Greek To Me

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We’ve driven down to Erlanger from Blue Ash for a leisurely lunch, despite the important meeting at 2. But the lot’s crowded and there’s a long line. It’s looking tight. “It’s good,” James says. Jess takes it in stride, as always. She gives that smile, that irresistible laugh and snags a table. Yvonne orders some baklava to take with her on an afternoon flight like contraband. Fifty customers. Two people behind the counter. We wait. “It’s good,” James says. That seems to pacify, despite the looming meeting. But then we wait so long that there’s no way we’ll make the meeting. The spit that was full of beef and lamb is almost picked to the rod now. When the food finally comes, it’s like a meal in Greece: far more important than a meeting. The one-pound Big George gyro, the fries, the tyropita, the souvlaki, Yvonne’s baklava packed for travel. The staff works as fast as they can, but the flavor’s not rushed. You can taste the time that went into it. It’s 40 minutes to Blue Ash and it’s almost 2. We join the meeting via BlackBerry and iPhone. “We’re on the way back from Greek To Me.” There’s a pause, then forgiveness, questions, envy. For a few minutes, Greek To Me takes precedence over a corporate emergency. “It’s that good,” James says.

Greek To Me

3415 Dixie Hwy., Erlanger
(859) 727-3000, www.greektome.net
Prices: entrées $4–$9
Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner Fri & Sat, May–August

Originally published in the May 2009 issue.

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