From The Chicago Sun Times February 4, 2005: "Anybody who has eaten in a Greek restaurant is familiar with the bravura shout of "Opa!" when the cheese in that famed Greek dish called saganaki is doused with brandy and flamed. Notwithstanding my idea that the goodness of the food in a Greek restaurant is in direct proportion to the height of the flames when the kefalograviera (or other cheese) is set on fire, I always felt there was something basic and primal about the pyrotechnics connected with that dish. The French may have coined the term "flambe," but Greek waiters have raised it to a whole other level of interest by doing the flambe thing while standing and doing a balancing act. Opa! Estiatorio in Vernon Hills is doing the saganaki ritual with flair, finesse and, of course, fire (flame heights are towering). There is nothing all that exciting about saganaki. It is, after all, nothing more than fried cheese. But the symbolism of the dish, and its relationship to Greek cuisine, is what makes it one of the more interesting appetizers to share for the opening act.
	Without question, Opa! Estiatorio has as much heart and soul as any Greek restaurant on Halsted Street in Greektown. Owner Chris Georges and his staff have put together a knockout Greek restaurant (the setting on Bear Lake alone is kind of special) with an atmosphere that sizzles. Soaring ceilings, swooping fabrics, fireplaces in two of the dining rooms, deli cases with tempting food displays, and Greek urns aplenty. The menu is a knockout, too, with an interesting variety of choices. Just about every Greek dish that I've ever encountered is on this menu. Opa! Estiatorio has also given me hope. The pasta, the spaghetti, in the macaronatha was an al dente dream. Until now, the pasta I have eaten in Greek restaurants has been an al dente nightmare. And the meat sauce with the spaghetti was rich and flavorful (I have a feeling that some of those lamb bones in the kitchen were put to good use). And the mizithra cheese grated on top was just the taste ticket, too.
The menu at Opa! Estiatorio gets into some interesting aspects of Greek cookery. For example, under the heading "Se pilo," which according to the menu is clay pot cookery (allow 20 minutes), the four choices include braised lamb, fish of the day, chicken breast and what comes out to be a cross between the French bouillabaisse and the Spanish paella. It's called giouvetsi Thalassino. Call it what you will, the combination of mussels, clams and shrimp with orzo pasta in a light tomato broth was rife with the flavors of the seafood that surrounded it in abundance. The price was right, too -- just $18.95. Back to the appetizers. Loukaniko is spelled out on the menu as Greek sausage grilled with onions and peppers. The Italian dish known as giambotta is a close cousin to this dish. The texture and flavoring of Greek sausage is far and apart from Italian sausage, but when you put any kind of sausage together with onions and peppers there's enough flavor to go around with some left over to savor for a good while after, regardless of its provenance. "Opa! salata" is Greek salad, which in this instance was a combo of romaine and Iceberg lettuces, peperoncini, red onion, olives, tomato, cucumbers and crumbles of feta cheese. Those ingredients are basic, but the dressing that tagged along -- a tasty vinaigrette -- brought it all together.
	Crispy zucchini (kolokythakia) is another appetizer that I favor in Greek restaurants. The idea of frying the zucchini coins to a crispy turn and pairing it with tzatziki (cucumber and yogurt sauce with garlic) is a good one, though I can feast on the zucchini alone and be happy. The wedges of roasted potatoes (peppered with oregano) on one side of the plate were great. The green beans (fasolakia) on the other side didn't look so great Greek restaurants tend to cook vegetables into a state of meltdown), but they surprisingly had flavor. Souvlakia is a big deal at Opa! Estiatorio. Pork, lamb, chicken beef, shrimp and swordfish are the choices. Think kabobs, skewers laden with meat and vegetables. I went for the chicken, and when the skewer laden with chunks of chicken breast interlaced with an array of vegetables arrived tableside, there was still the mouthwatering aroma of the wood grilling to whet my appetite. Delicious eating, and not to be missed.
One seafood dish sampled -- wood-grilled shrimp (garithes sharas) -- was excellent. The shrimp, about eight in all, with shell on and tails up, could not have been cooked more perfectly. The rice pilaf with the shrimp was nice and, once again, those green beans made an appearance. Opa! should consider varying the vegetables among (or between) its guests. It would have been nice had one of us been able to try a veggie assortment (briami) or the patates lemonates (the restaurant's "famous lemon-roasted potatoes"]. One of the more interesting aspects of the menu is the idea that you can create your own combination plate. Choose from 10 classic dishes and create your own Greek eating party. Average price per dish is $4.95. Minimum order is three dishes; maximum order, six. Desserts are displayed in a deli case at one end of the dining room. They all look good in the case, the light enhancing their presence. If you love honey, have the baklava. If you love custard, have the galaktoboureka. If you love spiced walnut cake, have the deliciously indulgent karithopita. I loved the walnut cake." Pat Bruno is a local free-lance writer, critic and author
This represents an excerpt of the review, click here to read the full article from the Chicago Sun-Times.