Relish

There is a secret lunch spot in West County that, we now know, is not so secret. When the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church runs out of lamb shanks and galatobourikos in the first 40 minutes of a three-hour lunch service, it can’t really be a well-kept secret.

Then, too, after 20 years of weekly lunch service, the church has built up a clientele of regulars, including area workers, parishioners, and cute lil’ families. ‘Taint no secret to them.

And yet, the luncheon still seems so stealthy. The unobtrusive church has no giant dome or steeple. The gym/dining hall entrance is around back. And to get there, you have to take Clayton or Manchester Road to Des Peres Road, which shadows the west side of I-270. It’s not so obvious to the casual driver-by.

But once you give it a go, you understand that the Assumption lunch is held weekly because the food is homemade and of high-quality, and much of the food sells out each week. That’s what you call a great church fundraiser, and food aside, the utterly casual atmosphere of the church lunch is just so chill. Folding chairs, round tables, eating with strangers, and ethnic-festival music from the PA are great equalizers.

What sells out first are invariably the specials, the king of which is the lamb shank (left). This hank of meat is roughly the size of one of Fred Flintsone’s spit-roasted drumsticks, weighs one-and-half-pounds, and if you finish it you should win a prize – like a wheelbarrow-ride home.

Other popular rotating specials include Shrimp Saganaki, Beef Kapama over noodles (similar to Beef Stroganoff), and not-so-Mediterranean specials like fried chicken or breaded pork chops.

Items available each week include a moist Indonesian whitefish; meaty dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) that, at two for $2, are a bargain amongst bargains; spanakopita; a tender gyro made with a mild lamb/beef Frankenmeat that’s not sliced from the cone, but rather from a slab-shaped amalgam; Greek salad; a rotating selection of soups that includes chicken avgolemono and fasolatha (bean) soup; and the addictive, soufflé-like tyropita, featuring a blend of feta, ricotta , and cottage cheeses reposing under many delicate layers of flaky phyllo. (Images below.)

Pastitsio (ground beef and macaroni casserole) alternates weekly with moussaka (eggplant, potato, zucchini, and ground-beef casserole). The former (at right) is a ginormous slice as tall on the plate as a taco salad – it’s a challenge to finish in one sitting, but a tempting challenge – rich with béchamel sauce and beef, it’s awfully satisfying winter-food.

Save room for dessert. Baklava, nests of wiry kataifi pastry, and moist walnut cake (see all below) vie for your caloric indulgence and the galatobouriko, with a generous layer of custard and more layers of that flaky phyllo, is a delight.

Head luncheon chef Andy Karakasis (in dark cap) insisted we take photos of the hard-working church volunteers that make all this possible. We could not resist another invitation, too, to take photos of the stunning Byzantine art and fixtures in the church’s sanctuary upstairs. It took a group of Athenian painters six years to complete and install the murals that line the walls, we were told. (See images below.)

It’s a good idea to come early, before items start selling out each Friday. By 1 p.m., you’re almost guaranteed to be dealing with a menu rife with 86’ed dishes.

Another sign that a church luncheon draws a big crowd: they take credit cards.         

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
1755 Des Peres Rd.
Town & Country
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. every Friday
assumptiongoc.org/
assumptiongoc.com/FridayLuncheons.dsp
stlouisgreekfest.com
314-966-6720
Phone-in and to-go orders welcome