When it comes to culture, many long for something concrete. Because America is such a melting pot of identities, I’ve noticed that food from our ancestors is often what we hold onto most tightly. At Spiro’s, that longing is evident. The menu is Greek, but there’s also a section labeled “not so Greek.” Walking in, that tension is clear: a desire to connect to Greek roots, yet a lingering sense of distance from them.
On the ferry side of Coronado Island, Spiro’s Mediterranean Cuisine carries a story that goes back to Spiro Chaconas’s grandmother, Athena, who immigrated through Ellis Island in 1925 with, like many of our ancestors, a beacon of hope. The family came from a mountain village near Sparta. From that lineage, a casual, trickle-down Greek restaurant found its place tucked into Coronado Island.
The menu includes Greek dishes like spanakopita, pita sandwiches, and gyro plates, while the “Not so Greek” section lists a cheeseburger and fries, along with fish tacos and crispy calamari, to name a few.
Walking in, the ultra-casual counter service, a large digital screen, and the soda fountain left me feeling more like I was on holiday in America rather than an authentic neighborhood spot. Still the soft breeze and the finished wood tables along with the plants brimming the room felt serene.
I ordered the pita sandwich with lamb and beef gyro meat, a side salad, a fountain drink, and baklava for dessert. As I sat outside to bask in the sunshine and watch the passersby and picnics by the water, I was ambushed by pigeons as soon as my food came out. I laughed at my small battle with them and quickly surrendered by moving inside, dodging while one of the cooks generously shooed them away.
My salad was an American take on the Greek salad: iceberg lettuce, tomato, crumbled feta, kalamata olives, pepperoncini, and raw purple onions, dressed in a house-made vinaigrette. The feta had a more subtle flavor, and the vegetables didn’t particularly zip or pop either. I wasn’t expecting a farm-to-table freshness per se, especially since the entire meal cost around $30, but the salad didn’t have an overwhelming vibrancy.
The first gyro bite was more impressive — thick slices of lamb and beef, tzatziki tucked inside a fluffy, thick pita acting as a vehicle for the chunky tomato and raw red onion. It was somewhat modest in presentation, tomato dominating the view with thick slices. To spark my appetite, I wished for fresh herbs to crown the sandwich or a more obvious sprinkle of spice on top. Still, the bite was punchy. The gyro, laced with oregano, perhaps thyme and rosemary, was the one element that made me wonder – as the herbs exploded on my tongue – was it a family recipe? It all sat in a bed of tzatziki, which added something creamy and soft. The chunky tomatoes were slightly distracting and fell out easily, but once I was able to bring everything together, the taste bested the presentation.
The baklava, packaged in a plastic to-go container, was glossed with a visible layer of syrup that lured me. When I bit in, the pastry was coated in a sweet, honey-like glaze that complemented the nutty pistachio layered inside. I appreciated that it wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, and the pastry remained perfectly flaky. A baklava worth going back for.
