One more bite

As I type these words, I am suffering from a serious California State Fair food hangover. American festival food—deep-fried artichokes, funnel cakes coated with powdered sugar, peach-chardonnay wine smoothies and big bags of popcorn—has left me with a headache, heartburn and a serious case of eater’s remorse. As I crawled out of bed this morning, bloated and shaky, I swore to myself that I would never again eat my way through a cultural event.

Then I remembered that the 41st annual Greek Festival is this weekend. Even in the throes of a glutton’s hangover, I am tempted by the siren call of dolmas, fasolakia and baklava. Although the Greek Festival does feature live Greek music, energetic dancing by six Greek folk-dancing groups, cooking demonstrations, a Greek-import marketplace, Greek films and children’s activities, everybody knows the real attraction is the food. “Famous Greek cuisine” is the first thing touted on the festival posters, after all.

The Greek Festival always opens on Friday afternoon by offering a special selection of lunch combination plates. The free admission from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. guarantees the downtown workforce will line up for spanakopita, moussaka and pastitso on its lunch break. After 3 p.m. on Friday, the regular admission price—$5 for adults; no charge for kids 12 and under—kicks in. The festival continues through Sunday from noon until 11 p.m. each day at the Sacramento Convention Center, located at 1400 J Street. That’s three days to consume loukoumathes (Greek doughnuts smothered in honey and sugar) with abandon. Thank goodness the Greeks don’t make deep-fried Twinkies and Snickers! If I fill up on Greek salad before I hit the pastry stand, I might make it out alive. Call (916) 443-2033 for more information, and, if you see me in line for baklava more than once, please intervene.