Lunch in Athens

 

After trekking around the Acropolis and Ancient Agora Terry and I took to walking the streets after she spotted a nice stretch of cafes and shops. We stopped into a cafe that looked inviting, and had a glass of water and a nice cold beer. Athens was really hot, so by now we were ready to get out of the sun and off our feet. It was fun to sit at these cafes. The people watching and atmosphere are set up by the fact that we could not understand a word that anyone else was saying. After our beer we set off and continued our path around the back of the Acropolis. We found ourselves strolling a nice little neighborhood where the streets were narrow and lined with quaint little houses and apartments. We were talking about getting some food in the near future as it was getting to be late in the afternoon when we came across a little restaurant (pictured above) and decided to see if we could use their restrooms. When we approached a man came up to us and gave us a card that had the menu and specials on a card all written in English. There were several of these cards and they were in a variety of languages. I wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not, but he started to explain that it was his restaurant and was owned by his family which I took into consideration when forming my opinion of the restaurant. As I was waiting outside I was intrigued by aroma that was seeping out of the kitchen. Terry came outside and we began to walk down the street. As we were walking she was telling me how she saw the kitchen and how clean it was. She said that the food looked really good too. We took almost no time to turn around and return to the restaurant.

We received another warm welcome by the owner, and were seated on the porch which was shaded and bordered by grape vines. They brought out a huge bottle of water that we could not have needed more at that point, and then gave us a menu that had several meal options. Out of the options available we decided to go with the option that allowed us to choose five plates, with two drinks and water was included too. I think this only came out to be 28 Euro, so it was also a pretty good deal. We were surrounded by the aroma that wafting out of the kitchen only a few feet away while also eagerly eying the plates that others had choose.

Ahhh the decisions. We each had our own picks and took turns choosing the dishes. We ultimately ended up with a really good spread. We had the tzatziki, which is a yogurt based appetizer that also has garlic, olive oil, salt, and a few other ingredients. This is the sauce that you find in a gyro, and has a really distinct but light flavor. The texture was perfect. It was creamy, but also had a good body. I have seen many variations before and since that were either very runny, or very firm in comparison. This made it perfect for dipping the fresh bread in. A very refreshing, but simple dish.

The cook and the owner

Next we had these delightful meatballs. I believe that they are called keftedes, and are made of seasoned beef. There was probably some onion and garlic in the meat along with other seasonings. The keftedes were covered in some sort of tomato sauce too. We were curious as to how these were going to taste. Were they going to be just like every other meatball that we have had before or were the going to reveal something new? When I took my first bite my mouth was met by the sauce and my teeth by the firm outer layer of the keftede. The center was tender and moist. The meat had a distinct flavor that I have not had before, but there was still the familiar hints of a meatball. The sauce added another layer of texture to the dish. All in all these were really good, and got better as I became more familiar with the flavor after every bite.

The next dish that we picked out was mousaka, which looks a lot like lasagna. Though the flavors are not the same at all. It is layered like lasagna where there are different pockets separated by pasta. In mousaka the layers are usually sauteed eggplant (called aubergine), a layer of minced meat (traditionally lamb), and a white sauce on top. The dish is then baked. Mousaka has a lot of flavor coming from not only the main ingredients, but also the spices that the lamb is cooked in. I did not know what to expect when having the first bite since the dish looked so much like lasagna. The flavors where unfamiliar, and it took me a while to get used to. I am not a big fan of eggplant in any way shape or form, so the fact that I enjoyed this dish says a lot about the combination of flavors. The texture is almost that of lasagna, but the white sauce on top which is like an egg custard has a different texture than the cheese that a lasagna dish has. It was good and not too rich.

For a light and cool option we also decided to go with the traditional Greek salad. This was an easy selection seeing that it was dreadfully warm out and a cool and crisp salad was just what we needed. The other reason being that we were in Greece so we were nearly obliged to order if not only for the sake of comparison to what we have had in the states. When we tried the salad it was yet again evident as it was in our other Greek meals, and in Turkey, that the veggies are consistently ripe and delicious. There are non of the hard and white tomatoes that you encounter on a regular basis in the states. The feta cheese was nothing short of amazing. It had a great texture and was to moist and full of flavor that it was hard to resist eating it in a couple of bites (I think Terry struggled with this even more than myself). The mixture of tomato, onion, cucumber, cheese, and olives was wonderful, and the heat of the day only teased us to enjoy every bite.

We had one last selection as our fifth lunch dish. When looking over the options the calamari looked rather inviting, so that is what we selected. It took longer to be prepared so it did not arrive at our table until we were nearly finished with the rest of our food. This was not a bad thing at all. The other selections had filled us up, and the wine was settling in just right, despite a near tragic spill. The calamari was the most disappointing dish, and the only one that I would not order again. The texture was similar to what I was used to as was the look and presentation, but upon taking the first bite you are met with a rather chewy piece once your teeth penetrate the crispy outer layer. On top of that unfortunate discovery it was really fishy. Something that I do not want as an associated taste with my calamari. So it was a good thing that it was the last to arrive, and that we were already full. The meal that we had already satiated ourselves with was more than enough to overshadow a sub par order of calamari.

Oh dessert. Dessert was a part of the meal selection that we chose, and the picture above is what was delivered. I am not sure what this is called, and in general I do not spring for desserts as I would prefer something salty rather than something sweet. It was ultra sweet, and seemed to be made entirely of sugar and honey. It was really good, but I am not sure if we made it any further than you see above. One or two bites will usually do it.

The was by far the best meal that we had while we were in Greece. The setting was perfect, the food was wonderful, and the host was a truly good person. These are the ingredients for a good experience, and that is exactly what it was.