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- The restaurant offered outdoor seating areas, as well as a lounge area centered around this Grecian waterfall.
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- The guests enjoyed spinach dip served with Lavash crackers.
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- Acropolis Greek Taverna offers a family experience and ensures that every visitor has a wonderful time.
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- One of the drinks on the menu was a Shirley Temple, which a non-alcoholic drink made from soda and maraschino cherries.
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- The host of this month’s “Food for Thought” was Dr. Monica Kiss, an associate professor of mathematics
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- The waiters and waitresses joined to Zorba dance as entertainment for guests.
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- This appetizer featured hummus, baba ghanouj, tzatziki, tiro kaf Teri and dolmades served with fresh pita bread.
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- The restaurant created a relaxing ambiance with their choice in decor.
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- The event was attended by 20 students, all of whom were eager to try out the restaurant’s offerings and to immerse themselves into Greek culture.
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- The restaurant offered a great environment for hanging out with friends, or even for a more formal occasion.
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- Guests were treated to a performance by a belly dancer.
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- The Acropolis Greek Taverna is located in New Tampa which is about 30 minutes from Saint Leo’s main campus.
By Danielle Meikle and Michayne Stoney
Although Greeks only account for approximately 0.4% of the US population, they have managed to form a strong ethnic bond which keeps their culture alive. Restaurants, such as Acropolis Greek Taverna, do just this, and it allows the wider population to actively take part in Greek culture.
Food for Thought outings provide a new and exciting way for students to socialize, expand their palate, and actively immerse themselves in new cultures. On Oct.14, Dr. Monika Kiss from the Department of Arts and Sciences took twenty students to Acropolis Greek Taverna for the monthly outing. Students enjoyed classic Greek dishes as well as entertaining performances, including belly dancing, throughout the night.
According to their website, Acropolis Greek Taverna has been providing great tasting food for over twenty years, while providing an experience like no other restaurant. Their tagline reads “Come dine Greek and let our family take care of yours!”
The guests were treated to some items from the appetizer menu including calamari, stuffed mushrooms, hummus, tzatziki, and other dips served with freshly-made pita bread. For the main course, the guests enjoyed beef, steak, and chicken kabobs before the traditional Greek dessert, baklava, was served.
The restaurant’s website proudly states that: “Our services offer a fine revival dining in a high energy atmosphere featuring belly dancing, plate breaking, napkin throwing, Zorba dancing and live music; all this to recreate the ancient culture of the Greeks delivered to you at a dining experience like no other.”
Destiny Bayley, a sophomore biology major, who was in attendance shared that though the overall experience was pleasant, she enjoyed the performances the most.
“I have never been to a restaurant before where they had such amazing dance performances. It was exciting to watch, and I really enjoyed the different atmosphere. I was not at all familiar with Greek music before coming to the restaurant, but from my time there, I actually appreciated their taste in art. The wide variety of food which we were given added to my experience as everything I had was absolutely amazing.”
Students are encouraged to participate in events like this that will broaden their horizons, and allow them to experience the diversity that America has to offer. Be on the lookout for upcoming Food for Thought outings; tickets can be purchased at www.saintleotickets.com.
