Helen Greek Food and Wine

“Kali Orexi” proclaims the menu at Helen Greek Food & Wine in big, bold letters. It means “Enjoy your meal,” and it’s very likely that diners will here. Helen is serving very traditional Greek food, and by that we do not mean gyro meat shaved from a giant, homogeneous cone. Here, gyro meat is slices of marinated pork shoulder, and the Greek village salad has no lettuce — because a Greek salad isn’t supposed to include it. (It’s served only when fresh heirloom tomatoes are in season.) Despite the reverence for tradition, when appropriate, Helen also employs modern sensibilities to improve in areas where tradition is found lacking. Take, for example, the dessert selection, which eschews the normal honey­phyllo­nuts combinations in favor of creative options like the Texas pecan baklava sundae and the feta mousse with olive oil and thyme shortbread. Don’t be afraid to dive into the extensive Greek wine list. Proprietor Evan Turner is a sommelier who has taken care to train his staff on wine. They’ll be able to guide you to a pleasing selection.