Artopolis

Artopolis (Website)

306 S. Halsted, Chicago IL, 60661

312-559-9000 (Map It)

Hours:

Mon-Thu, 9a-12a

Fri, Sat, 9a-1a

Sun, 10a-11p

Greek


Electrical Outlets:

None

WiFi:

None


A little food …

For thousands of years Greeks have been at the root of cultural, social, and scientific reforms across Europe.  In all that time the aspect of their culture that seems less-discussed in the annals of history is the food!  Imagine eating what Pythagoras ate; drinking what Aristotle drank.  Hungry Physicists owe these Greek masters – pay homage to our professional progenitors by breaking bread with them, however posthumously.  Visit Greektown and pop into the restaurant/café/bakery known as Artopolis.  The space is open, the staff is friendly, the food is varied, and the flavors are nothing short of harmonious!  Their menu spans traditional Greek foods, beverages, pizzas, and baked goods.

Artopolis - Saganaki
Artopolis - Chicken Kabob

My visit to Artopolis was almost a tragedy on the part of the waitstaff.  They were friendly and informative, but probably a bit new (and also non-Greek).  The result was that we received lots of the wrong food that we had to pay for.  However, it was all remarkably good.  Pictured are just two of the dishes we sampled; Saganaki and a Chicken Kabob.  The Saganaki (fried cheese) was wonderfully fried with two accompanying dipping sauces; a spicy sauce with notes of some type of pepper and a mustard sauce that resonated beautifully with the fried cheese.  The Chicken Kabob featured a deep flavor worked into it, probably from some sort of overnight marinade, and a simple yellow rice pilaf.  As scientists we need to be careful not to identify trends with only a few data points, but I find myself in that situation now.  Rating their food at 10/10C after only sampling a couple of dishes might be scientifically irresponsible, but I have a hunch it’s accurate.

A little science …

Aside from their ability to harmonize fruits, spices, and oils into amazing flavor combinations, Greeks were the masters of harmony, itself.  Pythagoras and his students were the first to recognize and categorize how waves worked.  They noticed that when full waves were produced on a string they created single notes leading to the first mathematical expressions for string instruments.  Although at the time this understanding was specifically applied to sound, the mathematics of wave mechanics pervades almost all areas of physics.  The same wave equations allow us to calculate the shape and distance of electron orbitals in an atom, build radios, predict planetary motions in space, and even determine the age of the Universe.