The cooks at St. John Orthodox Church are ready to tempt your palate with savory souvlaki, creamy fasolatha and hearty moussaka.

If the menu sounds like Greek to you, it should. The grilled pork and chicken kebobs, bean soup and famous eggplant casserole from the Middle East will be featured at the third annual Eat Like a Greek food fest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 31, at Faith Lutheran Church, 17 Indiana St.

All of the main foods will be prepared by the congregation's cooks from Greece and Cyprus for an authentic taste of their homeland.

Organizer Jody Williams said the Orthodox Greek cooks take great pride in making unique dishes that carry a distinct and regional taste and flavor.

"The fasolatha, for example, differs quite a bit depending on the regional culture," she said.

New to the menu will be hummus, Greek meatballs with spaghetti, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), moussaka, pastitsiom (pasta casserole), melomakarouna (honey cookies) and Greek-style olives. As for the Greek meatballs and pasta, this was a new dish to Williams.

"I didn't even know there was such a thing," Williams said.

Returning favorites include gyros (lamb, tomatoes and onions in a sour cream sauce served in pita bread), souvlaki (grilled pork or chicken kebob served with bread,) fasolatha (bean soup,) Greek salad, loukoumades (Greek doughnuts,) koulourakia (a Greek dessert), baklava (a dessert featuring crushed nuts in a phyllo pastry topped with syrup) and Greek coffee.

Be prepared for generous servings, said Williams. And to bring the tastes of their homeland to your own home, guests will receive a free souvenir book of Greek recipes. Take-out is available for those unable to stay, she said.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.