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Maria's Garden Restaurant,
Ms. Maria Kontopidis owner
and chef
Maria's Garden is a small, bright and cozy restaurant that specializes in traditional, homemade Greek Cuisine. Maria learned her culinary skills the old fashioned way--in the family kitchen from her Mother and Grandmother. It was there she learned the time-honoured methods and recipes that shaped her philosophies toward food. Maria prides herself on
using only the freshest ingredients, making everything daily and lovingly from scratch and this is reflected in the dishes that she proudly brings to your table.
Born and raised in Athens, Greece Maria moved to Toronto at the age of 20 where she chose to reside in East York and for the last 30 years has been an ardent supporter of the neighbourhood and the Greek Community. She worked in restaurants all her life and in September of 1999 decided to open her very own. Maria's Garden is rarely closed. Opening at 11:30 each morning, the restaurant is open and the full menu
is available until 5:00am every day (with the
exception of Mondays when she closes at 10pm).
As the mother of two grown children and five grandchildren, food and the sharing of meals are a vital part of her family traditions and culture. Going to eat at Maria's Garden is like going home to Mom only better—generous portions of comfort food served with a kind smile and a gentle admonition to eat before it gets cold without the lecture about whyyou're out so late on a school night.
Maria's Garden Restaurant, 785 Danforth Avenue,
416-466-3432. Open Mondays from 11:30am until
10:00pm, Tuesdays through Sundays from 11:30am until
5:00am. Daily Specials, Reservations not required.
Zorba’s
Maria's Garden Restaurant
Kokinisto (Beef Casserole in a tomato sauce) Serves 4
2 lbs beef cut into large chunks (Maria prefers to use
a shoulder cut)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 bay leaves
2 whole cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1 large Spanish onion finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 oz. can of Greek tomato paste (Maria insists it
must be Greek and recommends Kyknos brand)
1. Heat the oil in a large, wide casserole
2. Add the onions and sauté to translucent
3. Add the meat and sauté to brown
4. Add all the spices
5. In the casserole add enough water to just cover the
meat and cook on a medium high heat with the lid on
for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and watch carefully
so as not to burn
6. After cooking for 1 hour, add the can of tomato
paste, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook
until the sauce has thickened (approximately 30
minutes)
7. Serve over your choice of prepared pasta, rice or
potatoes
2 lbs beef cut into large chunks (Maria prefers to use
a shoulder cut)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 bay leaves
2 whole cinnamon sticks
6 whole cloves
6 whole allspice
1 large Spanish onion finely diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
12 oz. can of Greek tomato paste (Maria insists it
must be Greek and recommends Kyknos brand)
1. Heat the oil in a large, wide casserole
2. Add the onions and sauté to translucent
3. Add the meat and sauté to brown
4. Add all the spices
5. In the casserole add enough water to just cover the
meat and cook on a medium high heat with the lid on
for 1 hour, stirring occasionally and watch carefully
so as not to burn
6. After cooking for 1 hour, add the can of tomato
paste, reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook
until the sauce has thickened (approximately 30
minutes)
7. Serve over your choice of prepared pasta, rice or
potatoes
