Greek food fest returning to South Ogden church
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- From left at the long table, Angeliki Bolos, Maria Soter and James Soderquist prepare dolmathes on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021, for the 2021 installment of the Ogden Greek Food Festival at Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in South Ogden.
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- The menu for the Ogden Greek Food Festival set for Friday, Sept. 23, 2022, and Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, at the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in South Ogden.
SOUTH OGDEN — Organizers of the Ogden Greek Food Festival will continue with the same changed format used for the first time last year — focusing on takeout and offering prepackaged food options.
That, they hope, will help speed service, curtailing waits in lines that in years past could last up to four hours.
As has been the case going back years, though, the focus on food quality is as strong as ever. “One hundred percent of what we serve is made fresh. We make everything,” said Drew Wilson, a member of the Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in South Ogden, host of the event, and a festival organizer.
The festival, which dates to the 1960s, returns on Friday and Saturday, offering up traditional Greek food staples and going from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day or until supplies last. It’ll be at the Transfiguration church at 674 42nd St. in South Ogden.
The annual event is popular and in years past has drawn long lines of people and prompted traffic congestion in the neighborhood around the church. Given COVID-19 jitters last year, though, organizers scaled back dining inside the church facility and offered prepackaged options for takeout. That, combined with apparent worries about contracting COVID-19 that kept some at home, eliminated the long lines, Wilson said.
Church reps hope the new format, to continue this year, keeps lines to a minimum, though Wilson is hoping for a better turnout. The festival is the church’s main fundraiser. “Hopefully we improve from last year,” he said.
At the same time, on-site dining won’t be eliminated altogether. Wilson said there will be around 20 tables set up outside the church for those who like to stay and eat.
Preparation started last July and 20-30 cooks are busy this week getting all the food ready. The dinner options, costing $20, variously feature souvlaki, gyros and chicken along with sides like tiropitakia, dolmathes and more. Some of the individual items are offered a la carte and a wide array of pastries will also be available.