Fresh New Items Coming for Lent!!

We hope this finds our wonderful Papouli’s family in good health and spirit!

We are delighted to announce our new and returning menu items making their debut on February 22, 2023 just in time for Lent.

Our Baked Pesca Fresca is an original family recipe featuring a Cod filet topped with our own special Salsa Fresca. It’s bursting with the flavors of fresh parsley and Mediterranean herbs, seasoned with our house made seafood seasoning and fresh squeezed lemon, served atop our signature lemon-zested orzo, together with a small tossed Greek salad and warm toasted pita. Though it may be light calories, it’s packed with bright flavors of citrus and the freshness of Spring.

Our returning Fisherman’s Basket features a filet of Cod, freshly breaded in our own unique blend of Grecian spices and deep fried to a crispy golden brown delight. The basket is served with our famous GreekTown Fries and house-made lemon dill tzatziki.

The MUST have Fish Burger is sure to become a family favorite. This filet of Cod is hand-breaded with our house blend of Grecian spices, and is deep fried to a crispy golden brown. Served on our famous toasted sweet sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato, tangy lemon dill tzatziki, and GreekTown Fries, this one may make it to our permanent menu. It’s just that good!

Did you say everything’s ‘Betta With Feta’?

It sure is!! Especially the NEW Sun Dried Tomato Feta Spread. The intensity of sun ripened tomatoes meets the creamy richness of feta in this vibrant new spread. Try it with toasted pita or fresh cucumber.

Come on in starting Wednesday, February 22, 2023 and enjoy all the new favorites for a limited time only!

Whether you try the new or old favorites, we are here to serve you at two locations in San Antonio for dine in, take out, online, delivery or catering.

Carrying on family traditions and serving fresh, authentic Mediterranean foods for 20 years… and counting!

Exciting Announcement is Here!!!

Great new Menu Items coming December 1st!!

Yes, we know you would have preferred a new location instead of just new menu items…. we would too!! But for now we are excited to announce that we have some limited time editions coming to our menu that are hearty enough to satisfy the hungriest appetite but are still Real Fresh, Real Healthy, Real Greek!^SM Made in house with recipes developed by your very own Papouli’s team, we are pleased to introduce some new and reworked items that are sure to be new favorites.

December 1st, Nicolle’s Grecian Meatball Bowl makes its debut featuring our new house-made lamb and beef meatballs baked with our special blend of Greek seasonings served over Lemon- Zested Orzo and topped with our Mediterranean inspired Marinara and a sprinkle of feta. Served with a warm toasted pita. 

You can also get these delicious meatballs on our fresh pita bread for the ultimate Greek Meatball Pita Sandwich or try them on top of our popular Mediterranean salad with fresh cucumbers or warm pita.

We also welcome back some old favorites updated with fresh new recipes. Grilled Veggies are a colorful blend of fresh zucchini, squash, and red pepper drizzled with Olive Oil and seasoned with our new house made Greek Seasoning. These make a GREAT holiday side, so let us do the work for you and order a family sized side from our catering menu.

Our Gypsy Lentil Soup is reborn with a rich seasoned broth and bold, earthy spices to warm the soul on any day. Served by the cup or bowl, this aromatic soup is a great start to a meal or eat as meal all its own.

The returning very popular Greek Feta Potato Mash hosts the best of fresh smashed boiled potatoes with olive oil, Mediterranean flavors and of course… fabulous crumbles of FETA! Another perfect holiday side from our catering menu for your family table. This can be done without feta for a vegan option when requested off the catering menu only so it is a great way to meet the variety of dietary needs at your family gatherings.

Another exciting announcement for Pastichio lovers….it will be made EVERY Friday and served through the weekend until we run out!!! So come in early or call ahead and reserve a piece of this savory Greek version of Lasagna . With its own unique flavors and distinctive aromatic spices, Pastichio is bursting full of flavor with a layer of macaroni mixed with a full flavored, fragrant beef ragu and topped with a velvety béchamel sauce. Always available on our catering menu (with 24 hour notice, please), it would be a great addition to your holiday table at center stage or as a side. Bring it to your holiday office party and you will definitely win the award for bringing the best dish!

All these mouthwatering delights are available through February along with all your usual favorite fresh, authentic, Mediterranean dishes on the regular and catering menu. No matter what you decide to try, we are ready to welcome you here at Papouli’s Greek Grill for dine in, take out, online and catering as we continue the Anthony family tradition of quality food and genuine hospitality since 1912.

Papou’s Heart – Community Partnership Feature

Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

Here at Papouli’s, it is our heart to serve more than just food. We desire to serve people through community partnerships, to give a voice to the issues that surround our community and provide connections and support for the vital organizations that address these challenges. This month we highlight Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, TxGRG.

On November 2, Generation United released their 2022 State of Grandfamilies Report. It found that the numbers have increased to 2.5 million children being raised by someone in their family or a close friend. The report also indicates that grandparents have become parents again in over 2.4 million homes across America, which covers a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Both of these statistics mean that a parent is not present in the child’s life or home. Sadly, this concerning and growing trend for grandparents already in poverty and unable to work, make adding young children to the family dynamic overwhelming. On top of that, the struggle of the acute and chronic issues that all of these grandparents face when these children present with many symptoms on a biological and emotional level after being removed from the poor environments they were in and makes many grandparents feel like they are drowning. This is a crucial point where the generational patterns can begin to repeat because the unseen internal wounds are sometimes never addressed.

Mercedes Bristol was one of those grandparents. She did not realize the journey she would begin when she came to be the sole provider for her five young grandchildren. Not only did she have the immediate needs of food, clothing, shelter, and legal matters in order to get anything done, the children had also suffered through various traumas starting from birth. As she encountered countless challenges in this new reality with little support, she knew something needed to be done.

Starting with a small support group, she has created an organization whose mission it is to advocate for grandparents raising grandchildren by providing resources, information, and support. They are motivated by the vision that all grandfamilies are resourced, connected, and thriving as a family, mobilizing and advocating for themselves and others. Ms. Bristol has become a strong advocate for many in the community, much of the experience coming from her own fight, as she continues her own personal journey of raising grandchildren. She is a warrior on the frontlines and is lighting the pathway of change by testifying before lawmakers on the city, state and federal level to prompt changes within our system that are not bandaids for the symptoms, but true solutions for the deep rooted issues that need to be addressed in order to change the futures of the generations to come.

Her battle is heavy at times but her passion is a hope to others and a strength for many when they cannot find it within themselves. Without her, many would not have a voice. Supporting Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren is a way to affect positive change and to bring healing to families that have faced some of the deep levels of brokenness. Fredrick Douglass once said, “It is easier to raise strong children than to repair broken men.” One look at the world around us and the truth of this quote is evident in many ways.

This month at Papouli’s, it is a joy to honor and bring awareness to an organization that helps so many Papoulis and Yia Yias, as we call them around here. We want to show them gratitude by reaching out in the spirit of giving during this Thanksgiving season. When you visit the store this month, you will see our giving tree filled with QR codes you can take for yourself or pass out to friends so they can give in support of this incredible mission.

November 29th is giving Tuesday so don’t forget about donating to TxGRG on that day when giving or to our other community partner and next months’s feature, Alpha Home, a women’s inpatient and outpatient substance abuse treatment center. The tree and our blog will feature information on the mission of both and how to give.

But you don’t have to wait to donate either!! Scan the QR code below to give to Texas Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. Your support helps to build a legacy for the families of our community.

See you at Papouli’s Greek Grill for the best fresh, authentic, Mediterranean food around!!!

A New Way of Living

Benefits of Clean Eating and the Mediterranean Lifestyle

In this age of social media, it seems almost everyday there is a new fad diet, or new way to burn fat and keep it off in just one simple step. Our innate desire for instant gratification and the shortest route possible to not feeling any pain, physically or emotionally, leaves us spending millions of dollars for the next quick fix to our many health problems. We fight with each other over closer parking spaces instead of taking the few extra steps that would actually have a huge impact on our bodies over time when small changes are made. We manage on the go life styles that leave us plotting our routes to pass the nearest coffee shop for another shot of energy. We look for fast food restaurants with the shortest drive thru line or best app for ordering as we taxi around to the many events in our over scheduled, overfilled lives. The results are people who hit the bed every night exhausted and drained in every area of their lives hoping the hours somehow get longer before the next day begins and we do it all over again. Where is the hope for better way? The Mediterranean Lifestyle of course! More than just a clean way of eating, this lifestyle allows for a holistic approach to living, shown in the Mediterranean food pyramid , which makes the foundation time outside and with those who are close to our hearts.

Let’s start by defining a term we hear a lot these days, especially in the Mediterranean lifestyle. Eating clean has been a concepts flooding the market for some time now. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of our food these days here in the U.S. are over processed and highly refined. Looking at the ingredients list on labels can sometimes be reminiscent of grade school phonetics class trying to sound out words we can’t pronounce. We put chemicals and low nutrient foods in our bodies and then wonder why what we get out of them leaves us sluggish, achy and sick. Ironically, when we go to fill our gas tank, we know that the different options have a lasting effect on our engine so we make choices and sometimes choose better for our cars than we do our bodies.

Clean eating is simply keeping food as close to it’s natural form as possible. This is where reading nutrition labels is so very important and why sometimes it takes me forever to shop, but in the end it’s worth the time investment. It is also worth the financial investment because clean eating can be more expensive but at least you know the value of the return it gives by the way you begin to feel mentally and physically.

It is a process to get off the refined food for some people, especially the refined sugar which can be like a drug for the body. Some people notice it more than others as the body “withdrawals” from the refined chemicals in the foods, but once it clears after consistent clean eating, the results are so amazing that you really do not even want to cheat! Look for my post coming soon all about refined sugar and the damage it causes.

Plus, there are so many good clean foods on the market now that your carb and sweet cravings will be fully satisfied in a clean, healthy way. As stated earlier, fresh is best but these snacks hit all the marks for clean eating. Simple Mills is one I discovered nine months ago when my commitment to clean eating began after having my sixth child and only daughter. They make great, clean snacks that taste better than regular crackers. Their cookies are even toddler approved by my picky 4 year old! Autumn Gold is another if you can have a nut based grain free snack. Both can be found in local markets. A deeper dive into different diets like paleo, vegan and vegetarian will be covered in an upcoming post.

When you are out and about, look for restaurant with the Por Vida logo. Por Vida is an initiative of San Antonio Metro Health. They recognize local restaurants and food service establishments committed to creating healthy environments in San Antonio. They also have many other vital community resources and education available. They have a list of restaurants and their offerings to make healthy choices easier to find.

Of course, your first stop when your out and about should always be Papouli’s Greek Grill! Let us do the work for you in not only preparing the food but guiding you to menu options that fit the Mediterranean clean eating lifestyle and our options on the Por Vida menu. As a scratch kitchen, we prepare most menu items in house so we know exactly what’s in them, which is especially helpful for those with food allergies as well. Both of our locations have a patio and dine in seating where you can enjoy time with friends at our home, or take the food to go through calling in, walking in, or online ordering, and enjoy the food in your own home. For your next large gathering, we can help you make it extra special when you use our catering services. No matter how you enjoy Papouli’s Greek Grill, you can be confident you are getting award winning, fresh, healthy Greek food guaranteed by our promise to you to provide our guests with excellent food, excellent service and an excellent atmosphere. See you soon at Papouli’s!

P.S. And if your looking for a GREAT place to work, we are always looking for GREAT people! Click here to join our amazing team!

Welcome Back!

Yassas!

It is with great joy we say “Welcome Back” to the Eat Fit to Live Blog by Papouli’s Greek Grill! It is our hope that this finds you and your family in good health and spirits. It has been quite some time since our last post and since then many new events have morphed our lives into a new reality, both individually and as a society. Here at Papouli’s, our hearts are filled with gratitude for your loyal support during the recent pandemic. Faithful visits, patience, and prayers, enabled us to thrive through what throttled many other restaurants.

Due to this recent pandemic, our diet is even more is crucial to good mental and physical health. Social distancing and indoor isolation go against our natural human desire for connection to people and nature. This naturally leads to a decline in a how we think, feel and relate to others. Processed foods and on the go lifestyles assist in that decline. That is why at Papouli’s, our heart is to serve food that is real fresh, real healthy, and real Greek. The clean, fresh ingredients from Greece give us a palate to create and enjoy foods in support of the holistic approach for living that is crucial to the mediterranean diet.

Papouli’s is fully committed to helping others find the treasures of this lifestyle. Through healthy eating education, community events and partnerships, we hope to provide connections and resources as a guide to this way of life. This fall will bring new and past menu items, fun times on the patio, and supporting other vital community organizations through service and financial giving opportunities.

So, Papou Nick invites you and your family to join ours at either location, I-10/Huebner or the Forum to grab one of our award winning gyro’s or simply stay connected with us here to keep up with what’s happening at Papouli’s, the surrounding community and learning all about eating fit to live!

Homemade Fresh

The Mediterranean Diet, once thought of as just another fad, has become a true staple in the American palate and for many good reasons. Foremost is that it TASTES GOOD! Yes, truly authentic and clean ingredients lead to really good tasting food. Also true, there are many food manufacturers, and even restaurants, that claim to be “authentic”- ingredients, recipes, menu items, etc., yet many fail.

Processed ingredients, simplified recipes (for profitability) and unhealthy food sources (e.g., foreign, farm-raised Tilapia), all hide the less-than-healthy attributes of these foods and menu items.

Having traveled to Greece, Italy, France and Spain over the past few years, I found that the most flavorful, creative AND simple recipes begin with clean ingredients and authentic European preparation methods. When I cook at home or in creating our recipes for Papouli’s, I look to the ways I was taught by my Grandmother when I was a child, and even now as I watch my mother prepare her authentic Greek and Mediterranean holiday meals. The result: real, robustly flavored, and healthy cuisine.  And yes, you can savor ‘Homemade Fresh’ cuisine away from home!

So, the next time you are out looking for really good and healthy Mediterranean Diet fare, consider dropping by Papouli’s Greek Grill in San Antonio, Texas. If you’re too far away, then take a moment to study the menu of the restaurants you like to frequent. Don’t be afraid to ask the manager or chef from where the ingredients they use are sourced. Ask them to describe their preparation method. And please, please… don’t settle for less than you deserve. Your body will thank you for eating clean, healthy, and the Mediterranean Way!

Are You at Risk for Alzheimer’s?

(From Bottom Line Personal, Volume 37, April 15, 2016)

If you are at risk for Alzheimer’s, fish may protect you, reports Martha Clare Morris, ScD (professor and director at Rush University Medical Center, Chicago). Recent finding: Eating one or more fish meals a week was linked to less Alzheimer’s damage in the brain among people with a gene variant called apolipoprotein E4 (APOE), which increases Alzheimer’s risk. Your doctor can order a genetic test for APOE.

Papouli’s Greek Grill offers many healthy fish options, including Baked Pesca Fresca, Grilled Salmon, and our new Grilled Portocali Salmon (grilled salmon filet with Orange Butter Sauce, served with a tossed Greek salad, cranberry couscous and pita). Combine your healthy diet with regular physical activity and you will be doing your part to keep your brain and body healthy. For more information on Alzheimer’s disease, visit http://www.alz.org.

Papouli’s 4th Annual The Race to Remember 5/10K

Just a reminder that our annual fundraiser for the San Antonio and South Texas Alzheimer’s Association is next Saturday, March 26, at Mission County Park. Details are below. It’s Easter weekend, so come on out and learn about the disease and have some fun, too! And if it’s a last minute decision, you can always sign up at the event. 

Papouli’s Greek Grill

4^th Annual Papouli’s Race To Remember 5k/10k Run/Walk

SAN ANTONIO (March 1, 2016) – Papouli’s Greek Grill, the local chain known for their Greek foods, announces its 4^th Annual- Race To Remember 5/10K Run/Walk Fundraiser, benefitting the San Antonio and South Texas Alzheimer’s Association. The event will be held on March 26, 2016, at Mission County Park, with a start time of 8am. Top three winners in various categories of the timed/chipped race will receive awards and all profits go directly to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Register w/ IAAP, Papouli’s event sponsor, at www.IAAPweb.com. $25 for 5K / $45 for 10K.

“We’re privileged to again partner with the local Alzheimer’s Association in raising awareness and funding towards conquering this terrible disease that impacts many in our community and across the U.S.”, says Nick Anthony, Papouli’s founder. Anthony’s own Grandmother succumbed to Alzheimer’s related dementia in the 1980s.

The benefits of an active lifestyle and diet rich in antioxidants are believed to be beneficial to brain health, according to Carl W. Cotman, Ph.D. “Papouli’s recognizes that the Mediterranean lifestyle is a model that may benefit not only one’s general health, but may also have an impact on Alzheimer’s and related dementia.”, Anthony says.

“Every 67 seconds in America someone develops Alzheimer’s disease.  It is now the 6^th-leading cause of death in the United States.  In Texas, an estimated 340,000 individuals, aged 65 and older, having Alzheimer’s disease.  To End Alzheimer’s we need to grow fundraising and awareness — through their Race to Remember, Papouli’s Restaurant understands this and we are thrilled to have them as a partner,” states Margaret Barron, Executive Director, Alzheimer’s Association, San Antonio and South Texas Chapter.  

About Papouli’s Greek Grill

Papouli’s was founded in San Antonio, Texas in 2002 by Nick Anthony, who carries on his family’s 100 year legacy in the hospitality industry. The eatery features traditional and contemporary Greek cuisine for refreshingly different casual dining experience, with its award-wining dishes served by a warm, caring staff in the traditions of the Greek culture. http://www.papoulis.com / http://www.TheRaceToRemember.org.

About the Alzheimer’s Association- San Antonio & South Texas Chapter

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support and research, working on a global, national and local level to enhance care and support for all those affected by Alzheimer’s and other dementias. As the largest nonprofit funder of Alzheimer’s research, the Association is committed to accelerating the global progress of new treatments, preventions and ultimately, a cure.

http://www.ALZ.org/sanantonio

 

Mediterranean Foods for Alzheimer’s disease (a guest blog submission for Papouli’s Greek Grill, a ¡Por Vida! restaurant partner)

Chances are that every one of us has been affected by Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, whether we have a family member, a neighbor, or a close friend who has suffered from the progression of the disease. The Alzheimer’s Association® reports that in Texas about 1 in 10 of our seniors are living with Alzheimer’s disease. About two-thirds of persons living with Alzheimer’s are women. Nick Anthony, founder and president of Papouli’s Greek Grill restaurants was personally touched by Alzheimer’s disease as he cared for a family member with the disease. For this reason, Anthony organizes the Race to Remember, an annual 5K benefiting the Alzheimer Association®. While currently there is no cure for Alzheimer’s disease, promising research in the area of brain health does suggest that nutrition can play an important role.

Nutrition may play a role in the occurrence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease due to inflammation and insulin resistance. Inflammation is a natural body response to injury, such as swelling after stubbing your toe, which resolves on its own with time. Chronic inflammation is when the injury is repeated over and over again with no time to heal between insults. Chronic inflammation was found to be at the root of heart disease and many other chronic diseases and is possibly linked to Alzheimer’s disease as well.

The food we eat can either improve inflammation and insulin resistance in our body, or make it worse. Insulin resistance happens when the body is no longer able to properly use the sugar in the blood for energy causing higher than normal blood sugars that may result in diabetes if not resolved. The Mediterranean way of eating which is rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, fish and seafood, nuts and seeds, and olive oil is in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as well as having many anti-inflammatory components to fight chronic inflammation. The Mediterranean way of eating also limits sweets (sugar) and high-fat meats and meat byproducts (saturated fats). Eating or drinking too much sugar is associated with insulin resistance and diabetes, therefore having less sugar is protective against these conditions. Saturated fat has been linked to both inflammation and heart disease.

We all know that the food we eat affects our health but often there are just not enough hours in the day to prepare our meals from scratch or sometimes we just want to eat out at a restaurant because we enjoy the experience. Learn to eat out in a healthy way and dine at restaurants that are committed to serving healthy options or that accept substitutions such as swapping out deep-fried sides for fresh fruits or vegetables. Papouli’s offers cucumber slices in place of the starch on their Build a Plate option as well as a variety of light GreekTown™ sides including fresh fruit, baby carrots, the village (tomato) salad, and Tabouli (parsley & bulgur wheat) salad. Get inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean region, both for the bold, vibrant flavors as well as for the health benefits associated with them!

For more information about Alzheimer ’s disease, visit www.alz.org.        

Anna Macnak is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator working with the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District as the dietitian for the ¡Por Vida! program. The ¡Por Vida! program is a restaurant recognition program that helps adults and children identify the healthiest items on the menu. For more about ¡Por Vida!, check out the website, www.PorVidaSA.com.

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