Saganaki at Wine Bar George

[KFISCHER]

Do they flame it at your table?

 

[jameybano]

Yes! February 25, 2021

 

[KFISCHER]

Yes! February 25, 2021

View attachment 562724

Thank you. Sold!

 

[HiStitch626]

The flaming is really the only good part of the dish. We found it really disappointing.

 

[Kae]

The flaming is really the only good part of the dish. We found it really disappointing.

How come? We love Saganaki. Did not have it at WBG because we get it locally often.

 

[HiStitch626]

It was kind of flavorless and gloppy. The day before we had been at Epcot during food and wine, and had the fondue at the German pavilion. It was far better than the Saganaki.

 

[Mzpalmtree]

The flaming is really the only good part of the dish. We found it really disappointing.

I would agree with this statement. We had the saganaki at WBG today actually and were pretty disappointed in it. It was really tough and had to be cut even though it seemed like it was meant to be a dip consistency since it was served with bread. The burrata was AMAZING though.

 

[chalee94]

I thought it was a little too salty. I thought it was supposed to be more solid, which it was, and not a dip.

But I still liked it overall.

 

[cruisin5]

Ours was hard to cut with a butter knife within a few minutes. Definitely not the warm stretchy cheese I envisioned.

 

[hereforthechurros]

Saganaki everywhere is made from a hard cheese that’s meant to be cut and eaten. I’ve never had it served with bread, perhaps that’s where WBG is going wrong?

 

[patclairesmom]

I think people reading the complaints should take them with a grain of salt. I've never had or even heard of Saganaki before going to WBG and I loved it!

 

[Mzpalmtree]

Before we went, we had never had saganaki. We just went off of reviews and pictures. It looks like it would be a gooey/stringy consistency with a crust on top from pictures, but I guess that’s where our ignorance did us wrong. It was very hard to cut and messy with the butter knife supplied and we just did not expect that. Now we know .

 

[gatour]

Saganaki everywhere is made from a hard cheese that’s meant to be cut and eaten. I’ve never had it served with bread, perhaps that’s where WBG is going wrong?

The Greek/Mediterranean restaurants serve it flaming so the cheese melts. You then use bread to scoop up the melted cheese, much life a fondue.

 

[hereforthechurros]

The Greek/Mediterranean restaurants serve it flaming so the cheese melts. You then use bread to scoop up the melted cheese, much life a fondue.

It's made with a hard cheese so while it gets softer when heated it quickly firms up again. Not saying bread is wrong, I don't think it's traditional but I will eat bread with everything in life. I'm sure all sorts of places do it differently. I don't think of it like a dip but that's just me, still delicious though.

The cheese used in cheese saganaki is usually graviera, kefalograviera, halloumi, kasseri, kefalotyri, or sheep's milk feta cheese.

 

[Moliphino]

It's made with a hard cheese so while it gets softer when heated it quickly firms up again. Not saying bread is wrong, I will eat bread with everything in life. I'm sure all sorts of places do it differently. I don't think of it like a dip but that's just me, still delicious though.

The cheese used in cheese saganaki is usually graviera, kefalograviera, halloumi, kasseri, kefalotyri, or sheep's milk feta cheese.

WBG uses vlahotiri. I loved it, but I've never had saganaki anywhere else to compare it to. I just love warm melty cheese.

 

[thegash35]

.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

My wife is first generation Greek-American, I live in a Greek neighborhood and have eaten Saganaki dozens of times.

Saganaki is NOT supposed to be like a dip. It is hard cheese, sometimes coated in flour and pan seared. It may be a little soft/stringy when eating it depending on the exact cheese used, but it is supposed to be cut and eaten in pieces.

None of the Greek restaurants around here serve it flaming either; it's unnecessary and really adds nothing to the dish aside from people wanting a spectacle with their dinner.

The flaming Saganaki preparations are something of a Chicago Greek-American restaurant thing. The (now closed) Parthenon Restaurant in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood long claimed to have invented the spectacle of flaming the fried cheese at the table and extinguishing the flames with a squeeze of lemon juice, usually accompanied by shouts of ‘Opa’. The flaming version is still widely available in other Chicago-area Greek-American eateries, or at least it will be when everything gets back to whatever is the new normal.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

We've had it a couple of times at WBG...

The first time we had it, my friend thought it was too salty. I was fine with the salt, but decided that if I want cheese at WBG...I'm going to get the big board with all of the cheese, meats, and complimentary accoutrement.

 

[chalee94]

None of the Greek restaurants around here serve it flaming either; it's unnecessary and really adds nothing to the dish aside from people wanting a spectacle with their dinner.

Some of us are still middle school boys at heart who like seeing things set on fire, I guess.

(Also see: the fire dancer with the flaming baton in the Festival of the Lion King.)

We've had it a couple of times at WBG...

The first time we had it, my friend thought it was too salty. I was fine with the salt, but decided that if I want cheese at WBG...I'm going to get the big board with all of the cheese, meats, and complimentary accoutrement.

You have talked me into the big board...

 

[porschegrl]

The flaming Saganaki preparations are something of a Chicago Greek-American restaurant thing. The (now closed) Parthenon Restaurant in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood long claimed to have invented the spectacle of flaming the fried cheese at the table and extinguishing the flames with a squeeze of lemon juice, usually accompanied by shouts of ‘Opa’. The flaming version is still widely available in other Chicago-area Greek-American eateries, or at least it will be when everything gets back to whatever is the new normal.

Interesting. I'm from the Chicago area, and I didn't know flaming saganaki purportedly originated at the Parthenon. I just thought it was the way it's done, because it's the only way I know. Thank you for sharing!