"Today I am taking you to visit Greek Town, in our beautiful city of Chicago, where we will take a glimpse of the annual Taste of Greece Festival. My father owns two restaurants in Greek Town, 9 Muses Bar & Grill (opened for 26 years!), and Meli Café & Juice Bar (opened for 10 years with 3 locations!). Although Meli (Greek word for Honey) is a Greek word, it is not a pure Greek restaurant, although there are various Greek ingredients and dishes sprinkled throughout the menu. Alternatively, 9 Muses has been the heart and soul of Greek Town because it bleeds Greece in its music, its food, its coffee, its reputation, and its entire atmosphere as a whole. Many generations have passed through its doors, who have met, and ultimately married! It is the Greek Town staple Greek establishment that serves lunch and dinner, but becomes a night club after hours. It is known for its amazing souvlakia and frappe, and is where all the famous Greek celebrity singers will go for a drink after performing their concerts! You can view details about our restaurants at www.9museschicago.com & www.melicafe.com.
Every year, most of the businesses on Halstead Street take their establishments to the street, where we welcome thousands of non-Greek guests to sample our Greek culture. It is also a weekend where the recent Greece travelers get an extension to their Greece vacation. By this time, everyone comes back from Greece with their bronze tans, sporting a really relaxed air about them (a little Grecian sun and sand does that to you). It is the Greek Fest that allows everyone the chance to mingle and share their spicy Greece vacation stories! The hot spot to do this is 9 Muses. I have worked the fest for my father’s restaurant for over a decade, and to be honest, I can’t recall a time where I have walked down the streets to see the entire fest in action. It is an extremely exhausting weekend for us, as we work from 9 am until midnight all weekend under challenging work conditions and in a very fast paced environment. Just to understand the business of our booth, we will get orders of 250 souvlakia sticks (as you will notice in the VLOG), with lines of customers waiting all the way down the street! Luckily, 9 Muses becomes the hottest club after hours, so it’s only natural to enjoy a drink, and listen to the latest Greek music, in a trendy and warm environment, after a long hard day’s work! With long lines waiting to enter 9 Muses, it really helps to be the daughter of the owner! (wink! wink!) I hope you enjoyed a mini taste of what Chicago’s Greek Fest is like through the “eyes” of the 9 Muses Booth."