There are plenty of Greek restaurants in Laval and Montreal that offer up fast food style cuisine but if you also want to have a taste of authentic Greek home cooking with a genuine family atmosphere, then you should visit Christina’s. Dora, Christina’s daughter says her mother is the real McCoy when it comes to the restaurant’s daily fresh specialty menu. “Every day the menu changes depending on what Christina finds at the market.”
Since 2016, Christina’s has been serving up home-style traditional Greek recipes made daily by Christina and her family. Of course, they have the typical souvlakis and gyros that people expect from a Greek restaurant but what is distinct about Christina’s is their counter of daily specials with a variety of dishes for every taste. At Christina’s, the motto is good cooking starts with fresh ingredients prepared with the family’s very own olive oil collected from the olive fields of their hometown in Kalamata, Greece. Dora’s brother George added, “We want all natural ingredients in the food…it makes a world of difference”.
We began our meal with an entrée of orzo with veal. It was a nice combination and lightly seasoned in a tomato sauce. We also sampled a dish made with artichokes and dill that is a must try. The next dish we tried was called Araka, a mix of vegetables that included peas, carrots and potatoes. The feta cheese balls with a dipping sauce are also a worthy mention.
For the main dishes we tried the Porgie fish, a very popular type of fish in Greek cuisine, followed by sausage and then chicken souvlaki. The fish plate is called Tsipoura and was a generous serving that had a nice texture to it. If you add orders of rice, Grandma’s classic Greek lemon potatoes and their tasty chef salad, it is a healthy option and the dish is filling but not heavy. The homemade Loukaniko (pork sausage) was well seasoned and is also a good option. The souvlaki was tender and well-seasoned so it is recommended as well. Vegetarians have options to select from such as the popular Spanakopita, a flavorful traditional spinach and cheese pie made with homemade phyllo dough. Their Tzatziki sauce was quite mild and if you don’t like it too garlicky, then you will like Christina’s recipe of this very popular side dish.
If you are interested in trying more traditional home cooked fare, then you should absolutely try the Moussaka, made with a creamy Béchamel sauce, airy and lightly baked eggplant slices and baked potatoes. Another dish that you should try is Pastitsio (Greek lasagna) that consists of pasta noodles made with meat sauce and a Béchamel sauce. These dishes along with a glass from their wine selection complements your meal nicely.
The food is so light and healthy tasting that you could literally eat more than your usual portions and still have room for dessert and coffee.
Speaking of dessert, we sampled a delicious baklava cheesecake that had a creamy texture and was surprisingly not too sweet as you might expect from the traditional baklava dish. For those of you who like rice pudding, you will not be disappointed with Christina’s recipe that is simple and has a nice touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Plenty of coffee options available as well to go with dessert, such as their cappuccino.
If you plan to go to the restaurant on a Friday or Saturday, make sure to call for reservations as it can get quite busy. Christina’s also offers a catering service as well.
Christina’s is a restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere, very much like eating a home cooked Sunday meal with the family or eating at your aunt’s or grandma’s house. Whether you come in for
some sweets or lunch/dinner, the staff is friendly and welcoming. You will not be disappointed and as Greeks traditionally say, opa!
Location:
Christina’s
4365 boul. Notre-Dame, Laval
(450) 934-8462
