Homemade Greek yogurt at Mediterranean Foods, Astoria

[Eric Eto]

I was going to stock up on some Total brand Greek yogurt at one of the Greek markets in Astoria. Titan was a little out of the way, and I usually stop at Cyprus Food on 30th Ave. But this time, I noticed Mediterranean Foods on 34th St so I went to check it out. Just as I picked out one of the tubs of Total brand, I noticed a stack of unmarked takeout containers with the white stuff. Like Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction trying to choose the right weapon, I must have gone through the entire cold case -- first the mid-size tub of Total, then the family sized tub, then the homemade stuff, then the homemade tzatziki, then the homemade taramosalata... you get the picture. I got one each of the yogurt, tzatziki, and the tarmosalata. So this yogurt is pretty damn good. I don't get down to Sullivan St enough to pick up yogurt at The Yogurt Place, or to the remote corner where the parent shop is located in East Elmhurst, so this is a significant find for me. I should also mention that this stuff is significantly cheaper than Total brand or The Yogurt Place's stuff at $2.75/lb. Oh, the tzatziki is also wonderfully galicky, and the taramosalata is 100% better than the one I got from Titan.

Mediterranean Foods (two locations)
30-12 34th St
Astoria
[phone]

23-18 31st St
Astoria
[phone]

[s sale]

There's a Greek food shop at 40th and 9th in Manhattan, that sells homemade yogurt. Any relation?

[Eric Eto]

These shops are probably not related, however, I've always suspected there are other places that make or sell homemade yogurt. It's just that no one has mentioned them. I figure that there are probably some other places around Astoria that does as well. While I find the yogurt from the Yogurt Place the most unique, I sometimes find their strained yogurt too thick, and I don't really care for the lowfat version. I'll try to check out the yogurt at the 9th Ave shop one of these days.

[AstoriaPerson]

Mediterranean Foods has a second store on 31st Street between 23rd Avenue and 24th Avenue.

[Nina W.]

There is a small chain of stores on the upper east side called Likitsakos - they carry a brand of Greek yogurt (I don't know the name - it's in Greek) - it comes in a big tub and it's blue and white - some of the best stuff I've ever had. It's easily as good at The Yogurt Place (which I love)...

[Natasa Sevoleva]

I believe the proprietors are from Cyprus and are Greek Cypriots.

[byrd]

the original Med Foods was on 30th Ave off 34th St,
it must be at the round the block location about ten years now, it was the first super deli in Astoria and
predates Titan by numerous years

[Photis]

Amazingly, almost every little Greek grocery store in Astoria sells homemade yogurt. Often the quality varies from batch to batch.

Stay away from Total unless that's the best you can do. It's not bad, but it is just supermarket yogurt in Greece. You can do better. For some reason, many of the store owners here will try and direct non-Greeks to the Total section. In some logic of Greek organizing, the Total yogurt is usually NOT next to the homemade selection of unlabeled yogurt in round little plastic containers.

Don't be scared by the lack of labels. Look at what's inside. Here's what most stores have and how you can tell them apart: Yogurt (pure white), tzataziki (yogurt with bits of cucumber), taramasalata (brownish or pink--brown is better as pink is just artificial coloring), meletzanasalata (grey looking eggplant spread. Like Arab babaganoush but creamier and not as smoky (or good)), and perhaps skordalia (garlic spread made with either potatoes or bread, off-white and a little lumpy).

I've tried yogurt from a lot of stores (and they're all good) but the best, hands down, is the little store on 30th Ave just next door and East of the well-known 24-hour vegetable stand on the S.E. corner of 33rd St and 30th Ave. They also have good feta and currently have nice bottles of cheap and delicious Lebanese olive oil in the window.

The second best yogurt is Kesso (according to an old chowhounds post from 2001: "You can buy their yogurt at Sahadi's, it is the red and white container with a label that says 'Kesso Foods Pure Strained Yogurt.'" It's not to be confused with the big company that makes pita bread and everything else called, I think, Kesos). It is packaged but locally made and sold in a white container with red lettering. Many butchers around here have it in the fridge (as does the mentioned vegetable stand). However, Kesso makes full-fat and low-fat. The low-fat is not as good and the full-fat is harder to find. Always buy full-fat yogurt as low-fat yogurt makes as much sense as diet cheese.

Also, if you're worried about cost (not that yogurt is that expensive), the main reason Greek yogurt costs more is that it's strained so it has less water and less volume. Basically, or at least traditionally, the yogurt is hung up in a porous bag and left so water drips out.

I love Greek yogurt!

[photis]

Jeeze, all that writing and I can't even handle directions. The 24-hour vegetable store is on the South WEST corner of 30th Ave and 33rd St and the Greek store with great yogurt is next door to the WEST, on 30th Ave just off 33rd St.

I'm asking for a compass for Christmas.

[Eric Eto]

Thanks for all the great info. FYI, Kesso foods IS the brand of yogurt from the Yogurt Place in East Elmhurst and the Sullivan St location in Manhattan. I like it a lot, but sometimes I like a little more moisture/creaminess in my yogurt. I'll be sure to check out the store on 30th Ave.

[Photis]

Yes, Kesso does border on Labne-style thickness. I find that good if you're making tzatziki, which tends to get a little watery from the cucumbers, but not so good if you're just downing spoonfuls with fruit and/or honey.

The place I'm talking about is also thick (as is all Greek yogurt), but wonderfully creamy and sharp without being too sour. I'll try and post the name of the place the next time I go by. But it's easy to find from my previous post.

Cypress Deli I find a bit disappointing for everything except beer and the fact you can buy a variety of good feta (and haloumi) at 3AM.

I find all the homemade items at Mediterranean Foods pretty good and usually better than average. They also have longer hours than the more mom-and-pop stores.

For what's it's worth, and not that you asked, but I think the best Taramasalata in the world (and I don't make such a claim lightly) is sold on 9th Ave in Manhattan under (what I call) the ass of Port Authority. It's on the West side of the street and just to the North of the overpass. It's a nice sawdust-on-floor Greek store. They have an article raving about their taramasalata in the window. That's how you can tell you're in the right place (there are, or were, some other Greek stores very nearby). And rave they should. Supposedly the secret ingredient is a little club soda (?). Makes a great present if you're taking the bus out of town.

I've worked in a Greek restaurant, live in Astoria, and traveled to Greece and Greektowns near and far. Never have I had taramasalata so perfect. Nothing artificial. Not at all "fishy" in a bad way. So flavorful. I've never come across anyone who doesn't love it, even those who claim they don't like fish roe.

[Eric Eto]

Photis, you were right about the yogurt from the store on 30th Ave. Really good stuff. I tried a side-by-side tasting with the stuff I got from Mediterranean Foods (still very very good) and was impressed by the flavor and texture. By the way, the name of the place is Greek House Foods. The tzakziki from this shop was one of the best I've had.

Greek House Foods
32-22 30th Ave
[phone]

[Abbylovi]

I've been going to Greek House Foods for several years now and everything I've had from them is superlative. First I started with the feta, then moved on to the yogurt, then the various sardines and other fish by the register. Most recently I tried the taramosalata and the best I've had. The best balance of creamy/citrus/fish. I want to smother everything in it.

I also saw they had octopus in olive oil at the register and I regret not buying it...next time.

[hellkatte]

Just wanted to chime in about the yogurt at this shop as well. Finally got some yesterday and I want to spread it on everything.

Abby, I noticed they had a wide variety of feta in the case. Which do you recommend? And what is the taste/texture difference?

[Photis]

I'm glad you all liked the yogurt from the Greek House! Regarding feta, you should just ask to try the different fetas. Greek stores are good about that. Except for domestic feta (which often comes from a cow), they're all very good. It's just a matter of taste. In my mind there are three variables to consider with feta: texture (creamy versus more crumbly), strength (strong or mild), and, of course, taste.

Often the more obscure ones are better not because they're rare but because they're made in a less factory-like setting. On the other end of the spectrum, Dodonis would be example of a mass-produced feta, though it's quiet good.

The names of the feta are often simply the region in Greece from which it comes. So just to make things more confusing, Epirou (from Epiros) feta in one store could be unrelated to another batch of feta also called Epirou. Likewise Varelisia just means from the barrel and doesn't really say anything about the feta (though varalisia feta is usually another safe bet).

Don't forget about other Greek cheeses, too: kefalotiri (very strong taste, great fried or grated), graviera (mild), kefalograviera (a combo of the two), myzithra (hard and soft versions are very different, one is a little sharp and great grated on pasta, the other is mild like ricotta), ladotiri (oil cheese, mild, not my favorite), haloumi (from Cypress, not good until fried or grilled, it won't melt), and probably a few others I'm forgetting.

[Natasa Sevoleva]

Nice Rec's, Photis!

The Greek cheeses are excellent! I also recommend trying all of them.

A few notes on personal favorites:

Haloumi, from Cyprus, is an excellent cheese and available mostly in individual packed form. These houlamia are softer and milder than the traditional haloumi found in villages of Cypress. If you are fortunate enough to find an import of the harder, saltier, and used mostly for grating on Greek pasta haloumi, usually available in springtime imports here in New York City, I highly recommend it. Try it grated on some (brown) buttered spaghetti or other pasta with a pinch of dried double mint, available in Greek groceries and specialty shops.
The softer, milder haloumi varies greatly from brand to brand. If you do not like a certain brand, don't knock the cheese, but try another brand that will almost surely be different in both taste and texture. It is delicious served quick sautéed or grilled, either way with a squeeze of lemon juice and (optional pinch of double mint - also found folded in better-made haloumi.)

Myzithra is a skim milk "cheese". It is akin to Italian ricotta (the good house made ricottas, not the tubs in the mega marts). It is usually called "basket myzythra" in Greek specialty shops as it is drained of the whey in a basket. It is fine with a drizzle of good Greek thyme honey spooned atop. The harder myzythra is akin to Italian ricotta salata. Very similar. It is usually lightly salted and delicious simply grated on pasta. Some are unsalted and very bland. The myzythra can come from different regions of Greece and local varieties abound. The Crete myzythra for example is a 'full fat' cheese and not a 'ricotta' at all. It is richer, smoother, creamier and tastier, but some are used to the milder blander taste of the Peloponnesus variety. Try some and find a grocer that carries what you like.

Another great cheese to eat out-of-hand is Manouri. A soft mild very flavorful cheese pairs well with fruit and wine.

Ladotiri is, or can be, a tasty cheese, if a 'horiatiko' (village) variety is found. The commercial varieties are less than appealing.

Enjoy Greek cuisine!

[Photis]

I tried the tzatziki from Greek House (thanks Eric). It's very good. He actually doesn't do much to it. There isn't much garlic or cucumber in it (I could use more of both). But the yogurt is so damn good that the tzatziki can't help but being delicious.

As a side note, he also sells (as do most stores around here) salt-packed anchovies. If you use anchovies for anything, like caesar salad dressing, try it with the salt packed anchovies. I used to use anchovy paste (and sometimes fish sauce when I ran out of paste) but there's a big difference. Buy a couple of the fish (they're very cheap), rinse them, and fillet them: you do this very easily by slicing them with a knife along the top from head to toe. Pull the two sides apart a bit or all the way. Then just lift out the skeleton. It comes out whole and very easily. Then chop off the tail and any messy part of head. For dressing, you can toss them in a blender with whatever else you use.

And though they stink to all high hell, they keep (pre-rinsed) a very long time.

[hellkatte]

Photis and Natasa, thanks so much for sharing the info!

I went back this weekend for feta and had a tasting of a few. Ended up with one that begins with "Me." I can spot it when I return. Very creamy and mild. While I was there he was dishing out some anchovies for someone and they smelled divine. I also purchased some thyme honey for all that yogurt I bought and it's a good match. Somebody else mentioned that his taramosalata is better than Med Foods around the corner and I wholeheartedly agree!

[Photis]

The cheese sounds like myzithra (pronounced mee-zee-thra). Check the post two or three up by Natasa for a great description. The important thing to know is that the soft and hard versions should really be considered two different cheeses as they're very different. Sounds like you had the soft

I actually don't like his taramasalata. But hey, that's just me.

[astoriaboy]

thanks to your rec, photis, i just tried and thoroughly enjoyed the tzatziki from Greek House...i can't recall the last time i've had better...

i also picked up a small container of the taramasalata...i loved that, too...i remember that you recommended a place in manhattan (by the bus terminal, i believe) for their excellent taramasalata...but, if you know of a place in astoria that has better than greek house's, please let us in on it...

btw...i also picked up some italian bread and souvlakia on sticks from opa! souvlaki and rounded off what turned out to be a very satisfying dinner!

dominick

[KLEOPATRA]

YOU SHOULD GO TO GREEK HOUSE ON 30th and 33rd.. youd love all their home made products..