My Greek Kitchen

My Greek Kitchen Serves Orange County’s Best Greek Food From Strip Mall | Eater LA

"Tucked behind a row of gas pumps on Costa Mesa’s busy 17th Street, this tiny Greek storefront, My Greek Kitchen, has almost no signage but a surprising charm, service and tablecloths that feel more full-service than hole-in-the-wall. I was struck by owner Tasos Lilis’s indelible charm—he chats with guests, shares his meatball recipe (a mix of ground beef, pork, bread crumbs, eggs, and garlic, for starters), and jokes with regulars (“Bye! Tell your husband he’s a troublemaker!”). A career restaurateur born in Greece who immigrated in 1978, Lilis opened the Costa Mesa spot five years ago after a long, varied career that included running the Aegean Cafe in Laguna Beach (1991–2009). The cooking emphasizes classic Greek bases—garlic, onions, and olive oil—with poultry as the top seller; filet mignon kabobs are popular, and I found standout, deeply Greek dishes like the lemony avgolemono soup and the pastichio; Lilis’s own go-to is a chicken kabob plate with tzatziki and baby okra baked in a light tomato sauce. Despite the compact 1,600-square-foot space and only a handful of tables (about 90 percent of business is takeout), a tight team of four kitchen staffers and a few front-of-house—including his son and daughter—turn out large catering and takeout efficiently (Lilis says a $200 takeout order can be ready in about 15 minutes), especially during busy 4–6 p.m. hours when an extra table is used for delivery orders. Portions are generous (cost of goods closer to 42 percent), so a plate with protein, rice pilaf, salad, vegetables, and pita is usually well below $20; Lilis says the restaurant does roughly $2 million a year in sales, most of which he reinvests, and he insists that “quality prevails no matter what.”" - Anne Marie Panoringan