Like Pangaea, Greece started out as a solid land mass but broke apart after dinosaurs shook it to pieces practicing for a step competition. Feast upon the various flavors of the Greek islands with today's Groupon: for $10, you get $20 worth of Grecian fare and drinks at Panos Kouzina, located in Safety Harbor and one of the St. Petersburg Times’ top Greek restaurants in 2008.
Panos Kouzina's menu was created by Nick, a chef who grew up in the restaurant world after his parents came to America from Greece and started their own eatery. Start off a dining duet or multifaceted mouth solo with a Greek sampler for two ($8.95), a treacherous Ilian equine appetizer that uses spanakopitas, tiropitas, dolmades, hummus, house-made tzatziki sauce, and feta cheese to throw open the gates of diners' mouths for a full invasion of deliciousness. Follow up with the local favorite, Chef Nick's signature Greek salad, a feta-loaded lettuce and cabbage mix topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, and pepperoncinis and available as a side or as a small or large entree (side $3.95, small $6.95, large $8.95), or satisfy an uncontrollable urge to gyro with the gyro (served with pasta or potato salad, $5.95; substitute side with french fries, $0.99). Try one of Panos Kouzina's specialties to fulfill all the prophecies of flavor, such as the chicken vasiliko (chicken sautéed in a homemade creamy basil sauce and served with garlic bread and your choice of side, $12.95), or split a 16-inch Mediterranean pizza (spinach, feta, chicken, sundried tomatoes, and fresh garlic topped with parmesan cheese, $17.95) with a fellow hexametrical diner.
Panos Kouzina's friendly atmosphere is designed to make customers feel right at home in the kitchen. Have a seat at a table or just order a drink and then stand right in front of the dessert case, staring longingly.