Did you ever wonder why so many Greeks are in the restaurant business? I’m Greek, first generation born in America, and I didn’t have the slightest idea and my family has been in the business for more than 35 years! I did a little research and found out that back in the late 1800’s, when many Greeks were immigrating to Chicago’s Greektown Neighborhood, it was very hard for them to find work to support there families. What they did know was cooking and baking, Greek staples such as tiropita, spanakopita, souvlaki, and such. What’s great about all these food items is that they are easily portable. It didn’t take them long to figure out that they could take these food items to the streets and offer them to the public for sale. So, to make a long story short, Greek immigrants got their start in the restaurant business as push cart vendors. They saved up their money and eventually opened up brick and mortar establishment’s and the rest, as they say, is history.The Greektown Neighborhood of Chicago is located roughly between Van Buren and Madison along Halsted St. It borders the West Loop to the west and the Loop to the East, just over the 90/94 expressway. What makes this such a great neighborhood is it’s proximity to so many Chicago destinations. You know what the three most important factors in real estate are: Location, Location, Location!
At lunchtime during the week the neighborhood is thriving with activity from all the 9-5er's in the Loop taking there lunch break at one of the many excellent Greek restaurants. On any given night, you have a whole other group of people enjoying the well priced food and great service that Greektown provides as well as free valet parking! How can you beat that? You can catch a bite before the symphony or the Bulls game and be at your event in less than 5 minutes. It’s also one of the few destinations in Chicago where every restaurant is open till at least midnight.
Greektown also boasts a thriving nightlife. During the summer nights, you can sit outdoors or on a rooftop overlooking the Chicago skyline while sipping on a glass of wine or an ice cold frappe coffee. When you’re done, you can catch some live Greek entertainment at one of the local bouzouki lounges that are open till 4 a.m. I’ve been known to smash a plate or two, but I would not recommend it. Hey, this is a slice of Greece but it’s not Greece.
