Zorba's

Right on the edge of Plano is a Greek restaurant that puts all those Manhattan coffee shops to shame. This family establishment is a treat. Start with the appetizers and stay there awhile. The spinach pie (spanakopita) baked with feta cheese and filo dough makes you want to order another. The falafel is some of the best around now that Café Med has closed. Their tzatziki, a yogurt and cucumber garlic dip, is the kind of thing that makes you keep coming back for more. When you finally make it to the entrées, you can order gyros and you won't be sorry, but once in a while, branch out and try the Grecian chicken and potatoes, baked pastitso (Greek lasagna) or the souvlaki (skewered meats), all made according to grandmother's recipe. For dessert, grandma has also contributed with her rice pudding recipe. This is the real thing. Smooth and creamy but with a real rice texture. Baklava à la mode for the rest of you. The Turkish coffee perfectly seals the meal. And the waitstaff will remind you not to stir the grounds at the bottom. If you want to be authentically Middle Eastern, after you finish drinking, turn the cup over to read your fortune in the coffee grounds.