When he decided to open a new Greek restaurant on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, John Zoulis knew he wanted to feature dishes that moved beyond the usual moussaka, souvlaki, and fried calamari so often found on Greek-American menus.

Enter Estiatorio Plaka, named after the historic neighborhood near the Acropolis in Athens and open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Though you will find the usual offerings, like eggplant dip, grape leaves, and a truly exceptional moussaka, as well as respectable renditions of souvlaki and fried calamari, there are also less familiar dishes fashioned from recipes passed down by Zoulis’ Greek-born maternal grandmother, Evagelia.

Offerings like braised lamb shank served with rice pilaf and delicate dolmades, or the Cretan dakos salad (think Greek panzanella) made with Greek barley rusk, cherry tomatoes, and fetalike manouri goat cheese, are far from what you typically find even in the heart of Baltimore’s Greek community.

“We are trying to introduce new flavors and tastes to Baltimore,” says Zoulis. “We wanted to carry some new dishes that have never been in the area before.”

The entrepreneur, who also owns G&M in Linthicum Heights, is a real-estate developer by day, but he’s equally passionate about hospitality. His interest was piqued at an early age when his father, Minas, opened Tom’s Restaurant of Seinfeld fame on the Upper West Side of New York. “I always wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps,” says Zoulis, who was born in New York City but whose roots remain on the Aegean island of Kasos, where his family is from.

After years in the making, the restaurant at the corner of Eastern Avenue and Oldham Street is like something straight out of the Greek islands, with its sun-dappled dining room, stucco, stone, and light wood surfaces, and décor details such as clay vases sourced from the island of Sifnos.

The menu also reflects Zoulis’ love of country, with all the fish flown in daily from the Mediterranean and a wine list filled with Hellenic highlights. On our visit, must-order appetizers included the salty-sweet combination of feta baked in phyllo. The rectangle of cheese was enrobed in a blanket of dough, baked until it softened, trickled with thyme-infused honey, then showered with sesame seeds.

Another classic, the grilled octopus slicked with olive oil and a sprinkling of oregano, was a great way to start the meal. The one disappointment was a whole baked bronzino, served simply with olive oil, oregano, and garlic. It was a tad overcooked and could have used a little more zing. The red snapper, a generous filet of flavorful fish sitting atop a bed of dill-flecked tomato orzo, was a more successful offering.

Dessert is not optional here, as all of the sweets are made in-house and can be previewed from behind the glass case at the adjacent bakeshop. The baklava, tissue-thin layers of phyllo laced with walnuts and pistachios, is an excellent example of the Greek treat, but the orange cake portokalopita—redolent of sun, sea and the sweetness of island life—will truly transport you.

ESTIATORIO PLAKA 4718 Eastern Ave., 443-833- 0330. HOURS: Sun.-Thurs., 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat.-Sun. 7 a.m.-10 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $9-22; entrees: $20-33; desserts: $5-9

Walk up to the counter at Yeeros, the cozy Greek restaurant in Federal Hill, and you immediately see one of the main selling points of the place: the vertical roasting spits that give the restaurant its name.

Yeeros is not an alternate spelling for “gyros,” the traditional pita-wrapped sandwiches as well as the spits themselves, but rather a phonetic one. Owner Michael Taramas picked the name as part of his ongoing campaign to get people to pronounce the dish correctly.

“In Greece, you ask for ‘JY-ros,’” he says, purposely mispronouncing the word, “and they ask what that is.”

Taramas, who is from Thessaloniki, opened Yeeros in November, with a menu that is much the same as his family’s other restaurants, both called Souvlaki, one in Hampden and another in D.C. But while neither of the Souvlaki locations serve gyros, they feature prominently—unsurprisingly—at the spot that bears their name.

Taramas—who previously owned restaurants in his native Greece—is also a civil engineer. So, when he took over the Federal Hill location, he renovated the space himself, exposing the original bricks on one of the walls, adding blonde wood flooring, and hanging Edison-bulb fixtures. There are the requisite pictures of Greek landscapes on the walls.

The menu is traditional, featuring skewers and wraps, spanakopita and hummus, falafel, and Greek salads. What does distinguish Yeeros from many other casual Greek restaurants is the lengthy vegan menu, with vegan versions of the spinach pie and “befteki,” a meatless version of the savory hamburger dish, as well as crisp fried zucchini balls. The dishes are served on newsprint paper, with triangles of herb-dusted pita, and come with thick tzatziki—made in-house. In fact, everything is made in-house, with the exception of the desserts, baklava and kadaifi, which come from a Greek supplier in New Jersey.

Gyro-philes may be surprised to find their French fries inside the wraps rather than alongside them. “That’s how they serve it in Greece,” says Taramas, who lives in the Greektown neighborhood of Baltimore. The recipes come from family and friends, most notably his brother, a longtime chef. And the gyros are marvelous: a soothing combination of well-seasoned meats, creamy tzatziki, chopped red onion and tomatoes, and—of course—those French fries, with thick, good bread folded around everything like a bouquet.

While the vegan and vegetarian options are creditable—the zucchini balls are excellent, though the falafel is a bit dry—it’s the meat that excels here, notably the bifteki. These surprisingly flavorful savory beef patties come two to an order and are served alongside pita and a choice of sides. Pair them with a green salad, jazzed with feta, and tzatziki, then opt for an order of kadaifi, a syrup-drenched nut pastry built with fine strands of dough that make the dessert oddly reminiscent of a bird’s nest.

And if you need a coffee—Yeeros offers soda, lemonade, kombucha, and tea—there’s a Ceremony outlet across the street.

YEEROS 17 E. Cross St., 667-260-4998. HOURS: Sun.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. PRICES: Appetizers: $3.95-8.25; entrees: $6.75-17.50; desserts: $5.50-6.75.

As you turn a corner in a nondescript business park in Columbia, a blue glow, as mesmerizing as the Aegean Sea, emanating from one of the buildings will take you by surprise. The lighting, a reflection of the marine-colored furnishings inside, leads to Xenia Greek Kouzina.

If you’ve been to Ouzo Bay in Harbor East, Xenia will seem familiar, with its luxurious décor and attention to detail, from the hand-blown-glass light fixture rippling across the dining room to the murals of Greece. It’s no surprise that Xenia owner George Aligeorgas was a founding partner of the Baltimore restaurant, especially when you spy a display case showcasing whole fish chilling on crushed ice. Aligeorgas, who opened Xenia in 2019, was stunned by the pandemic in 2020, but he bounced back to business this year alongside his longtime chef, Akis Anagnostouakis, who also worked at Ouzo Bay. Their menu focuses on Greek fare and seafood.

A must-have starter is the flaming cheese saganaki. A server douses graviera cheese (like Gruyère, our waiter said) with rum, then sets the works afire. It’s served with warm pita triangles dusted with herbs. It’s not just for show. The cheese sparks an explosion of nutty and sweet flavors in your mouth. Another appetizer, the grape leaves “dolmadakia,” is a satisfying rendition of the classic dish, with ground lamb, ground beef, and rice wrapped, papoose-like, with the leaves. A thick avgolemono sauce gives it a creamy verve.

The fish selection varies, but we were pleased that Chesapeake rockfish was available in a piscatorial lineup that included dorade royale, branzino, and Kona Kampachi. Once you’ve made your selection, the kitchen works its magic, grilling the whole fish stuffed with lemon and herbs, deboning it but leaving the head and tail for presentation, drizzling the moist meat with a lemon-infused sauce, and dressing the masterpiece with capers and herbs. It was a wonderful taste of our local bounty.

Another stellar dish is the roasted chicken. A bronzed half bird was draped over a nest of roasted potatoes that soaked up the chicken’s juices. We also dug into a moussaka, the classic Greek casserole starring eggplant. Xenia’s rendition is terrific, with layers of the main ingredient stacked with zucchini, potatoes, and braised veal in a béchamel sauce.

The restaurant’s baklava proved a fitting ending to our meal. That’s not the end of the sweetness, though. Each table receives a complimentary dish of doughnut balls glazed with honey and splashed with powdered sugar and cinnamon.

As you leave the restaurant, that blue light guides you to your car, promising another great meal in the future.

XENIA GREEK KOUZINA, 8850 Columbia 100 Pkwy., 410-740-2500. HOURS: Sun.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m. DINNER PRICES: Appetizers: $16-24; entrees: $29-48 (whole fish, market price); desserts: $8.