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The Greek word "opa" is almost always used with an exclamation point to express joy, good will, good health, a wish for happiness or any number of other qualities of life that we all value. Taverna Opa!, which opened downtown in May, creates a festive ambience through murals that depict Mediterranean scenes, live Greek music (on weekends) and food that is casual, family-tavern-cafe in style.

Jerry, a companion on one visit, insisted that we try some of the Greek wines, and I found myself exploring most of the ones on the list on subsequent occasions. These represent just one feature that makes Taverna Opa! attractive, for value as well as abundant flavors.

I always enjoy casual Greek appetizers. Tzatziki ($4.50) blends cucumbers with real strained Greek garlic and yogurt for a light, refreshing effect, spread on pita toast. Spanakopita ($7) combines spinach with blended cheeses in flaky phyllo pastry. Dolmathes ($5) are grape leaves stuffed with herbed rice blended with an especially flavorful Greek olive oil.

Loukaniko ($7) -- sweet (as in not hot) sausage, grilled and ladled with marinara sauce -- is pleasing as well, producing mild fennel within rich pork flavors, joined by sauteed red and green bell peppers and onions. Mustard and a pita wedge alongside complete the presentation. Large, deveined sautéed shrimp with a rich tomato sauce, garlic and feta cheese characterize Saganaki ($8), a variation on a traditional Greek dish.

Entrees here tend to be priced toward the low end relative to the rest of the Triad for restaurants of similar style. Souvlaki platters are served with rice and a green vegetable -- carrots and zucchini on the occasions when we tried them. Gyro ($10.50) provides slow-roasted sliced beef and lamb; Chicken and Pork (both $9.50) are marinated with Greek-style herbs and spices, then grilled. These are simple yet tasty, and certainly economical.

Mediterranean Veggie Pasta ($10) combines carrots, zucchini and yellow squash, plus scallions, garlic, marinara sauce and feta cheese. Moussaka ($11) is based on roasted eggplant and potato blended with béchamel (made by blending milk into a roux of butter and flour). This creates a rich flavor and soft texture, accented with marinara sauce.

My wife ordered Baked Chicken ($12), a menu insert on a weekend night. The serving consisted of a leg and a thigh. She does not like dark meat, and neither the menu nor the waiter informed us about that detail. Nevertheless, a few bites in, she was praising the flavor effusively -- simply, naturally good, hot (cooked all the way through), tender and juicy.

Fish Mediterranean ($17.50) is baked and topped with green onions, feta cheese and sliced tomatoes sharpened with lemon. The fish (mahi mahi when I ordered it) itself was hot and fresh-tasting, the overall conception producing excellent flavor combinations.

Carrots and zucchini, along with scalloped potatoes, were the vegetables with these entrees, along with a sliced baguette in the Vie de France style. (This needed to be baked more to yield a darker crust and thus better flavor, as this style bread almost always does.)

My parties tried two desserts, Chocolate Mousse ($5) and Crème Caramel ($4), with gratifying effect. Several Greek desserts are available as well, including just-introduced pastries prepared in-house. Servers were reasonably prompt and always courteous but usually did not know which dishes matched which positions at the table. On one visit, our bill was inadvertently switched with the next table.

Several initiatives have been installed recently: Quick-response selections to help patrons who are on a tight lunch schedule and evening discounts: on Mondays, $2.50 Greek beers; Tuesdays, half-price wines; Wednesdays, 10 percent discount for students with ID (alcohol excluded); Thursdays, 25 percent off appetizers at the bar. On Friday and Saturday, live Greek music and more off-menu specials that lean toward finer dining generate an even more festive ambience. When the music gathers momentum, noise increases quite a bit, reflected by high, solid walls.

Theodosios Lazakis, along with his wife, Trish, are the owners. George Kourtsounis (aka George K) helped get the kitchen started; he has now in Greece.

I enjoyed my visits to Taverna Opa!, and I think readers will, too.

John Batchelor is a freelance contributor who has been reviewing restaurants for more than 20 years. You can reach him at P.O. Box 20848, Greensboro, NC 27420 or send e-mail to john.e. batchelor@gmail.com. To find his recent columns on the Internet, go to www.go triad.com and click on dining.