If you’re looking to spice up your food, look no further than Opa’s Greek Seasoning. Michael Aslanidis, co-owner of G&D Steakhouse, created the seasoning five or six years ago to enhance the restaurant’s Greek Pork Souvlaki dish, and it was a big hit.
“I tried hundreds of times to get the right combination,” he says, until it was perfect. He put the souvlaki dish on the menu, and the customers kept coming back for more. “They suggested that I bottle the seasoning, and every year we’ve sold more and more of it.” Finally, in 2020, Aslanidis decided it was the right time to pursue marketing the seasoning to a larger audience. “In 2020, people were staying in and cooking more,” he explains.
He compiled the nutrition information, created the labels, purchased the bottles, and uncovered the perfect name. “Opa is versatile; it means several different things,” he says. “It’s a cheer, or hurrah, and I can imagine people saying ‘Opa’ as they sprinkle it on food.”
Customers can buy Opa Greek Seasoning at all three HyVee stores, Hoss’s Market, Amazon and, of course, at G&D Steakhouse. It can be purchased locally for $6.99. What’s the best food to sprinkle the seasoning on? “Honestly, you can put it on chicken, pork, burgers, vegetables, potatoes, popcorn — even frozen pizza. It just goes well on everything,” he says.
