New Hella's Cafe & Astoria Pastry Shop (Detroit)

New Hella's Cafe in Detroit's venerable Greektown (though "Greek street" might be a more applicable title) has been around for 105 years according to a sign in the front window. That makes it the oldest restaurant in Greektown, which is saying something for a neighborhood that first called itself Greektown in 1903.

The decor certainly feels as old as the restaurant, but if you're a fan of cheap and easy Greek food at incredibly affordable prices, then New Hella's is for you. What's more, they've been serving Saganaki for over 100 years, so they're obviously doing something right.

If you're not a frequent patron of Greek diners you should check out the "famous" Hella's Trio...a generous helping of Spinach Pie, Pastisio and Moussaka. Sure, those are the Greek equivalent of fast-food, but I have a hard time disliking them none the less. In fact, Moussaka is one of those foods that you'll enjoy no matter how many times you've eaten it. I'm sure it's heretical to make this comparison, but to me, Moussaka is the Greek equivalent of Shepherd's Pie. It's loaded with beef, covered in mush, and drenched in tomato sauce...what's not to like?!

We skipped dessert because the Astoria Pastry shop is only a few feet down the street from Hella's and when you've got a 2 hour drive from Downtown Detroit back to your house in East Grand Rapids, nothing gets you home faster than a few pieces of Astoria's incredible Baklava. I had a Chocolate Eclair too, just to make sure they were good (boy oh boy were they), and Megan had a Chocolate Canoli for the same reason (again, major thumbs up).

Overall, compared to a few years ago, it seems that Greektown's enjoyed a bit of a revival. I don't know if it was the Super Bowl, the casino or both, but there are more businesses open, and the entire place feels a little more energetic. The only downside I could see is fewer Greek restaurants and more sports bars. Oh well.