Spanakopita Appetizer from Nine Muses

Item Purchased: Spanakopita Appetizer from Nine Muses
Location Purchased: Nine Muses Cafe & Bar / 315 S. Halsted St. / Chicago, IL
Price: $5.15 + tax

Review: The more I eat in Greektown, the more I realize that there are more ways to make spanakopita than there are dishes at a Greek holiday. Nine Muses' particular recipe ends up looking like most other restaurants' spinach pie (complete with a side of thick French fries), but is actually leaps and bounds above the rest. First, the spinach/cheese mixture inside is finely mixed and set due to the freezing (it's an appetizer... of course it's frozen), but has a pleasant, chewy consistency. Flavors are mixed nicely, and there is a hint of onion flavor to the mix. The highlight, though, is the flavor and consistency of the filo dough. Most other Greek Pita dishes have a somewhat soggy and flaky consistency to their filo. Nine Muses creates a architecturally sound structure around their cheese. It is similar to a large potato ship arch that must be cracked through in order to eat your meal. I, for one, approve. At a little over five dollars, this appetizer is the size of a full meal and entirely worth your time and money.

Nine Muses, itself, is another story. I can't tell if this place is a night club dressing like a restaurant or the other way around. The staff is friendly and accommodating, but expect a side order of annoyingly loud Greek tinted house music with your meal or drink.

Rating: 3.75 / 5

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