By Shout Omaha Staff
When thinking of things Greek, one might imagine symbols that usually adorn the outer surfaces of buildings containing rowdy college kids, blue and white stripes or the idea of multiple gods with an array of superhuman powers. We’re putting all of those cliché’ ideas of “Greekness” aside and focusing on Katie’s Restaurant and Taverna.
Upon entering this establishment, you can count on being greeted by one of several pint-size female members of the Greek family in charge, and swiftly escorted to your seat. Speaking of seats, you might notice that the banquet style mass seating along with a few other outdated elements of décor, don’t quite live up to today’s standards of what might be called “fine dining.” The walls looked like they haven’t been painted since Hammer pants were popular and the word “hipster” was non-existent. Nonetheless, the ambiance is really the only thing that could use some work at Katie’s.
The menu provided a nice selection of carnivorous and vegetarian options. We started the evening off with a hummus plate that came with a generous pile of homemade pita bread. The hummus was warm and creamy and matched the crispy yet soft pita bread perfectly. I forgot all about the fluorescent lighting and the horrible décor as soon as the food hit my lips.
After quickly clearing our appetizer plate, we went on to order our entrees. I had the Gyros Sandwich and my fiancé’ had the Vegetarian Pita. My dish was comprised of a large pita [the same type of pita served in our appetizer] filled generously with thin, tender strips of lamb, topped with tomato and onions, served with a side of Greek potatoes and Tzatziki sauce [a yogurt, cucumber & garlic mixture]. I’m not a fan of plain yogurt or white sauces in general, but this food was so good, I gained some courage and indulged in the Tzatziki goodness. It was worth it. It was all so good that I took it upon myself to help my lovely lady out with her entrée, which consisted of pita bread filled with an assortment of veggies, a side of Greek potatoes and Tzatziki sauce. In the end, we had close to nothing left on our plates and smiles plastered on our faces.
While the environment could use an interior decorator’s touch to catch Katie’s up with the rest of the world, the caliber of service and quality of food was not lacking. So if you can put the not-so-great neighborhood and iffy décor in the back of your mind for an hour for the sake of enjoying a quality, authentic, Greek meal, Katie’s will treat your palate well.
