Our oddysey seeking tasty Greek food was prompted by a sojourn to Tarpon Springs unrelated to FFF.

For those of you unaware, the town of about 26,000, 30 miles north of St. Petersburg, is known for its Greek heritage, largely because immigrants from the Dodecanese islands worked as sponge divers starting in the early 1900s.

The quaint downtown has more than a dozen Greek eateries. I chose Hellas Restaurant, which opened in 1969 in Chicago’s Greektown and moved to Tarpon Springs in 1983. As a competitor, I selected Mythos Greek Bistro, which opened in early December in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. (The space most recently housed the Salty Nun.)

So — something old, something new …

But what to eat? After perusing the menus, I paired up the pork gyro — a type I’ve never had — and dolmades, stuffed grape leaves.

MYTHOS GREEK BISTRO

As we approached the restaurant at 6:30 Tuesday, with a pleasant nip in the air, we noticed that the signage still needed some work.

We walked through the gated courtyard and into the tastefully appointed dining room, which I assume has gotten a facelift from its Salty Nun era. The space was dimly lit, with Greek music playing at medium volume.

We met the owner, Danjel, a guy in his 30s, who moved to the New Jersey from Athens at age 19. He told us the restaurant was still in soft-opening mode.

Only a few tables were occupied, and he enthusiastically worked the room, making sure all of his patrons were well cared for.

I ordered the Pork Gyro ($13), Bonnie got the Falafel Gyro ($12), plus Stuffed Grape Leaves ($12) to split.

Appearance

Very much a mini Greek feast. Grill marks on the pork — nice. Gyro open-faced — a bit out of the ordinary.

Taste and Texture

I tried eating the gyro as a sandwich, but it was so big I quickly reverted to a knife and fork. Mythos charco-grills its pork, and it gave the meat a backyard-BBQ flavor that took it next-level.

Overall, the pork was on the chewy side. The chunks could’ve been smaller, so that biting into one didn’t drag it out of the pita. (Hence, the need for utensils.) The crisp, thin-sliced tomatoes and onions performed well as accompanists.

The dolmades, stuffed with rice and mildly spiced herbs, were coated in a velvety sauce that had a lemony tang. The fries, doctored with feta and oregano, were terrific, although they met the same fate as all other plates of fries: they got cold too quickly.

HELLAS RESTAURANT

Sixty-five degrees, low humidity, a blue sky brush-stroked with wispy clouds, a robust breeze — my kinda winter morning.

When I arrived at 11:15 Wednesday, a line was filing in. Clearly, this is a destination restaurant. I chose to eat inside at a four-top by a window.

The space was roomy and already bustling with customers and staff. A thin strip of neon blue light rimmed the upper walls, giving the room an ethereal glow. The effect probably works better at night.

My server, Jessica, was informative and efficient. I ordered the Pork Souvlaki on pita bread ($13.50), and Jessica suggested the Dolmades appetizer ($18.95), although it was only three bucks less than the entree version.

Appearance

This wrap had the traditional gyro presentation. It was smaller than the Mythos’s, while the dolmades were plumper. I lamented not having fries. The colorfully tiled table was covered with a white butcher paper — which was unfortunate— and the paper slid around.

Taste and Texture

I was able to eat this gyro by hand, a plus. The grilled pork was hit or miss — some of the large chunks were too chewy to eat, while others were fine. The tomato was mushy, and the sandwich could’ve used more tzatziki sauce.

The dolmades were spot-on. The mixture of rice, ground beef and seasoning worked beautifully with the tender grape leaves and egg lemon sauce. I carved each substantial dolmade into three bites. This app could’ve worked as a meal on its own.

And the Winner of the Greek Grub Grapple Is …

Very much a split decision. Mythos takes the gyro prize with its charcoal-grilled pork. Hellas’s dolmades win based on the refined mixture of meat and rice. Okay, time to declare a winner …

Mythos Greek Bistro.

The bills were about the same, so Mythos’s inclusion of exemplary Greek fries was an important value-add. I preferred Mythos’s atmosphere, although it’s ultimately unfair to compare a destination restaurant’s bustle at lunchtime (it was near capacity when I left around noon) to a new restaurant’s intimacy at night.

Final Note: I don’t often eat gyros, but when I do, I think I’ll pass on pork and stick with the traditional kind.