Nonna Pina
Cuisine: Innovative trattoria fare
Athens Area: The working class neighborhood of Daphne
Decor: comfortable kitsch
Service: Warm, friendly, enthusiastic
Wine List: good, Italian
Prices: 35-46 euro per person
Address: 64 Ethn. Makariou str., Daphne, Tel.: 2109021118
One of the things I love about this city is its serendipity and the sometimes surreality of living here. The chance encounters on the street, the chance discoveries of pretty good restaurants in unlikely places. That’s a little how I felt after visiting Nonna Pina, an Italian restaurant in Daphne that’s decidedly gourmet despite its working-class-neighborhood environs. Nonna Pina is an anomaly, slightly out of place but worth the trip thanks mainly to the able hands of its chef, one seniorita Angela.
The décor reminds me a little of the houses of Italian American friends in the 1960s, a little kitsch but cozy and filled with the effort to look good. White, red, and wall-covering prints of a female face replete with plumed hat make up the décor here. The room is elevated above the street, right on a corner, so that if you sit by the window you are literally sitting over a stream of traffic whizzing by.
Our hostess was obviously filled with pride over the quality of food served forth from her kitchen. Right after the Prosecco arrived, so did two delicious wedges of bruschetta, topped with marinated mushrooms. Molto bene. So was the foccacia in the bread basket, topped with caramelized onions, rosemary and tomatoes.
Our meal veered from classics like vitello tonnato, very thin slices of veal arranged over a rich tuna sauce to not so classics like a broad-bean and ricotta puree. The vitello tonnato was very good, the veal as tender as it gets and the presentation a little different from the norm, as the meat was fanned out over the sauce, topped with a few crunchy caper berries. The broad bean puree was less successful but interesting nonetheless, a velvety mixture of whipped fresh broad beans and ricotta (the cheese was lost on us) topped with shrimp. The original called for a topping of clams, but these were unavailable the day we went.
I liked the simplest things best here, namely the delicious roasted chicken that was tender and very well seasoned, with just the right amount of peppery heat. The simple steamed potatoes that accompany it were a perfect foil. My stuffed tsipoura was less of a hit mainly because the chef seemed to be trying too hard—there was way too much happening on the plate: fish fillets with a farci of shrimp puree, accompanied by cubed zucchini and other vegetables and a sweet orange-honey sauce. We sampled one pasta dish, the orecchiete with avgotaraho, which needed just a minute or so longer in the pot to move it out of “almost uncooked” and into the al dente zone, but the avgotaraho was generous and the simplicity of the plate just right.
Dessert follows the rich line here. We tried the Semifreddo of strawberries and porto, which was very good and very sinful. Espresso, of course, came on the heels of that, a much needed balance to an Italian-wine-and-prosecco filled night in this unusual place.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Kollias Fish Taverna
Kollias Fish Taverna
Cuisine: Fresh Fish and Great Seafood Mezedes
Athens Area: Boondocks of Piraeus, but worth the 30 min. taxi ride from Syntagma
Decor: Serendipitous kitsch that makes you feel at home
Service: Good
Wine list: excellent, and excellent prices (Greek)
Prices: 25-35 euro per person
Address: 3 Str. Plastira str., Tabouria, Piraeus, Tel.: 2104629620
Quick Bite: Kollias taverna is an all-time greater Athens favorite, especially among fish lovers who yearn for that extra ounce of TLC, which Taso Kollias, this taverna's friendly owner, has in abudance. The place is loud, friendly, and lots of fun and the fish local and absolutely fresh.
Kollias I have my all-time favorites and Kollias taverna in Drapetsona is definitely one of them. I think it’s one of the few destination restaurants that have bucked the trend, lasting and thriving in an area that defies the dictum “location is everything.”
Kollias’ is hard to get to, hard to park near, but worth the trip. If for nothing else than to admire Tasso Kollia’s hospitality and elephant’s memory. Years can go by between visits, as was the case with a friend of mine recently, but he recalled her name and the dish she ate the last time she was there! Software geniuses have designed computer programs that do that! For Tasso it’s part of being a good restaurateur. The place hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s live in, filled to the brim with fishing and maritime trinkets. His kitchen is open to the public and always bustling, but a visit to the fridge to see the catch of the day—always directly from fishermen and not from the Ichtyoscala (the wholesale market where the fishing boats come in every morning)—is a must. We love the fact that here we found a whole range of great Lenten fare, including: soupia Yiouvetsi (cuttlefish and pasta) with its ink, eggplant rolls filled with mussels, octopus Stifado (stew). Seskoulodolmades with pligouri (chard dolmas filled with bulgur), and stuffed kolokytholoulouda (zucchini blossoms). Don’t miss the pitaroudia (fried patties) filled with Tarama either. Small fish from the Aitoliko Gulf off western Greece, such as “hovioi” are in season now and Tasso is quick to tell you that the bigger size is called “Papoutsia” ("shoes") by local fishermen. We loved his fried small soupies in their ink and the classic but delicious fish baked in salt. It’s not easy in these tough times to keep a place going for so long. Kollia’s recipe for excellent food, fresh greek fish, the best wine prices in town and hospitality that’s really heartfelt has made this place top of my own list of personal favorites.
But, change is in the offing. Mr. Kollias is planning to move to Faliro sometime in the Fall.
Cuisine: Fresh Fish and Great Seafood Mezedes
Athens Area: Boondocks of Piraeus, but worth the 30 min. taxi ride from Syntagma
Decor: Serendipitous kitsch that makes you feel at home
Service: Good
Wine list: excellent, and excellent prices (Greek)
Prices: 25-35 euro per person
Address: 3 Str. Plastira str., Tabouria, Piraeus, Tel.: 2104629620
Quick Bite: Kollias taverna is an all-time greater Athens favorite, especially among fish lovers who yearn for that extra ounce of TLC, which Taso Kollias, this taverna's friendly owner, has in abudance. The place is loud, friendly, and lots of fun and the fish local and absolutely fresh.
Kollias I have my all-time favorites and Kollias taverna in Drapetsona is definitely one of them. I think it’s one of the few destination restaurants that have bucked the trend, lasting and thriving in an area that defies the dictum “location is everything.”
Kollias’ is hard to get to, hard to park near, but worth the trip. If for nothing else than to admire Tasso Kollia’s hospitality and elephant’s memory. Years can go by between visits, as was the case with a friend of mine recently, but he recalled her name and the dish she ate the last time she was there! Software geniuses have designed computer programs that do that! For Tasso it’s part of being a good restaurateur. The place hasn’t changed much over the years. It’s live in, filled to the brim with fishing and maritime trinkets. His kitchen is open to the public and always bustling, but a visit to the fridge to see the catch of the day—always directly from fishermen and not from the Ichtyoscala (the wholesale market where the fishing boats come in every morning)—is a must. We love the fact that here we found a whole range of great Lenten fare, including: soupia Yiouvetsi (cuttlefish and pasta) with its ink, eggplant rolls filled with mussels, octopus Stifado (stew). Seskoulodolmades with pligouri (chard dolmas filled with bulgur), and stuffed kolokytholoulouda (zucchini blossoms). Don’t miss the pitaroudia (fried patties) filled with Tarama either. Small fish from the Aitoliko Gulf off western Greece, such as “hovioi” are in season now and Tasso is quick to tell you that the bigger size is called “Papoutsia” ("shoes") by local fishermen. We loved his fried small soupies in their ink and the classic but delicious fish baked in salt. It’s not easy in these tough times to keep a place going for so long. Kollia’s recipe for excellent food, fresh greek fish, the best wine prices in town and hospitality that’s really heartfelt has made this place top of my own list of personal favorites.
But, change is in the offing. Mr. Kollias is planning to move to Faliro sometime in the Fall.
Mazomos Taverna
Mazomos
Cuisine: Rustic fare from Naxos
Athens Area: Maroussi (accessible by taxi, 30 min. from Syntagma)
Decor: Rustic kitsch, wood paneling, farmers' chatchkas and more
Wine List: Greek and decent house wine
Prices: 20-22 euro per person
Address: 19-21 Kyprion Agoniston str., Paradissos Amaroussiou, Tel: 210 803 5800
Quick Bite: Probably not wirth the trip from dowtown, especially since much better fare from Naxos can be found at the Naxos Cafeneion in Psirri
In this newfound sense of mission to find cheap eats that taste good, most of the times I’ve been lucky. Sometimes, though, the formula just doesn’t work!
That’s a little how we felt the other night at Mazoma, a family style taverna in Maroussi whose owners have ties to Naxos and bring meats, cheeses and recipes from the island to your plate. But I hoped for something more, simple yes, but more authentic, in the vain of so many Cretan restaurants that have opened up in town over the last few years. Ever the optimist, I though the idea of regional cuisine is spreading its wings beyond Crete and the few Politika restaurants that currently monopolize the localized food scent.
Naxos has an illustrious culinary history thanks to the island’s own fecundity and to its rich history. Naxos cheeses, meats, potatoes and more are famed throughout the Aegean and the rest of Greece. Unfortunately, none of this richness was evident on the menu or in the quality of the actual food we were served. I was happy to see that Mazomos keeps a fair number of Lenten dishes throughout Sarakosti, and we concentrated on these. They were out of revithokeftedes (chick pea patties), so we ordered the kolokithopastitsa (a zucchini dish) in their stead. I liked the sound of this dish and reminded me of a dish I love to make from Samos: pumpkin and onions cooked to a caramelized perfection in the skillet. The Samos version has feta; in Naxos apparently they add hot peppers. The taste was fine but the dish came out slightly burnt from less than artful frying and soft as baby food. The salad was pretty good, a mix of lettuce and what seemed like home-made sun dried tomatoes. We ordered the dolmades, which the waiter promised were also homemade but that seemed to me in murky, mushy taste and texture, and glistening appearance to have made a pitstop somewhere between Apirantho (a town in the mountain reaches of Naxos) and the Zanae factory in Northern Greece. I can’t say for sure, but they certainly didn’t taste like mom’s. Ditto on the cuttlefish and spinach, one of the masterpieces of Greek Lenten fare when done well. A grey blob of mucousy slop when done poorly. The second, infortunately, characterized ours. A leftover from Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday, the Greek equicalent of Ash Wednesday and the official start of Lent) that had been zapped in the microwave? Maybe…
The pasta with shrimp was also banal, although the shrimp was fresh. What can I say? I feel for people who run restaurants in these trying times; this place obviously has a clientele—it was half full on a Wednesday night. Its rustic look, with wood, koreloudes, pictures of the island and knick knacks from another era appeal to a certain diner. That’s all fine. My advice: Just improve the food. Cheap or not, we left almost everything on the plate.
Cuisine: Rustic fare from Naxos
Athens Area: Maroussi (accessible by taxi, 30 min. from Syntagma)
Decor: Rustic kitsch, wood paneling, farmers' chatchkas and more
Wine List: Greek and decent house wine
Prices: 20-22 euro per person
Address: 19-21 Kyprion Agoniston str., Paradissos Amaroussiou, Tel: 210 803 5800
Quick Bite: Probably not wirth the trip from dowtown, especially since much better fare from Naxos can be found at the Naxos Cafeneion in Psirri
In this newfound sense of mission to find cheap eats that taste good, most of the times I’ve been lucky. Sometimes, though, the formula just doesn’t work!
That’s a little how we felt the other night at Mazoma, a family style taverna in Maroussi whose owners have ties to Naxos and bring meats, cheeses and recipes from the island to your plate. But I hoped for something more, simple yes, but more authentic, in the vain of so many Cretan restaurants that have opened up in town over the last few years. Ever the optimist, I though the idea of regional cuisine is spreading its wings beyond Crete and the few Politika restaurants that currently monopolize the localized food scent.
Naxos has an illustrious culinary history thanks to the island’s own fecundity and to its rich history. Naxos cheeses, meats, potatoes and more are famed throughout the Aegean and the rest of Greece. Unfortunately, none of this richness was evident on the menu or in the quality of the actual food we were served. I was happy to see that Mazomos keeps a fair number of Lenten dishes throughout Sarakosti, and we concentrated on these. They were out of revithokeftedes (chick pea patties), so we ordered the kolokithopastitsa (a zucchini dish) in their stead. I liked the sound of this dish and reminded me of a dish I love to make from Samos: pumpkin and onions cooked to a caramelized perfection in the skillet. The Samos version has feta; in Naxos apparently they add hot peppers. The taste was fine but the dish came out slightly burnt from less than artful frying and soft as baby food. The salad was pretty good, a mix of lettuce and what seemed like home-made sun dried tomatoes. We ordered the dolmades, which the waiter promised were also homemade but that seemed to me in murky, mushy taste and texture, and glistening appearance to have made a pitstop somewhere between Apirantho (a town in the mountain reaches of Naxos) and the Zanae factory in Northern Greece. I can’t say for sure, but they certainly didn’t taste like mom’s. Ditto on the cuttlefish and spinach, one of the masterpieces of Greek Lenten fare when done well. A grey blob of mucousy slop when done poorly. The second, infortunately, characterized ours. A leftover from Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday, the Greek equicalent of Ash Wednesday and the official start of Lent) that had been zapped in the microwave? Maybe…
The pasta with shrimp was also banal, although the shrimp was fresh. What can I say? I feel for people who run restaurants in these trying times; this place obviously has a clientele—it was half full on a Wednesday night. Its rustic look, with wood, koreloudes, pictures of the island and knick knacks from another era appeal to a certain diner. That’s all fine. My advice: Just improve the food. Cheap or not, we left almost everything on the plate.
Filema
Filema
Cuisine: Mezedes
Athens Area: Downtown in old Athens
Decor: Rustic chic and quaint
Service: Good
Wine list: Greek wines, ouzo, tsipouro, beer
Price: 12 -20 euro a person
Address: 16 Romvis str., Syntagma, Tel.: 210-3250222
Quick Bite: Laze away the day over a plate or two ef excellent mezedes, while sipping ouzo and people watching at this known-to-locals favorite haunt.
My friends Virginia and Aspa knew the place. I had never heard of it. As we sat down, an old friend from Ikaria who works in the neighborhood and likes his midday meze and ouzo appeared out of nowhere. That was a good sign; he knows all the best meze places in downtown Athens. Following his lead, I decided to while away the afternoon, a beautiful, warm, sunny Halcyon day in January, doing what I hadn't done in a long time: playing hooky with some girlfriends.
First, of course, the wine came, a light white that made the day seem even more like summer than it was. We sat outside. Filema is popular. It occupies two small but separate places on Romvis Street with tables outdoors and inside. The food was traditional and very good. I loved the Armenian kebab, delicious large biftekia grilled wonderfully and very juicy. The kima actually had flavor. It comes with a large dollop of paprika-sprinkled yogurt, raw onions and warm pita. The Keftedes Kozanis weren’t as impressive—the kefte (more like a bifteki) was very good but the thick, white sauce that is spooned over it didn’t add anything except weight to the dish. Everything else was really clean-flavored: the black-eyed pea salad with its raw onion and simple olive oil dressing was lovely and, surprisingly, served warm. The boiled vegetable salad was also brimming with perfectly poached winter vegetables, not to soft, not too toothsome. The grilled hot peppers came with a light sprinkling of vinegar. There were plenty on the plate to satisfy this heat-loving palate. Actually the peppers themselves could have been even spicier. We tried the pastourmadopita, too, which was a big envelope-shaped pan-fried pie filled with pastourma, tomatoes and cheese. It was good but a little on the salty side. Fried atherina seemed to have jumped straight out of the sea, it was so fresh. Filema filled up as the afternoon moved on, the wine flowed, the conversation turned from girlie things to old Athens gems, like Mentis across the road, a virtual museum of tassles and threads and the hat place up the road, also a throwback to the capital’s more glorious past. Our waiter brought out a tray of yogurt-sweet, little squares of gelatinized cream with a biscuit base and a few syruped nuts on top. It was light and inobtrusive—a quiet end to a slightly guilt-ridden afternoon “kopana” (Greek for hooky).
Cuisine: Mezedes
Athens Area: Downtown in old Athens
Decor: Rustic chic and quaint
Service: Good
Wine list: Greek wines, ouzo, tsipouro, beer
Price: 12 -20 euro a person
Address: 16 Romvis str., Syntagma, Tel.: 210-3250222
Quick Bite: Laze away the day over a plate or two ef excellent mezedes, while sipping ouzo and people watching at this known-to-locals favorite haunt.
My friends Virginia and Aspa knew the place. I had never heard of it. As we sat down, an old friend from Ikaria who works in the neighborhood and likes his midday meze and ouzo appeared out of nowhere. That was a good sign; he knows all the best meze places in downtown Athens. Following his lead, I decided to while away the afternoon, a beautiful, warm, sunny Halcyon day in January, doing what I hadn't done in a long time: playing hooky with some girlfriends.
First, of course, the wine came, a light white that made the day seem even more like summer than it was. We sat outside. Filema is popular. It occupies two small but separate places on Romvis Street with tables outdoors and inside. The food was traditional and very good. I loved the Armenian kebab, delicious large biftekia grilled wonderfully and very juicy. The kima actually had flavor. It comes with a large dollop of paprika-sprinkled yogurt, raw onions and warm pita. The Keftedes Kozanis weren’t as impressive—the kefte (more like a bifteki) was very good but the thick, white sauce that is spooned over it didn’t add anything except weight to the dish. Everything else was really clean-flavored: the black-eyed pea salad with its raw onion and simple olive oil dressing was lovely and, surprisingly, served warm. The boiled vegetable salad was also brimming with perfectly poached winter vegetables, not to soft, not too toothsome. The grilled hot peppers came with a light sprinkling of vinegar. There were plenty on the plate to satisfy this heat-loving palate. Actually the peppers themselves could have been even spicier. We tried the pastourmadopita, too, which was a big envelope-shaped pan-fried pie filled with pastourma, tomatoes and cheese. It was good but a little on the salty side. Fried atherina seemed to have jumped straight out of the sea, it was so fresh. Filema filled up as the afternoon moved on, the wine flowed, the conversation turned from girlie things to old Athens gems, like Mentis across the road, a virtual museum of tassles and threads and the hat place up the road, also a throwback to the capital’s more glorious past. Our waiter brought out a tray of yogurt-sweet, little squares of gelatinized cream with a biscuit base and a few syruped nuts on top. It was light and inobtrusive—a quiet end to a slightly guilt-ridden afternoon “kopana” (Greek for hooky).
Metohi
Metohi
Cuisine: Delicious homey Greek fare with an emphasis on the foods of Limnos
Athens Area: Halandri, accessible by metro & bus; 15 min. by taxi from syntagma
Decor: wall murals reminiscent with a Byzantine flair, painted by the owner, make this place seem like a total escape
Service: Warm and friendly
Prices: 25-30 euro a person
Address: 13 Byronos str., Kato Halandri / Tel. 210 6752775
Quick Bite: If you're the type to search out authentic food, even if it means a short cab ride into the outer boroughs of Athens, then Metohi, which means monk's enclave, is a place to try.
Metohi. Anyone who has followed this column over a period of time has probably realized that I like simple food. Sometimes, the simpler the better, especially if it’s cooked with care by someone who is obviously excited about what they do.
Such a cook is Aristea Karamali, the co-proprietess of Metohi, a small taverna in Kato Halandri where some very good food, much of it culled from the repertoire of dishes from her native Limnos, can be found. Metohi stands apart from many of the restaurants and tavernas in the same category for two reasons: one, for sure, is the quality of the food, which is very much home-cooked.
The other is the space itself, which is arguably one of the most “personal” of rooms anywhere in the city. The taverna is located on the street level of a small apartment house, butMetihi once you walk through the gate you can almost be certain you’ve never seen anything quite like it. Floor to ceiling are covered with the hand-painted murals of Aristea’s partner, an artist, Nikos Papadakis. There is something almost church-like about the space, with its icon-like paintings, despite the live music a few times a week and despite the convivial atmosphere brought about by the couple’s hospitality. Even the garden, walled in, is filled with furniture that looks almost sculptural.
But it’s the food, even more than the uniqueness of the space, which will bring you back here time and again. The chef’s Limnos roots show through in a slew of raw ingredients, including a supply of the island’s sea-washed cheese, melipasto, which she often has on hand. Then there is the parade of delicious dishes, from some of the best homemade pitas anywhere in this city (especially the coiled Limnos greens and cheese pies), as well as excellent one-pot (mageirefta) pork and vegetable dishes, vegetable and/or bean stews, and some delicious chicken dishes. The eggplant rolled with meat in a lovely, simple tomato sauce is also excellent. But my overall favorite are the hand-rolled dolmades with a hint of tomatoes. I wish there more places like this in Athens, where home cooking shines, where pretense is nonexistent and where the owners are actually in the kitchen and on the floor running the place.
Cuisine: Delicious homey Greek fare with an emphasis on the foods of Limnos
Athens Area: Halandri, accessible by metro & bus; 15 min. by taxi from syntagma
Decor: wall murals reminiscent with a Byzantine flair, painted by the owner, make this place seem like a total escape
Service: Warm and friendly
Prices: 25-30 euro a person
Address: 13 Byronos str., Kato Halandri / Tel. 210 6752775
Quick Bite: If you're the type to search out authentic food, even if it means a short cab ride into the outer boroughs of Athens, then Metohi, which means monk's enclave, is a place to try.
Metohi. Anyone who has followed this column over a period of time has probably realized that I like simple food. Sometimes, the simpler the better, especially if it’s cooked with care by someone who is obviously excited about what they do.
Such a cook is Aristea Karamali, the co-proprietess of Metohi, a small taverna in Kato Halandri where some very good food, much of it culled from the repertoire of dishes from her native Limnos, can be found. Metohi stands apart from many of the restaurants and tavernas in the same category for two reasons: one, for sure, is the quality of the food, which is very much home-cooked.
The other is the space itself, which is arguably one of the most “personal” of rooms anywhere in the city. The taverna is located on the street level of a small apartment house, butMetihi once you walk through the gate you can almost be certain you’ve never seen anything quite like it. Floor to ceiling are covered with the hand-painted murals of Aristea’s partner, an artist, Nikos Papadakis. There is something almost church-like about the space, with its icon-like paintings, despite the live music a few times a week and despite the convivial atmosphere brought about by the couple’s hospitality. Even the garden, walled in, is filled with furniture that looks almost sculptural.
But it’s the food, even more than the uniqueness of the space, which will bring you back here time and again. The chef’s Limnos roots show through in a slew of raw ingredients, including a supply of the island’s sea-washed cheese, melipasto, which she often has on hand. Then there is the parade of delicious dishes, from some of the best homemade pitas anywhere in this city (especially the coiled Limnos greens and cheese pies), as well as excellent one-pot (mageirefta) pork and vegetable dishes, vegetable and/or bean stews, and some delicious chicken dishes. The eggplant rolled with meat in a lovely, simple tomato sauce is also excellent. But my overall favorite are the hand-rolled dolmades with a hint of tomatoes. I wish there more places like this in Athens, where home cooking shines, where pretense is nonexistent and where the owners are actually in the kitchen and on the floor running the place.
Ammonites
Ammonites
Cuisine: Haute Franco-Grecque
Athens Area: 30 min. north of the city in Kifissia, accessible by train, bus, taxi
Decor: Gorgeous, stately setting inside one of the city's best museums
Service: Very good
Wine list: Excellent and international
Prices: Prix Fixe at 45 euro w/o wine (6 plates courses, change weekly)
Address: Goulandris Museum of Natural History, 100 Othonos str., Kifissia, Tel.: 2108015112
Quick Bite: This night at the museum will be a memorable one of your idea of a good meal has French touches, local ingredients, and refined atmosphere.
Ammonites
MOMA has Danny Meyer, the quintessential New York restaurateur, who runs the museum’s excellent restaurant; the Museum of Natural History in Kifissia has Thanassis Platis, the latest in a line of caterers who have taken over this lovely, modern dining room. While success proved evasive to previous managers of this unique space, Platis is determined—and poised—to make it work.
Really, how can his recipe for success not work: Take a space (remember that old restaurant rule “location, location, location”) that’s centrally located in the most affluent neighborhood in the country and that offers a stately, subdued, contemporary design within one of the most beautiful museums (culture, food, natural history—it all sort of ties together), import a young, enthusiastic, excellent French chef, Olivier Campanha, who just happens to be married to a Greek chef (she also works at Ammonites) and who just happens to have worked as a sous chef at Sketches, an acclaimed London restaurant, as well as with French master Pierre Gagnaire. Organize a menu of 6 refined but exciting French dishes that changes on a weekly basis, charge 45 euro for it and keep the wine list priced within most people’s limits (from 18 euro to 138 euro, with plenty to chose from on the lower end). To this enthusiastic diner, Ammonites seemed like the culinary equivalent of a head-to-toe Prada outfit at bargain prices!
Needless to say, we ate very well: a delicious starter of foie gras with pear crisps came out first. The foie gras was perhaps a tad more cooked than I like it but the combination struck a post-holiday balance, brought together by spiced wine sauce like an echo of Christmas. The lobster bisque, with a faint smokiness and a swirl of crème fraiche, was outstanding. The cod, coated with black and regular sesame seeds, comes in bite-sized pieces afloat in an ethereal miso broth. It was a little salty but nevertheless evinced what a chef who knows his techniques can do with any ingredients, no matter what ethnic cuisine they belong to. The pigeon breast was a hearty break from typical meat offerings, even typical game offerings, which tend toward wild boar in this country, but it was a little disjointed from the bed of wilted cabbage on which strips of breast, cooked medium by request, rested. Raspberries and the tiniest broccoli florets also garnish the dish. The cheese plate which followed was divine and very generous: warm camembert, aged parmesan, gorgonzola cream, and various dried fruits and nuts.
Our night at the museum ended with a guanaja chocolate bombe, very, very rich, crystallized kumquats, which were delicious, and way too much white porto for this aging head.
Now, that was then. Next week, and the week after, and the week after that, the dishes will change. It takes a disciplined, talented chef to switch gears like that week in and week out and to maintain consistent quality. I can’t wait to go back again and try more. Ammonites is also open for lunch.
Cuisine: Haute Franco-Grecque
Athens Area: 30 min. north of the city in Kifissia, accessible by train, bus, taxi
Decor: Gorgeous, stately setting inside one of the city's best museums
Service: Very good
Wine list: Excellent and international
Prices: Prix Fixe at 45 euro w/o wine (6 plates courses, change weekly)
Address: Goulandris Museum of Natural History, 100 Othonos str., Kifissia, Tel.: 2108015112
Quick Bite: This night at the museum will be a memorable one of your idea of a good meal has French touches, local ingredients, and refined atmosphere.
Ammonites
MOMA has Danny Meyer, the quintessential New York restaurateur, who runs the museum’s excellent restaurant; the Museum of Natural History in Kifissia has Thanassis Platis, the latest in a line of caterers who have taken over this lovely, modern dining room. While success proved evasive to previous managers of this unique space, Platis is determined—and poised—to make it work.
Really, how can his recipe for success not work: Take a space (remember that old restaurant rule “location, location, location”) that’s centrally located in the most affluent neighborhood in the country and that offers a stately, subdued, contemporary design within one of the most beautiful museums (culture, food, natural history—it all sort of ties together), import a young, enthusiastic, excellent French chef, Olivier Campanha, who just happens to be married to a Greek chef (she also works at Ammonites) and who just happens to have worked as a sous chef at Sketches, an acclaimed London restaurant, as well as with French master Pierre Gagnaire. Organize a menu of 6 refined but exciting French dishes that changes on a weekly basis, charge 45 euro for it and keep the wine list priced within most people’s limits (from 18 euro to 138 euro, with plenty to chose from on the lower end). To this enthusiastic diner, Ammonites seemed like the culinary equivalent of a head-to-toe Prada outfit at bargain prices!
Needless to say, we ate very well: a delicious starter of foie gras with pear crisps came out first. The foie gras was perhaps a tad more cooked than I like it but the combination struck a post-holiday balance, brought together by spiced wine sauce like an echo of Christmas. The lobster bisque, with a faint smokiness and a swirl of crème fraiche, was outstanding. The cod, coated with black and regular sesame seeds, comes in bite-sized pieces afloat in an ethereal miso broth. It was a little salty but nevertheless evinced what a chef who knows his techniques can do with any ingredients, no matter what ethnic cuisine they belong to. The pigeon breast was a hearty break from typical meat offerings, even typical game offerings, which tend toward wild boar in this country, but it was a little disjointed from the bed of wilted cabbage on which strips of breast, cooked medium by request, rested. Raspberries and the tiniest broccoli florets also garnish the dish. The cheese plate which followed was divine and very generous: warm camembert, aged parmesan, gorgonzola cream, and various dried fruits and nuts.
Our night at the museum ended with a guanaja chocolate bombe, very, very rich, crystallized kumquats, which were delicious, and way too much white porto for this aging head.
Now, that was then. Next week, and the week after, and the week after that, the dishes will change. It takes a disciplined, talented chef to switch gears like that week in and week out and to maintain consistent quality. I can’t wait to go back again and try more. Ammonites is also open for lunch.
Bistro Baxevannis
Bistro Baxevannis
Cuisine: Kebabs and other carnivorous classics by well-known chef Yannis Baxevannis
Athens Area: Downtown, Syntagma
Decor: A little dull, white walls, maroon overtones
Service: Good
Wine list: Good, Greek
Prices: Prix Fixe at 23 euro w/o wine
Address: 48 Nikis str., Plaka, Athens, Tel.: 210-32 22 839.
Quick Bites: Chef Yannis Baxevannis is famous in Athens. In this place he caters to the growing need for good food at great value, but he struts his stuff as a good chef with a finger on the pulse of the times.
I guess it’s a symptom of the times when one of Greece’s most internationally known chefs downgrades from haute cuisine to paysanne cuisine, especially in the form of the most popular food of all, grilled, skewered meats, pita bread and mezedes. When he does it with flair, thank God, there’s a sense of hope amidst all the insanity this country has seen in the last few weeks. The chef is Yiannis Baxevannis and the place is his flagship restaurant right in the heart of Syntagma, Bistrot Baxevannis. What started out as a very high-end concept in a landmark building with a prix fixe menu that hovered close to 90 euro before even the first sip of wine is now totally reinvented. The Ergastiri (a la Robuchon) became a bistro overnight. The food, a casual blend of skewered meats, spicy dips, the chef’s great way with beans and more, is excellent, especially when one takes into account the 21 euro price tag (before wine). But there are also daily specials, mainly at lunch, in which the chef expands on the themes that have always interested him, especially vegetable and bean cookery and dishes culled from the vast repertoire of Greece’s country kitchen. His main sous chef, Thanassis Roussos, executes with artistry. The Bistro menu is not exactly new. Baxevannis and his staff execute the same menu at Prassinos Lofos in Alimo, but here, under the chef’s almost daily presence in the kitchen, the food is noticeably better. The skewers are all really good. Tender cuts of chicken and pork, for example, come served over a plate-sized piece of Baxevannis own pita bread (made tender with the addition of banana pulp, from what he told us). The waiter chops and mixes a spicy side dish right at the table. Of all the mezedes brought out and lined up like little soldiers, the best is the hummus, a delicious, velvety puree of chick peas and spices that is far superior to what is served in most of the Middle Easter restaurants in town. After a parade of various meats and mezedes, the finale ends on a carnivorous overindulgence: skewered pork and prunes. By the time this arrived I honestly could only manage a small bite. The first skewers are tastier. The galaktoboureko with its butter French twist is worth saving space for. I hope Bistro does well. We like the civilized atmosphere and relative quiet. The design could stand a little excitement, but maybe there’s enough just down the street at Syntagma Square for the moment.
Cuisine: Kebabs and other carnivorous classics by well-known chef Yannis Baxevannis
Athens Area: Downtown, Syntagma
Decor: A little dull, white walls, maroon overtones
Service: Good
Wine list: Good, Greek
Prices: Prix Fixe at 23 euro w/o wine
Address: 48 Nikis str., Plaka, Athens, Tel.: 210-32 22 839.
Quick Bites: Chef Yannis Baxevannis is famous in Athens. In this place he caters to the growing need for good food at great value, but he struts his stuff as a good chef with a finger on the pulse of the times.
I guess it’s a symptom of the times when one of Greece’s most internationally known chefs downgrades from haute cuisine to paysanne cuisine, especially in the form of the most popular food of all, grilled, skewered meats, pita bread and mezedes. When he does it with flair, thank God, there’s a sense of hope amidst all the insanity this country has seen in the last few weeks. The chef is Yiannis Baxevannis and the place is his flagship restaurant right in the heart of Syntagma, Bistrot Baxevannis. What started out as a very high-end concept in a landmark building with a prix fixe menu that hovered close to 90 euro before even the first sip of wine is now totally reinvented. The Ergastiri (a la Robuchon) became a bistro overnight. The food, a casual blend of skewered meats, spicy dips, the chef’s great way with beans and more, is excellent, especially when one takes into account the 21 euro price tag (before wine). But there are also daily specials, mainly at lunch, in which the chef expands on the themes that have always interested him, especially vegetable and bean cookery and dishes culled from the vast repertoire of Greece’s country kitchen. His main sous chef, Thanassis Roussos, executes with artistry. The Bistro menu is not exactly new. Baxevannis and his staff execute the same menu at Prassinos Lofos in Alimo, but here, under the chef’s almost daily presence in the kitchen, the food is noticeably better. The skewers are all really good. Tender cuts of chicken and pork, for example, come served over a plate-sized piece of Baxevannis own pita bread (made tender with the addition of banana pulp, from what he told us). The waiter chops and mixes a spicy side dish right at the table. Of all the mezedes brought out and lined up like little soldiers, the best is the hummus, a delicious, velvety puree of chick peas and spices that is far superior to what is served in most of the Middle Easter restaurants in town. After a parade of various meats and mezedes, the finale ends on a carnivorous overindulgence: skewered pork and prunes. By the time this arrived I honestly could only manage a small bite. The first skewers are tastier. The galaktoboureko with its butter French twist is worth saving space for. I hope Bistro does well. We like the civilized atmosphere and relative quiet. The design could stand a little excitement, but maybe there’s enough just down the street at Syntagma Square for the moment.
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