July 2007
Greek Summer
by Celia Cheng
CRAVINGS IN ATHENS
To Kafenio
26 Loukianou
Kolonaki
+30-210-722-9056
History, breathtaking scenery and architecture aside, I am still a food critic, and the absolute highlight of my trip to Greece was my meal at To Kafenio. Unfortunately, it was my last day in Athens, but had I known how good it was, I would have come every day! This little Greek taverna in the charming and posh area of Kolonaki serves simple but elegant home-style cooking. Everything about To Kafenio is classic, down to the congenial older waiter who was thrilled to give his personal recommendations. The house salad is to die for: finely diced zucchini, artichokes, mushrooms, green beans, onions, dill and scallions in a light lemon dressing. I was entranced by the purity and goodness of these ingredients, from the moment the salad arrived until it was all devoured. The grape vine leaves stuffed with meat and rice with egg lemon sauce was scrumptious served hot. And even though I’m not a devotee of spinach pie, I must admit that it was delicious, too. Finally, the meatballs stewed with tomatoes over rice hit the spot like nothing else I ate on the trip did. At this point, I would already have declared it the best meal in Athens, but the walnut cake dessert made my life even sweeter!
Papadakis
15 Fokilidou
Kolonaki
+30-210-360-8621
Reputed to have some of the freshest seafood in town, Papadakis is currently considered one of the top restaurants in Athens. The interior of the restaurant is bright and warm, with a modern atmosphere, and the effect extends to the menu, on which every dish looks cheerful and promising. I jumped at the chance to try the langoustines in oil and lemon vinaigrette with langoustine roe, and it was my favorite dish of the meal: small pieces of cooked and deshelled langoustines soaking in the oil and lemon vinaigrette with langoustine roe sprinkled all over. The octopus is Papadakis’s signature dish, slow cooked in a sweet Santorini wine called Vinanto and honey, with sun-dried tomatoes, served over a bed of fried potato curls. The combination of flavors and textures were unexpected, but wonderful together: the octopus is tender and only slightly sweet, while the potatoes add a contrasting crunch. Sea urchin salad is a staple in Greece to which I quickly became accustomed and had to order wherever I could. To call it a salad is misleading; it’s fresh raw sea urchin in olive oil that is eaten with bread and a drizzle of lemon. This clean and simple preparation makes the complex flavor of the urchin easy to appreciate. The main course, unfortunately, did not live up to the high standard set by the starters. I tried the spaghetti with Trikalinos bottarga (cured and pressed fish roe) and olive oil, which was actually linguine with a cream sauce that was too rich to complement the bitterness and dryness of the chunks of bottarga. Papadakis is at the corner of Voukourestio and Fokylidou streets, which places it essentially at the top of a hill. At that very intersection, you have one of Athen’s most remarkable views of the Acropolis, an awe-inspiring complement to any meal!
Thanasis
69 Mitropoleos
Monastiraki
+30-210-324-4705
The souvlaki at Thanasis was my very first meal in Athens, and it was one of the most satisfying for being so inexpensive. Their famous kebabs are made from marinated lamb and beef, and are good as takeout or as a sit-down meal at one of their sidewalk tables. I’d recommend ordering the souvlaki on pita with fresh onions and tzatziki (yogurt and garlic sauce), best accompanied by a Mythos (Greek beer) and some fries. The meat is tender and juicy, and reminded me how unfortunate it is that I have not tasted any street cart kebabs in New York City nearly as good. Thanasis is located on one of the busiest main streets in the tourist-filled area of Monostiraki, so it is crowded and loud, but a worthwhile experience.
