This is a post by N&O restaurant critic Greg Cox:

Giorgios Bakatsias, prolific restaurateur whose eclectic portfolio currently includes nearly a dozen establishments ranging from steakhouse (Bin 54) to French bistro (Vin Rouge), is at it again. This time, he's returning to his Greek roots.

And it looks like he's pulling out all the stops for Kipos (431 W. Franklin St.; 919-425-0760; kiposgreektaverna.com), which opened over the weekend in the erstwhile home of local landmark Pyewacket (and more recently, the Malaysian restaurant Penang). The location in The Courtyard comes with a bonus of three al fresco dining spaces that more than live up to the restaurant's name, which is Greek for "garden."

An extensive main menu of hot and cold meze, house-made phyllo pies, and entrees ranging from whole roasted fish to pastitsio and moussaka to rotisserie-roasted lamb is just part of the attraction.

Daily features include temptations such as Wednesday's braised pork shank, Thursday's lamb meatballs in Smyrna tomato sauce, and Saturday's eight-hour braised wild rabbit with pearl onions and fresh bay leaves.

You could make a vegetarian feast from the likes of gigante beans in tomato sauce with fresh herbs, simmered wild greens with lemon oil and sea salt, and a salad of local roasted beets, Greek skordalia and baby arugula in a dill lemon vinaigrette.

The restaurant and in-house bakery (which turns out an international assortment of breads and pastries) are open Tuesday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday-Saturday from 8 a. m. to midnight, and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Send restaurant news to Greg at ggcox@bellsouth.net. Be sure to tune in to Greg's radio show at 11 a.m. Saturdays on WPTF.

This is one of those not-to-be-missed food events: the 31st annual Greek Festival this weekend in Raleigh.

The festivities and the food start at 5 p.m. Friday in the Exposition Center at the N.C. State Fairgrounds.

Believe me when I tell you that this food is made by Greek grandmothers. It's the real deal and those women spend many hours making baklava and other Greek specialities by hand in the kitchen at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Lead Mine Road.

The hours of the three-day event is 5-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

General admission costs $3. Seniors and young adults age 13 to 18 pay $2 and children, ages 13 and under, are free. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.

For more information, go to www.holytrinityraleigh.org/GreekFestival.

A former frozen yogurt shop at Six Forks Station shopping center has been transformed into Xenos Mediterrenean Grill.

Owner John Lenzmeier says the restaurant’s fare was inspired by Mediterranean street food. They serve gyros, kebabs and salads. They make their own hummus, tabbouleh and tzatziki. To see the complete menu, go to www.xenosgrill.com.

The restaurant is located at the corner of Six Forks and Strickland Roads, next door to the Kmart. (It used to house a FreshBerry Frozen Yogurt store.)

It is open 11 a.m.-8 p.m  Mondays through Saturdays.
 

Since coupons so often get a bad rap for "always" being on heavily processed foods, I wanted to be sure to share this coupon gem with you.

The digital coupon site SavingStar is offering an e-coupon for $5 off the purchase of 10 Stonyfield Organic Oikos Greek yogurts.

Yesterday, we went to high school; today we graduate to Cyprus-Rhodes University.

That's the setting of "Greek: Chapter 4," the acclaimed ABC Family series that features the members and pledges of Kappa Tau and others on Greek Row.

There are 12 episodes or more than 500 minutes of viewing, plus bloopers, a Greek recap, a behind-the-scenes look at the season finale, audio commentary. And best of all, a music video by the season's guest star Jesse McCartney! (Nah, he's not related to Paul.) Again, your young friends might be impressed.

BTW: the blonde in the middle is Kelsey Grammer's daughter Spencer.

Just send me an email by 9 tonight (12/12) and with a win in our random drawing, you'll get a degree in satisfaction.

CMA Music Festival: Country's Night to Rock (8pm, ABC) - Pretty much every country music artist you can think of from A-to-Z (from Jason Aldean to the Zac Brown Band) gathers to get their rock on.

Greek (9pm, ABC Family) - In the third season opener of this smart, funny drama, Casey is dealing with Cappie's rejection and Cappie learns of Max's departure. Meanwhile, Rusty's grades begin to slip and he risks being dropped from the honors program. 

9/11: Science and Conspiracy (9pm, NGC) - The National Geographic Channel probes common conspiracy theories about 9/11.

Hoarders (10pm, A&E) - It's the horror we can't look away from. Tonight a woman's sick husband is removed their home because of the filth and accumulated junk.

Weeds (10pm, Showtime) - The season finale has Nancy scrambling to secure herself and her future after learning of Esteban's fate, and Andy resolves to make some changes in his decidedly unfocused life. Also, Doug, Dean, and Celia come to an amicable agreement, and Silas decides he must help Adelita.