Award-Winning Chef Reveals Valpo’s Best Greek Food & Why!

August 29, 2024

According to one of NWI’s top chefs, Martinis-Valpo serves the best Greek food in Valparaiso and is one of his favorite restaurants in Northwest Indiana. This is high praise, indeed, especially when you consider the chef to be Chef Carlos of Don Quijote, Martinis’s closest competitor in Valpo’s highly competitive restaurant scene. In this article, Chef Carlos reveals why Martinis is Valpo’s best Greek Food!

Greek Restaurant vs Scratch Kitchen

Flaming Saganaki, Martinis Valpo
Flaming-Saganaki

To begin with, there can be no mistake that Martinis is Greek-owned and serves authentic Greek food. Drive by Martinis at night, and you’ll likely hear people celebrating as servers bring out flaming Saganaki. Opa! With authentic Greek cuisine and seafood brought in daily, you can see why the chef considers Martinis Valpo’s best Greek restaurant.

But technically, Martinis’ website calls the restaurant a scratch restaurant. Many consider it to have the best Italian food, and others love the burgers and pizza.

However, with the owners in Greece at the time of this publication, we asked Chef Carlos to explain.  According to the Don Q Chef, Martinis’ owners Sophie and Louie grew up with one foot on a Greek Island and the other in New York/New Jersey’s restaurant scene. Chef Louie was brought up in authentic Greek traditions but also discovered diverse culinary talents while growing up in the highly competitive East Coast culinary scene. “Chef’s Louie has a passion for making people happy through his cooking talents, which includes numerous international cuisines.  So, while Martinis is considered in culinary circles to have the best Greek food in Valpo, the restaurant serves a full-scratch kitchen menu.

Food is an Expression of Love. It’s a Mediterranean Thing!

Valpo’s Top Chefs enjoy Greek Food with Sophie, Chef Carlos, and Chef Louie at Martinis.

Chef Carlos says, “In the Mediterranean, every meal is an opportunity to get together with friends and family, and food is one of the foundations of culture. Serving the best ingredients and carefully preparing these dishes from scratch is an expression of love. Chef Louie has a talent for numerous cuisines, so his menu is diverse.

Based on the popularity of Martinis, people must feel the love! Fans of the Valparaiso restaurant love the diversity of uber-fresh seafood, Greek food, Italian Food, and American comfort food.

While Carlos loves Martinis’ seafood and authentic Greek food, his grandchildren love Martinis for the diverse menu.  His family especially loves the All-American burgers and pizzas.

SEE LUNCH MENU PDF–   SEE DINNER MENU PDF

The high-energy atmosphere also adds to the experience. Sophie, Chef Louie’s better half and operations partner, believes the Greek traditions have laid the foundation for using fresh ingredients, however, it’s the East Coast influence that inspires her restaurant’s ambiance and atmosphere.

What is a Scratch Kitchen Restaurant?

Martinis is a scratch kitchen

Chef Carlos learned the joy of having a diverse culinary portfolio as a child. His father was a celebrity chef on a Mediterranean cruise ship and was well-respected for mastering different cuisines, including Greek, Italian, Basque, French, Russian, and Portuguese. His diverse food was celebrated in his Village, and people planned weddings around when his father would come home!

So, what is a scratch kitchen restaurant? To answer that, we turn to the Martinis home page. Chef Louie says, “A scratch kitchen restaurant only serves fresh food made from the freshest, best ingredients.”

However, Chef Louie’s insatiable drive to please his customers doesn’t stop with using fresh ingredients. “Every ingredient served on the Martinis scratch menu is created from raw ingredients, including the methods of producing it. From start to finish, our food is made without shortcuts.”

It’s all Greek to Me! | Greek Restaurant Valparaiso

The Martinis Scratch Kitchen Menu includes Seafood brought in daily!

While Chef Carlos often refers to Martinis as Valparaiso’s best Greek restaurant, he agrees that the title Scratch Kitchen is a great fit. The Spaniard quotes Shakespeare: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

Carlos concedes that Martinis is technically a scratch kitchen, but he still feels Martinis serves the best Greek food and is, therefore, still considered Valparaiso’s best Greek Restaurant.

Since Carlos is our special guest, and there is only room for one chef in the kitchen, we will conclude that Martinis is Valparaiso’s best Greek Food and is included on a remarkable scratch kitchen menu. 

Beyond the Plate: How Ambiance and Service Elevate the Greek Dining Experience
Martinis' is an Outdoor Restaurant  that Won Valpo's Community Improvement  Award, Pictured is martinis after remodeling

A great Greek Restaurant offers more than just great food; it creates a beautiful experience. Martinis Restaurant is a unique casual dining restaurant that combines four innovative spaces under one roof. Recently, spearheaded by Sophie’s vision and attention to detail, was recognized by the Valpo Chamber.  The City of Valpo honored Martinis’ renovation with the Community Improvement Award.

But don’t expect the dynamic duo of Sophie and Louie to take a bow for this prestigious award. These are restauranteurs to the core! Their greatest reward is creating a wonderful dining experience. With four unique dining spaces, Martinis has it all! Just check out our gallery page!

View the Gallery

Greek Outdoor Dining. Opa!

martinis is Valpo's largest restaurant with outdoor seatingoutdoor
Valpo’s Largest Outdoor Dining.

To be called one of Valpo’s Best Restaurants with Outdoor Seating isn’t a small order. But then again, Martinis owners were brought up on an island paradise in Greece, where great food and outdoor dining are traditions and a way of life.

If the Martinis scratch menu seems made for Greek outdoor dining, it’s because it was! Especially the season-fresh daily specials. It’s a tradition in Greece for chefs to create dishes inspired by the daily catch and freshest ingredients from local farmers. Made from scratch, it never looked or tasted so good!

For a remarkable Greek outdoor dining experience, meet friends and order wine and a table full of small plate specials for a Mediterranean state of mind. Sophie carefully selects the Martinis wine selection, and her servers are well-versed in helping you find something amazing on the menu. Of course, the best al fresco adventures come with flamed Saganaki! The presentation is almost as good as the taste… almost!  Opa!

 

Martinis Star Attraction | Just Search, Greek Food Valparaiso

The Martinis experience includes friendly service, indoor and outdoor dining, and a mixologist who serves over 40 innovative martinis. But make no mistake: Martinis’s star attraction is the Food. Given the size of the Martinis menu and to show respect for our special guest, Chef Carlos, we will end this blog with some great Greek Food found on the Scratch Kitchen Menu.

Greek Rice Bowl​

Greek Rice Bowl

Rice pilaf with shredded lettuce, feta, Kalamata olives, tomatoes, red onions, pepperoncini, and marinated garbanzo beans, served with tzatziki sauce. ** Gluten-Free  Lunch Only

Calamari Fritti 

Calamari Fritti

Freshly breaded calamari served with warm house marinara, and lemon crown. Best calamari.   Lunch & Dinner

Pork Bites 

Pork bites

Pork tenderloin and mushrooms, sauteed in olive oil and lemon and Greek spices. Lunch & Dinner

Flaming Saganaki Lunch & Dinner

Flaming Saganaki, Martinis Valpo
Flaming-saganaki

Kefalograviera cheese flambéed table side with warmed pita. Lunch & Dinner

Seafood Combination

Broiled Seafood Combination

Jumbo shrimp, scallops, salmon, stuffed sole with our signature blue crab stuffing served with rice.  Dinner only

Greek Pork Chops Dinner Only

Greek-pork-chop is serveto outdoor dining fans! Opa!
Greek pork chop

Juicy bone-in hand cut chops grilled with our signature Greek citrus herb blend, served with mashed potatoes.** Gluten-Free  Dinner only

Gyro 

Gyro

Sliced gyro meat with lettuce, tomato, onion, tzatziki and wrapped in a warm pita. Lunch Only

Lamb Porterhouse Chops 

Three porterhouse lamb chops grilled to perfection and served with roasted potatoes.  ** Gluten-Free  Dinner only

Signature “Ham & Cheese” 

Ham and Cheese

Hot thinly sliced ham piled atop saganaki cheese on pita bread. Lunch Only

Souvlaki 

Choice of Pork, Beef. Grilled with our Greek citrus jus, EVOO and tzatziki.  Dinner only

Greek Fries Dinner Only

Greek Fries

Fresh house-cut potato fries tossed in Greek vinaigrette and feta cheese. Dinner only

Loaded Greek Fries 

martinis is Valpo's largest restaurant with outdoor seatingoutdoor

Gyro meat, red onions, tomato, crumbled feta, and sliced black olives tossed in our house Greek vinaigrette. Dinner only

Athena Burger 

Athena Burger

Angus beef patty on top of sliced Gyro meat with red onion, lettuce, tomato, Feta cheese, and tzatziki.

 Written by Jim Jano Janesheski

JANO-DIGITAL

 

 

 

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