To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live, NBC is holding a weekly vote to choose the best sketch from every decade the show has been on the air. This week, the best sketch according to online voters is…
“The Olympia Restaurant”! Also known as “The Greek Restaurant” or the “CHEESEBORGAH CHEESEBORGAH CHEESEBORGAH CHEESEBORGAH FOUR PEPSI TWO CHIP” sketch with John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, and Laraine Newman working the counter at a stereotypical Greek diner. The first appearance of the recurring sketch featuring the Dionasopolis family and their forward-thinking “single-item” restaurant aired during the show’s third season on January 28, 1978 with Robert Klein as the host; Bonnie Raitt was the musical guest.
And yes, there is an actual restaurant on which “Olympia” is based: the Billy Goat Tavern in Chicago, which still claims Bill Murray and Don “Father Guido Sarducci” Novello as customers when they’re in town.
Next Friday, The Today Show will reveal the voters’ choice for the best sketch of the 1980s, which I’m gonna call for “Mister Robinson’s Neighborhood.”
Via Twitter
