said, “Everything is good. We make everything here. The specials today are wonderful, real and authentic food served with a cup of real Greek coffee that cannot be found easily these days."

Out from the kitchen Emmanuel delivers a piping hot plate of cabbage stuffed with seasoned ground beef and rice smothered in a rich, red tomato sauce and two slices of garlic bread toasted crisp around the edges. Filling and comforting, it was like eating Sunday dinner at (a Greek) grandma’s house.  Sophia watched to make sure all was eaten, too, just like a good grandma would.

The other special of the day was Baked Manicotti Florentine—pasta shells filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, topped with the ruby red marinara sauce and melted mozzarella. This dish is another comfort food with the creamy ricotta and spinach leaves lining every pasta bite. The specials are handwritten and attached to the top of each menu, very much like it is in restaurants in Greece because the seafood is caught daily and the menus are tailored to the catch of the day. One thing I didn’t miss is the whole fried tiny silver fish served as appetizers in Greece.

When I approached the table where the Psaras were sitting, I noticed a plate of reddish bulb-shaped food. Sophia said they are the fruit from the cactus plant that it bears after it blooms. I asked for a sample of this fruit from Mexico that she said is only in season for a short time and although they aren’t on the menu, some of their regulars ask for it when it is.  Not very sweet and more like a combination of a pear and a watermelon, I can see how these would be favored in a hot and dry climate.  The tiny seeds are to be eaten, much like the Kiwi seed is, but they are not as soft as Kiwi seeds.  Don’t know if I would buy these in the produce section at the store, but I am sure one could find them.

What Greek restaurant wouldn’t serve that walnut strudel known a Baklava, the classic pastry prepared with phyllo and that special syrup?  Parthenon makes it fresh on premise and the owners suggest people order it with the Greek-style demitasse coffee to complete your Awesome Eats.

Calzones, pizzas, subs (even anchovies and cheese), spaghetti, manicotti, lasagna, parmigianas, (eggplant, chicken, and meatball) round out the Italian dishes with a variety of soups, salads and appetizers offered as starters.  The ancient Greeks were famous for their hospitality and I believe Sophia and Emmanuel are, too.

is located at 2024 Augustine Ave. in Fredericksburg.  If you go to visit, tell them you are there to enjoy their Awesome Eats that you read on Fredericksburg Patch.