El Greco serves up some of the best Greek and Middle Eastern food in Austin. Even with a 15% UT discount, it’s a bit of a splurge on most student budgets, but it really does have a lot to offer. To most Americans, Greek food is synonymous with Lebanese and Turkish food: gyro, kebabs, feta, grape leaves, pita, and various spreads. El Greco does wonders with these, especially a juicy gyro full of roasted pork that we crave madly, lamb be damned. We enjoy “Jake’s Eggplant Dip,” a kicked-up baba ghanoush with walnuts and feta. Points must be deducted for the few disastrous Italian-American dishes like penne Gorgonzola and linguini alfredo. Middle Eastern crossover is one thing, but guys, really?

Dig deeper, in other words. The matriarch of the family once proudly brought out a bowl of her wonderful avgolemono, traditional egg-thickened chicken soup scented with lemon. Moussaka, the eggplant-and-béchamel casserole, is a well-executed standard. A good braised lamb shank that sets you back nearly $20 is obviously more than just a between-classes refueling, but if we want a nice dinner out, we don’t want to watch CNN in a chilly room with only subpar retsina wine (made with pine resin) to warm us. Greece is capable of far better wines; buy one elsewhere, and get delivery (no minimum, if you live nearby).