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beyond edmonton
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Calamari
CELEBRATE FOOD, FAMILY, AND FRIENDSHIP ALL IN ONE PLACE
By Mariah Hess
When Greek Food Really Is
What could be more special than sharing family recipes with your loved ones? From souvlaki and gyros to homemade tzatziki, Something Else Restaurant shares not only its food but also its heart. This Greek restaurant in Spruce Grove, Alberta, brings people together as a family. Chef and owner Louie Balomenos has spent every day in the kitchen for over 20 years making each sauce and marinade from scratch. Perfection, he believes, is possible. Louie arrived in Canada from Greece when he was 17 years old. He made connections with Greek restaurant owners who soon put him to work, teaching him authentic recipes and how to speak English simultaneously. With dedication and 12-hour days, he climbed the ranks and was given an opportunity to take over a restaurant near Miette Hot Springs in 1989, which he named L&M, after his daughters. 50
In 1996, Louie’s brother and sister-in-law, Alex and Helen Balomenos, established Something Else Steakhouse in Jasper, Alberta. Around this time, Louie had been running other restaurants in Jasper and Grande Cache. In 2001, Louie decided to expand the family business and took the name east to Spruce Grove—opening the Something Else Restaurant known and loved locally today. While the two restaurants share a name and are similar in cuisine, their menu options do vary. The Spruce Grove menu has something for everyone, from Greek staples to other Mediterraneaninfluenced dishes. Among popular menu items, the souvlaki is a must-try. The melt-in-your-mouth choice of chicken, beef, lamb, or prawn is marinated for days and served on Greek-style rice with potatoes, pita bread, and homemade tzatziki.
infoedmonton.com
PHOTOS: SOMETHING ELSE RESTAURANT
Something Else