Greek Belly assembles 'mini factory' to produce 100 pieces of pumpkin baklava each morning

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read
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Greek Belly's pumpkin pie baklava is made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.
Greek Belly's pumpkin pie baklava is made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.

Three hours before turning on house lights, starting up authentic Greek music and opening the front doors, John Tsahiridis is busy in the kitchen baking a seasonal favorite menu item, pumpkin pie baklava.

In line with Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte launch during the third week of August, Greek Belly rolls out its seasonal pumpkin pie baklava. The dessert is made with house-made pumpkin filling, pumpkin pie puree and pumpkin spice, and a dollop of whipped cream comes on the side. The pumpkin-pie dessert remains on the menu until around Thanksgiving.

With the help of his mother, Eleni Tsahiridis, John Tsahiridis layers phyllo dough with butter, crushed nuts and of course, pumpkin pie filling, before a slow cook in the oven. The seasonal baklava has been a popular menu item since the restaurant's second year of being open, which Tsahiridis said he did not expect.

Greek Belly owner John Tsahiridis talks about the restaurant's pumpkin pie baklava made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.
Greek Belly owner John Tsahiridis talks about the restaurant's pumpkin pie baklava made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.

Born in St. Louis but raised on traditional Greek food prepared by his parents, who are immigrants from Greece, Tsahiridis has been working in the restaurant industry since he was about 15 or 16 years old. After moving to Springfield for college, Tsahiridis was the general manager at Galloway Station for 13 years before deciding to open his own authentic Greek restaurant, a staple he felt Springfield was lacking. He opened the 2,000-square-foot downtown restaurant in July 2018.

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Traditional rolled baklava (phyllo dough with almonds, walnuts, pistachios and a honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup) has been on Greek Belly's menu since opening day. Tsahiridis said the first time he thought about putting a fall twist on the traditional Greek dessert was in September of 2018. At the time, he was too busy in the restaurant's first year to craft a special recipe, so he made a note of it for later.

"I only did it as a small batch and it just disappeared immediately," Tsahiridis said about introducing pumpkin pie baklava to the restaurant's menu in fall 2019.

Greek Belly's pumpkin pie baklava is made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.
Greek Belly's pumpkin pie baklava is made with phyllo dough, chopped walnuts, almonds and pistachios, honey-cinnamon-citrus syrup and pumpkin filling.

To keep up with customer demand, Tsahiridis said he bakes about 100 pieces every morning. Over the years, his family and crew have perfected the baklava-making process. Tsahiridis described it as a "mini factory."

The only aspect of the pumpkin pie baklava not made in-house is the phyllo dough, which Tsahiridis said he sources from an authentic Greek company based in New Jersey.

Pumpkin pie baklava isn't the only fall-themed item on Greek Belly's menu. The restaurant serves an authentic pumpkin-flavored coffee. The beloved Olympus dessert, two chopped pieces of baklava mixed with vanilla bean ice cream, can also be made with the pumpkin pie baklava.

The Greek Belly is serving pumpkin pie baklava this fall.
The Greek Belly is serving pumpkin pie baklava this fall.

Greek Belly, 320 E. Walnut St., is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Limited edition: Greek Belly serves pumpkin pie baklava through fall