My Big, Fat Greek Dinner: Pete's Greek Town Cafe

August 24, 11:25 AMDenver Dining ExaminerStan Dyer

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Pete's name is everywhere on East Colfax

I lived in Denver 30 years before I knew Greek Town even existed.  One day, a whim pulled me in to Pete's Greek Town Cafe with my girlfriend and we discovered not only Greek Town, but a mini dynasty too.  Beginning on East Colfax just east of City Park and still expanding, Greek Town is both clearly marked as a Denver Cultural District and the territory of Pete Contos.  Almost everywhere you look, you will see Pete's name.  

Since beginning in 1960 with the Satire Lounge, Pete has expanded Greek Town to include six establishments on East Colfax and two satellite restaurants, one on East Evans and the other on South Pearl.  With the entrepreneurial flare and capacity for change of the immigrant Greeks played by John Belushi and Bill Murray in that recurring skit on Saturday Night Live in the 70s, (Am I the only one who remembers, "Cheesebugga, Cheesebugga, no fries, chips!"?), Pete developed a restaurant for just about any taste.  Sure, Pete serves Greek, but he also serves American food, Mexican food, Ice Cream, and, of course, liquor.  He has also added a Greek touch to many Italian, American and Mexican favorites.  Pete has made sure that if you have a taste for someting, you can find it at one of his restaurants, and you can always find at least a taste of Greek cuisine.   

Now, that's a dinner salad!

Since I am probably one of the few who remembers when Belushi was on SNL, I am probably on of the few who remembers that the Satire Lounge was a major starting point for little names hoping to become big names in the late 60s.  Judy Collins, (the chesnut brown canary in the song, "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes"), Steven Stills, ( Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, later, just Crosby, Stills and Nash), and a young man named Robert Zimmerman, (better known as Bob Dylan), all played the Satire in the 60s when that area hosted Denver's wannabe hippie crowd.  It was not the Haight, but, to many, it was close enough.

On our first visit, we found little vegetarian on the menu, but did enjoy a vegetarian sandwich and a bottle of Greek wine.  The veggie sandwich was good, served Greek style with dolmades, feta, kalamatas, and pepperoncini, and it is still on the menu, but the vegetarian variety has greatyly expanded.  In addition to all the Greek seafood and meat choices, Pete's also offers Saganaki, Spanakopita, Tzatziki, Hummus, Greek Town Pasta, Greek Spaghetti, and, my Greek favorite, Veggie Mousaka for his vegetarian guests.

Ma, Ma, Ma, My Mousaka

The Greek Town Pasta sings this song, do dah, do dah!

Although Pete's spells it "Mousaka", it also is spelled "Moussaka", "Musaka", or "Mussaka", and is pretty much the same no matter how it is spelled.  The name comes from the Arabic, "Musaqq'a" which means "chilled".  Pete's version uses layers of eggplant, spinach, mushrooms, and potatoes, all tpped with bechamel and kapama sauces.  It is a take on a popular Balkan recipe though generally associated with Greece and Turkey that resembles a lasagna without the pasta between the layers.  Served with vegetables, a slice of feta cheese and a great salad for $11.45, it is a real dinner bargain.

The other dish we tried was the Greek Town Pasta, which is a cross between Fettuccini Alfredo and Pasta Primavera, ($9.95), but it becomes Greek with the addition of the wonderful dinner salad that includes kalamatas, feta, garbanzos, and red onions.  After some of the so-called dinner salads I received at other places, this one was a real surprise and would sell for at least $6.00 by itself at other establishments.  It was impressive

I was disappointed that Pete's was out of the Greek beer.  I had the Greek wine before and wanted to taste what Greece had to offer in the way of beer.  Nonetheless, the restaurant was relatively clean, the washrooms were not spotless, but adequate, the food was good, the service good and the prices relatively low.  The dinner salad may have been the highlight of the dinner.  With two dining areas, a counter, a lounge and a patio, Pete's has plenty of seating for at least 100.  Whether you love Greek food, or have never tried it, Pete's is certainly one to try. 

By the way, Pete's is now in the middle of its "Flavors of the World" Patio Grill Tour 2008.  From now until October 5th, every Sunday and Thursday will feature a patio filled with foods from other countries.  The event began July 31st, and we missed Greece, Italy, Spain and France, but upcoming are the Caribbean Islands, the Middle East, Russia, Asia, Mexico, and finishes with the United States.  It is certain to be an "Olympic" event.  I have no pricing for this event, but it runs from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the aforementioned evenings.  Reservations recommended at 303-321-1104.  Whether you make it to the patio event or not, Pete's is still a great place to stop for dinner and especially nice before an evening at the Vintage Theatre over on 17th Street. 

more info:   Pete's Greek Town Cafe - 2910 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver - 303-321-1104.  On Line at www.petesrestaurants.com or email to info@petesrestaurants.com