Product of the week! Ή αλλιώς... Προϊόν της εβδομάδας!

Για Ελληνικά κυλήστε απαλά και όμορφα το ποντίκι κάτω.

Hey there foodfaces!

 

Long time no blog! I hope to remedy that.

What with being ill and all and not having much energy to go out, I have instead had plenty of time to sample a lot of cooking ingredients and products. So here comes an ongoing list I will be posting each week (e-hem, or maybe every other week) of products (both Greek and international) available here in Greece that I personally think definitely deserve a “high 5!”. Some are available in your every day supermarket, some in specific ones only and others still in dedicated food stores.

 

Barilla Pesto Sauce: Rating: 5/5. Availability: Almost every supermarket.

Pesto sauces can be made of many varying ingredients, from your basic basil, rocket, average greens to aubergines, sun-dried tomatoes (Pesto alla siciliana or pesto rosso), grilled bell peppers (Pesto alla calabrese), even mushrooms and any number of cheeses, soft or hard, you can think of. The limit is the sky… And your blender’s horsepower. This specific one is a traditional Pesto alla Genovese, ie a ground mixture consisting of basil, garlic, olive oil, grated parmesan and of course the famous (roasted) pine nuts. Each ingredient a bold statement in it’s own right. The texture of the sauce is naturally luxuriously creamy, but mix it up a little in a hot saucepan solely with the heat remaining from your freshly boiled pasta (plus a tiny bit of pasta-boiling water, in itself of vital importance to bring together pasta and sauce) and you have yourself a magnificent naughty aromatic little miracle in every bite. It's amazing what these simple ingredients can do when mixed together. I love the Barilla take on it, it seems identical to the sauce I have in La Pasteria! (Now I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but...) It’s definitely worth a shot, for under three euros you get four portions, and it tastes almost as good as the home-made stuff or if you're not that good a cook then even better! 

FYI: Did you know that pesto derives from the latin word "pestare", which means to grind, obviously referring to the way the sauce is made? The word pestle (as in mortar and pestle) also has the same root!

Picture of pesto from La Pasteria

 Γεια σας φαγανά μου!

Έχω καιρό να γράψω… Αλλά θα αλλάξει αυτό, μην κλαίτε (λέμε τώρα!).

Όντας άρρωστη τόσο καιρό, δεν μπορούσα βεβαίως εύκολα να βγαίνω, εξ ου και η έλλειψη άρθρων, είχα ωστόσο την ευκαιρία να δοκιμάσω ένα σκασμό συνταγές καθώς και προϊόντα μαγειρικής και έτοιμης κατανάλωσης. Αποφάσισα λοιπόν να φτιάξω μία συνεχιζόμενη λίστα που θα ποστάρω κάθε βδομάδα (γκούχου, ίσως και κάθε δεύτερη βδομάδα) με διαθέσιμα στην Ελλάδα προϊόντα, τόσο Ελληνικά όσο και ξένα. Άλλα θα’ναι διαθέσιμα σε κάθε σουπερμάρκετ, άλλα μόνο σε συγκεκριμένα, άλλα πάλι μόνο σε εξειδικευμένα καταστήματα.

 

Barilla Σάλτσα Pesto: Βαθμολογία 5/5. Διαθεσιμότητα: Κάθε σουπερμάρκετ.

Μία σάλτσα πέστο μπορεί να φτιαχτεί με ποικίλα υλικά, από βασιλικό, ρόκα, σπανάκι, πρασινάδες εν γένει, μέχρι και μελιτζάνα, λιόπαστη ντομάτα (Pesto alla siciliana ή pesto rosso), πιπεριές ψητές (Pesto alla calabrese), ακόμη και μανιτάρια, και ό,τι σκληρό ή μαλακό τυρί σου κατέβει. Ουσιαστικά το μόνο που σε περιορίζει είναι η φαντασία... και η δύναμη του blender σου. Η συγκεκριμένη σάλτσα είναι μία παραδοσιακή Pesto alla Genovese, ίσως και η πιο γνωστή σε όλους, που αποτελείται από φρέσκο βασιλικό, σκόρδο, ελαιόλαδο, τριμμένη παρμεζάνα και φυσικά το περίφημο κουκουνάρι, όλα τριμμένα και ζουμισμένα μαζί. Αν το κάθε υλικό σας φαίνεται από μόνο του θηρίο στη μυρωδιά, φανταστείτε τι κάνουν ενωμένα. Η υφή της σάλτσας είναι από φυσικού της υπέροχα κρεμώδης (ευτυχώς δίχως κρέμα) και πλούσια, αλλά ανακατέψτε την σε μία καυτή κατσαρόλα μόνο και μόνο με την ζέστη που απομένει απ’τα φρεσκοβρασμένα μακαρόνια σας (μαζί με λίγο νερό απ’το βράσιμο, απαραίτητο για το δέσιμο μακαρονιών και σάλτσας), και λιώνει τόσο απαλά το τυρί, που έχετε ένα μικρό αρωματικό θαύμα σε κάθε μπουκίτσα! Μ’ενθουσίασε πολύ (δε φάνηκε καθόλου πιστεύω) η εκτέλεση της Barilla, μου θυμίζει δε επακριβώς τη σάλτσα πέστο που λατρεύω να παίρνω στα Λα Παστερία (Χμμ, τόση ομοιότητα βρε παιδάκι μου… Ρε συ λες…;)

Δοκιμάστε το, είναι κάτω από 3 ευρώ για 4 ή και παραπάνω μερίδες, και σε γεύση είναι τόσο καλή όσο η σπιτική σάλτσα, ή, αν δεν είστε και πολύ καλοί στην κουζίνα, καλύτερη! ;)

Ξέρατε ότι...; Η λέξη pesto προέρχεται από τη λατινική λέξη pestare, που σημαίνει χτυπάω με κυκλικές κινήσεις, προφανώς σε σχέση με τον γνωστό τρόπο παρασκευής της σάλτσας; Απ'την ίδια ρίζα προέρχεται και η αγγλική λέξη pestle (mortar and pestle = γουδοχέρι). Ορίστε, μάθατε και κάτι παραπάνω σήμερα..! :)

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Saltiness by the Sea Vol. 2 (aka Almyra Exposed!) {+Ελλ.}

                             So, the last time I blogged about "Almyra" (see Saltiness by the Sea) I had left you all with a rather good impression I'd say. Ok, the place wasn't perfect and neither was the food, but all in all it was a good effort for this little place and worth a visit.



                             Now, however (cue the dramatic music), I have changed my mind. About a month ago (see Status Report, for why I was late writing about this), I revisited Almyra, having the urge for seafood. Given the limited offer of seafood, I ordered the salmon. I was in for a very bad surprise. The strong side sauce initially masked it, but suddenly I realised the fish had gone off. It smelt awful and tasted even worse, something my partner in eating attested to aswell. I was disgusted at having been served such a thing and actually being charged 9euros for it! I called the waiter and made a serious complaint, asking for it to be taken away and the bill brought immediately since my stomach had started to ache ominously. To my amazement the waiter actually laughed in my face! Can you believe it? To make matters even more disgruntling, no manager, no chef, no reduced bill came out and on top of it all we weren't served dessert either (not that I would have eaten it), as if we were the ones insulting them! Uncroyable!
Given the fact I spent the remainder of the night hugging the sink close and wretching my guts out they should be very happy indeed I'm not talking about foodpoisoning. I was very disappointed not only by the incident in itself, but more importantly by the way it was handled. Everyone will agree that mistakes happen everywhere, after all we're only human, but had they been more civilised and courteous about it, as one would expect from any good restaurant, I would have thought twice about writing about the incident, or even used their policy as a positive attribute of the restaurant, that, in fact, even if something goes wrong, they could make it up to the customer. As it is though, I am not amused and it is a shame, given I thought it a very promising place.

In conclusion, I am obviously NOT saying don't go, since I am not a malicious person. I'm simply reporting the facts, as is my duty as foodblogger. The rest is up to you...






Και στα Ελληνικά!

                            Την τελευταία φορά που έγραψα άρθρο για το "Αλμύρα" (βλ. Saltiness by the Sea), σας είχα αφήσει όλους με μία αρκετά καλή εντύπωση, όπως άλλωστε είχα μείνει και γω μετά την πρώτη αυτή επίσκεψή μου. Εντάξει, το μέρος και το φαγητό δεν ήταν και τέλεια, αλλά ήταν μια πολύ καλή προσπάθεια για τη μικρή πόλη της Ιεράπετρας και άξιζε σίγουρα μιαν επίσκεψη.


                            Τώρα όμως (*δραματική μουσική*), έχω αλλάξει γνώμη και διάθεση. Πριν από κανένα μήνα (βλ. Status Report για το λόγο που άργησα να ποστάρω νέα), συνέβη το εξής περιστατικό. Επανεπισκεπτόμενη το Αλμύρα, είχα όρεξη για ψάρι, ή γενικότερα θαλασσινά (ναι, ξέρω, για θαλασσινά στην Ιεράπετρα στο Αλμύρα βρήκα να πάω; Αλλά το προσπερνάμε). Δεδομένης της μικρής ποικιλίας του μαγαζιού σε τέτοιο είδος, παρήγγειλα το σολωμό. Με περίμενε, ωστόσο, μία άσχημη έκπληξη. Σαν ήρθε ο σολωμός, αρχικά η δυνατή μυρωδιά των μπαχαρικών της σάλτσας υπερκάλυψε το γεγονός ότι ο σολωμός ήταν χαλασμένος. Εντέλει, όμως, προφανώς το κατάλαβα. Η δυσωδία ήταν φοβερή και η γεύση χειρότερη, όπως επιβεβαίωσε κι ο συνδαιτημών μου. Ενοχλημένη που θα μου ζητούσαν κιόλας να πληρώσω 9 ευρώ γι'αυτό το πιάτο, κάλεσα το σερβιτόρο κι αφού παραπονέθηκα ζήτησα να μαζέψει τα πιάτα και να φέρει το λογαριασμό, μιας και είχε αρχίσει ήδη το στομάχι μου να διαμαρτύρεται παράξενα και δυσοίωνα. Προς τεράστιά μου έκπληξη και θυμό, μου γέλασε κατάμουτρα και είπε ότι θα περάσει το μήνυμά μου και μέσα. Στη συνέχεια, ούτε μάνατζερ, ούτε σεφ, αλλά ούτε και μειωμένος λογαριασμός δεν ήρθε στο τραπέζι και το κερασάκι στην τούρτα ήταν η έλλειψη τούρτας, τουτέστιν ούτε και γλυκό δε μας έφεραν! Λες και αυτοί ήταν οι προσβεβλημένοι της υπόθεσης! Πραγματικά απίστευτο.
Δεδομένου ότι πέρασα το υπόλοιπο της βραδιάς αγκαλιασμένη με το νιπτήρα, βγάζοντας τον "πόνο" μου σ'αυτόν, θα'πρεπε να χαίρονται, πιστεύω, που δεν έκανα λόγο για καμία τροφική δηλητηρίαση. Όπως και νά'χει απογοητεύτηκα οικτρά όχι μόνο από το ίδιο το περιστατικό, αλλά πρωτίστως από τον τρόπο που το χειρίστηκαν. Λάθη, όπως ξέρουμε όλοι, συμβαίνουν παντού, λάθη είμαστε, ανθρώπους κάνουμε άλλωστε, ωστόσο αν είχαν φερθεί λίγο πιο ευγενικά και πολιτισμένα, όπως θα περίμενε κανείς από οποιοδήποτε καλό εστιατόριο, τότε ίσως και να μην ανέφερα το περιστατικό αυτό, ή αν τό'κανα θα'ταν σ'ένα θετικό πλαίσιο, ότι μπορεί το μαγαζί να επανορθώσει άξια ακόμη και σε περίπτωση λάθους και μπράβο τους. Όπως έχει, όμως, η κατάσταση λυπάμαι, γιατί πίστευα θα μπορούσε να'ναι ένα πολύ αξιόλογο μαγαζί.


Τέλος πάντων, εντέλει δε σας συμβουλεύω να μην πάτε. Απλώς καταγράφω τα γεγονότα, όπως οφείλω να κάνω σαν foodblogger και σας ενημερώνω. Τα συμπεράσματα δικά σας...

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Posted in: Almyra,Chinese,Ierapetra,Italian,Restaurant

Status report!

                                Hey there everyone! Just a quicky here to explain why I haven't been posting anything for so long or replying to comments etc. Unfortunately, I have contracted Glandular Fever (the aptly and epicly named "Kissing Disease") AND something foreboding called Cytomegalic Virus. Lovely, right? Anyway, I've been down with them for quite some time now and the doctor estimates yet more time till I can get out and about to blog about my food escapades again. On the bright side, they aren't really all that serious and I get to eat as much as I like now, yeay! (*Oink, oink*) :)

Anyhow, sorry for delaying to post so long, I just wanted to let you know and I promise to make it up to you once I'm better. Tata for now!

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Saltiness by the Sea!

So the other night I went on a date (yeay!) to a new place that's only just opened in Ierapetra. Rumour had it they served Chinese and Italian. Yes. In Ierapetra. Chinese and Italian. Given we've never had a proper Italian place and the last Chinese restaurant we had closed down years ago, this was something I dared not miss.

It's located right next to "Petra Mare", a fancy(-ish) hotel overlooking the sea. I must say, the look of the restaurant rather catered to my taste. A sturdy stone-wall entrance way led to two different available levels. The top, a group of round tables and chairs with an open air kitchen (always a favourite with me, see La Pasteria) so tongues of fire kept lighting up the surrounding area, the bottom about 5 or 6 tables right above the rocks. As we sat down (3rd table, lower level) I thought to myself, "Mmm, this place is so nice, so pretty, so um.. humid". -The waiter actually had to wipe the water off the table before we could touch it and the red paper napkins were shrivelling up slowly and pitifully in a rather comic way (admittedly, matching paper place mats were not such a grand idea for somewhere so close to the sea)- That having been said, the view was indeed breathtaking. A sandy and rocky beach stretched out just below us, illuminated by white glowing lamps, while waves broke loudly on the shore, sending that lovely salty scent up to greet us throughout the meal and bringing back fuzzy childhood memories. It's no wonder the place is called Αλμύρα (AlmEEra, ie "Saltiness", a name somewhat puzzling initially). To the far right, seemingly out at sea, twinkly lights winked merrily in the distance, one of the rather flattering views of the town (or if you're my mother "the only flattering view of the town"!).

Moving on to the -also paper- menus. These weren't as sodden as the napkins (though the breadsticks, unbelievably, were!), even if they were rather small (then again that might just be the glutton in me, so heed me not). Nonetheless, there were a few (6) Chinese dishes and another few (4) Italian ones, as well as four or five house specials, a combining concept entirely novel for Ierapetra's standards, so bravo for daring. Being myself a voracious eater of Chinese food, I decided to have the Stir fry with Shrimp, Basil and Chilli with Noodles, and my date got the sweet and sour chicken with rice ("Damn!" I thought. Seeing as I'm not a huge fan of the sweet and sour taste, I would not constantly be able "try" my date's meal. I hid my disappointment in a glass of fine white wine.) For starters we ordered local mushrooms ("πλευρώτους") with bacon and balsamic vinegar (yeah, I know, how Chinese is that for you? Lol, they didn't actually have any ethnic salads or starters, so don't judge!)

Mushrooms and Bacon in Balsamic

The local part of the meal actually turned out to be the best part of the meal. You know how mushrooms can sometimes get a little overpowering, especially when you eat quite a few on their own? (At least Cretan ones do, I don't know about other types) Well, the bacon worked beautifully with them, those tender, juicy, sweet wine-and-balsamic-oozing mushrooms on the one hand, the meaty, straightforward bacon on the other, an excellent pairing. After that starter, you can bet we were hankering for more.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Next came the sweet and sour chicken. The piggy in me couldn't resist, so I eventually "tried" a mouthful (or few) and was quite impressed. As a dish in itself it wasn't anything overly spectacular, but it did actually manage to live up to your average asian cuisine expectations, quite the achievement over here. Next came my own dish. Not so impressed. The fact that the waiter announced "SPAGHETTI" with prawns, did not bode well. We spent the better part of an hour arguing whether it was in fact fat egg noodles or accidental spaghetti-turned-noodles-in-the-lack-of-noodles alla typical cretan style. Whatever the truth was, it was not cooked well. The prawns were nice (but then again how can you possibly go wrong there), while the vegetables were also tasty, as was the spicy sauce, even if the whole ensemble scarcely resembled anything remotely Chinese. A stray chickpea in my dish did make for an amusing find though!

Stir Fry noodles with Shrimps, Basil and Chilli

To restore peace and order, the meal was rounded off with a bowl of complimentary vanilla icecream with crumbled digestive biscuits and sour cherries. Yum!


Impressions? Well, all in all I think very good for Ierapetra standards, what with trying to juggle different ethnic cuisines and it being their first couple of weels in the business. The mushrooms were obviously the highlight of the evening, with the chicken living up to expectations and the noodles a bit of a disappointment with regards to Chinesey-culinary-styley, but still rather yumm-ey, so I'm pretty sure I'll give the place another shot. Maybe next time I'll go for a house special. I did actually hear someone comment (it was more of a mouthfull gurgle to be precise) on the souvlaki-looking-satay-chicken so maybe that's up next. ;) Anyhow, if you're tired of the same old rakadiko/taverna scene and want something a bit more posh, pretty and romaaantic (*flutters eyelashes*), go on and give it a go, I expect you'll be quite pleasantly surprised.

In a nutshell

Do you get your money's worth? Yes, it was all reasonably priced. Starters and salads 4-8euros, main meals 7-10 euros each.

Is it worth it? Definitely. Not many places with a view like that, I can tell you.

Will I go again? Yes. It was a good effort and merits a second visit. :)

P.S. After all that praise for the view, one would expect an adequate photo to show it off, buuuut.. the sea spray kept getting in the way of the lens. Humbug.

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Posted in: Almyra,bar,Chinese,Ierapetra,Italian,Restaurant

Ierapetra - Okso, traditional rakadiko in all it's glory.

My fellow foodies, given I'm on holiday in Crete I can't really post anything on Athens, at least until September or so when I get back. I couldn't face not posting anything though, so for the next month or so expect some articles (anyone who's interested that is!) holiday-style. My appetite is as great as ever and I am on the rampage traversing the exotic, hot, LOUD island of Crete. Consider it a small tribute to my semi-Cretan nature.

To start off, naturally I opted for a little typically Cretan "rakadiko" (a small restaurant-cafe style of place, veeeeery common around these parts, where raki is sold -and obviously drunk- in exceedingly large quantities, accompanied by yummy mezedes. In other parts of Greece these establishments would usually be called "mezedopolio", ie places selling mezedes, little bite-sized delicacies, but since raki is the predominant spirit (litteraly and metaphoricaly) in Crete, they're called rak-adiko.). Anyhow, the one I've chosen is called "Okso" ('Οξω), meaning "outdoors" in a very rustic yet jovial-sounding Cretan accent.


 

White House Wine

Choriatiki Salata

Rustic yet jovial is around about the same characterisation I would use to describe the atmosphere and food here. You have the stereotype dark waiters, running about, sweating and desperately trying to keep up with everything, people shouting for more raki and grub, as they laugh and jokingly mock each other whilst all the while keeping an eye -and fork- on the diminishing food in the centre of the table (after all, you can't POSSIBLY have your own plate at a rakadiko!! Shock horror for my visiting English cousin, who ended up hungry since all her -Greek- eating companions grabbed everything in sight). As for the food itself, whether it's the little mezedes brought free of charge with the order of spirits, that usually consist of "house-food", (that is to say dishes prepared by the cook in the variety he wishes each day and served on small plates to keep customers happy and relatively sober, yet whetting their appetites for more), or whether it's the actual orderable dishes for people more than a little peckish (yes, yes, enough with the pointing fingers, we all know that means me), it is fab fab fab.

Meat platter (this one just with pansetta on)

 

Meat pie

We usually order some lovely crispy fried cheeseballs, chips, amazing meat pie (with a mixture of mince and chicken I believe with some heavy spices going on, covered in soft crust with sesame seeds) and mushroom pie (the same soft crust only filled with yummy local mushrooms, melted cheese and bacon). A salad (Choriatiki, all the usual ingredients, ie tomatoes, onions, cucumber, feta cheese, green peppers, fresh olive oil, with the interesting in this case addition of capers). A mixture of selected grilled meats, ie panseta, souvlaki (chicken or pork), beefburgers (or as they're known here "Biftekia"), kebabs, accompanied by chips, salad and flour- or whole-grain flour-pittas on a huge wooden chopping board. If you do decide to visit, get as much panseta as you possibly can. All yummy, juicy, yet crunchy and charred, trust me, it is to die for!

The same meat platter

Also, their house wine (white or red) and raki is top notch. What's more, everything is in cute small portions (apart from the meat!) and soooo ridiculously affordable. When there's quite a few of us we usually end up paying something totally absurd, like 3-6 euros each, and believe you me, we are STUFFED!

Anyway, given it's one of my favourite stops for the summer, and right on the pedestrian district by the sea and always FULL of people, I though it was only acceptable I began with this place!

In a nutshell:

Do you get your money's worth? Most definitely! Starters are priced around 2-5euros (the meat pie is only 3,50euros!!) and the meat is 3euros per panseta (the most expensive cut of meat there). Anyway, depending on the size of the group of people expect to pay between 3-10 euros per person.

Is it worth it? Hello??! Good food, good prices, good atmosphere, what's not to like? :) Just make sure to get there 9.30 at the latest if you want to get any sort of seating, as it's constantly packed throughout the week (hmmm, I wonder why!)

Will I go again? Yeah, yeah, I think we've established I'm there quite often. I'll be there again soon, so I'll post some better pics then.

P.S. You'll recognise the place by it's playful multicoloured chairs. :)

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Posted in: Ierapetra,Okso,Rakadiko,Restaurant,Traditional Cretan

An exotic little corner in Zografou

A great cafe to head for in Zografou is unarguably Philleas Fogg. As a place it seems to cater for all interests and weathers: it's great in the summer, absolutely awesome in the winter & I guess I'm not the only one who recognises that fact, since it's almost always full.

What makes this one of my favourite spots is it's unique atmosphere. Outside is a mixture of cushioned sofas, glass doors, bamboo chairs, intricate black metal tables and lush-leaved trees. The surrounding tall bushes give it a secluded feel, ideal for when you just need a nice cool getaway from the Athens summer heat. (Admittedly, it'd be even nicer if they had fans, but hey). The inside, in my opinion, however is even better, though designed more for winter use, since it gets rather stuffy in summer. The walls and floors are absolutely covered in all these weird and wonderful little exotic finds, from plush Indian cushions & red wooden rocking-horses, to wok-shaped bar lights, glittering chandeliers and portraits of dogs in tuxedoes(!). Even some of the furniture is antique in a way that makes you want to smack someone just for trying to sit there. As decor goes, it really does seem to take you round the world, as the name would imply.

Now, if you do decide to visit Phileas, definitely try some of their loose tea. Even if the choice is a little limited compared to other places I have in mind ("A Happy Playce") what flavours they do have are truly amazing. My personal favourites are -"Vissinokipos" (vee-ssee-NO-kee-poss), meaning "Cherry garden", ie green tea with black cherry and red cherry, and -"Rococo Tea", a mixture of green and black tea with rich undertones of caramel and pineapple. Also give the "Mayan Treasure" a try, it's a black tea with whole pieces of dark, unmelting chocolate. It might not be as awe-inspiring for tea-lovers as the former two, but it still has quite a stand-out-ish aroma.

As a place, they do offer other treats too, such as apple pie, icecream, a selection of sandwiches, but in truth, it's their tea, and sometimes coffee, that draws me there apart from the atmosphere.

Now, another very odd and interesting thing about this cafe (and I'm sorry to bring it up, but it definitely deserved to be mentioned) is... their bathrooms! For lack of a better word they are totally kaleidoscopic! The walls, floor and ceiling are covered in tiny square white, black, copper- and gold-coloured tiles, in overlapping patterns, so that just walking in makes you dizzy! I would have loooved to take some pics, but simply imagine someone walking in on me: "Oh...I was just...um...photographing...the loo?" Decidedly too weird to contemplate. What peeves me off though is that their gold-plated mirrors presume one is at least 5 foot 7 (1,70m) or something, as opposed to my 5 foot..um..close to nothing.

Anyway, if you're in the area, whatever age you are, you should definitely give this place a try. There aren't that many exotic spots in Zografou, but this is one of them.

In a nutshell:

• Do you get your money's worth?: Yep. Average prices for a coffee shop in Athens.
• Is it worth it?: As I said, it's definitely worth trying for anyone in the area. Especially at night. (They have twinkly lights too, yeay!)
• Will I go again?: Given I've just sung it's praise and it's relatively near me, yes, I in all probability will.

See Phileas Fogg on a larger map

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Posted in: bar,Cafe,Phileas Fogg,Zografou

Update on Colibri!! / Κολιμπρί: Δεύτερη Δόση!!

                            

Για Ελληνικά, κυλήστε απαλά και όμορφα το ποντίκι κάτω!

So a couple of weeks ago, as a break from exam studying (that's why I haven't posted anything for so long, SORRY!!!) we arranged to go to Colibri again for a treat. I know I've already uploaded an article, so I'll keep this short and sweet, since I just wanted to post some new pics and data on the place. To read the entire article and full info, see Colibri.

Having already tried the gorgeous pesto pizza, I opted for the personal-size portion of Prosciutto Pizza. We are talking fabulous... As a base, their amazing signature crust, nicely crisp and slighlty charred, firm and unprone to falling limp when picked up, as described in the afore-mentioned post. On top, lovely melted mozzarella, topped with fresh rocket, gorgeous prosciutto, parmezan, halved cherry tomatoes and freshly ground black pepper. Now how can you possibly go wrong with that refreshing summer combo?? I wasn't disappointed, but we ordered the full size pesto pizza again for good measure, since I still think it's the best they offer, and well.. We needed to pig out! Lol




My companion tried the Plain Burger, a juicy, springy-to-the-touch beefburger, with greens, tomato, onion, ketchup and mayo, served with crunchy country fries and their tangy barbecue sauce. From what I tried, it was one of the best burgers I've had, even if I am more of a cheese- than ham-burger person. So Colibri I feel justly deserves praise as the best pizza joint in town and one of the best hamburger and salad stops too. All that remains now is to give their pasta flavours a whirl, although I'm convinced they'll be delicious too, judging by those mouthwatering aromas pervading the air around us.
Therefore, once again, definitely give this place a try, I guarantee you won't be the least bit sorry, both price- and taste-wise.

P.S. I found it it isn't possible after all to book a table in advance, so be wary of which days and hours you choose to go! (Again, see Colibri)
TTFN! (For those of you who didn't EVER watch Winnie the pooh, that's "Tata for Now!")

                       Πριν κανά δυο βδομάδες, αποφασίσαμε να ξαναεπισκεφτούμε το Κολιμπρί, για να ξεσκάσουμε και μεις λίγο απ’το διάβασμα της εξεταστικής (α, ναι, έχουμε και την εξεταστική, γι’αυτό δεν έχω ανεβάσει τίποτα τόσο καιρό, συγνώμη!!). Έχω ήδη γράψει, βέβαια, για το συγκεκριμένο μέρος, αλλά… αξίζει σίγουρα και μία μικρή δεύτερη αναφορά, έτσι, ξέρετε τώρα, απλά να σιγουρευτούμε ότι δεν ήταν θέμα τύχης η γευστική απόλαυση της προηγούμενης επίσκεψης…! (Για να διαβάσετε το original, εκτενέστερο άρθρο και για ακριβή τοποθεσία, πατήστε εδώ.)

Την προηγούμενη φορά, αν θυμάστε, είχαμε δοκιμάσει την θεϊκή πίτσα με πέστο (αααααχ), οπότε για αλλαγή διάλεξα τώρα την Πίτσα με Prosciutto, μέγεθος ατομικό. Καλά, είναι που είναι φοβερό το προσούτο από μόνο του, συνδύασέ το μ’αυτή τη φοβερή, χαρακτηριστικά τραγανή και λεπτή κρούστα του Colibri,  περιχυμένη με λιωμένη μοτσαρέλα και φρέσκια ρόκα, ντοματίνια κομμένα, και λεπτές φλούδες παρμεζάνας με φρέσκο μαύρο πιπέρι.. Αϊ αϊ αϊιιιιιι, τα’σπασε!! Είναι αδύνατον να μη μείνεις γευστικά ικανοποιημένος απ’αυτή την επιλογή, αλλά, σαν καλά γουρουνάκια, πήραμε και μία μεγάλη πίτσα με πέστο να σκάσουμε! Το’χαμε άλλωστε ανάγκη και λόγω εξεταστικής... (Καλά, λέμε τώρα)

Ο φίλος μου πήρε και ένα Απλό Χάμπουγκερ: ξεροψημένο αλλά ζουμερό μπιφτέκι, με μαρούλι, ντομάτα, κρεμμύδι, κέτσαπ και μαγιονέζα, σερβιρισμένο με μία πικάντικη σάλτσα μπάρμπεκιου. Φοβερό κι αυτό, κι ας προτιμώ εν γένει τα τσιζμπεργκερ απ’ότι τα χάμπουγκερ. Γενικά λοιπόν, καταλήγουμε με βεβαιότητα πλέον, πιστεύω, ότι το Κολιμπρί είναι σαφώς η καλύτερη πιτσαρία της Αθήνας (που έχω δοκιμάσει ως τώρα) και άξια επαινούνται συνεχώς και τα μπέργκερ του. Τώρα το μόνο που μένει είναι να δοκιμάσω και τις μακαρονάδες τους (κι άλλη δικιολογία να παω, ναιιιι!!! ;) )… Ποιος ξέρει, ίσως συναγωνιστούν και τα αγαπημένα μου μακαρόνια (στο Λα Παστερία φυσικά). Πάντως μύριζαν υπέροχα στα γύρω τραπέζια! (Αμάν, το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι θα πρέπει να μείνω πολύυυυυ μακριά απ’αυτό το μέρος αν δε θέλω να παχύνω!!) Μείνετε συντονισμένοι λοιπόν για περαιτέρω επισκέψεις. :) Αν έχετε να μοιραστείτε και δικές σας Colibri εμπειρίες ποστάρετέ τες με το παραπάνω!

Σας συμβουλεύω να δοκιμάσετε όπως και δήποτε αυτό το στέκι, δε θα το μετανιώσετε (και όχι, δεν χορηγούμαι από κανένα μαγαζί ή προϊόν (δυστυχώς ή ευτυχώς!) οπότε ό,τι γράφω είναι αμερόληπτο, μπορείτε να μ'εμπιστεύεστε).

Υ.Γ. Τελικά δε γίνεται να κλείσεις τραπέζι, οπότε να’χετε το νου σας για τις ώρες και μέρες που επιλέγετε να πάτε! (Για λεπτομέρειες ξανακοιτάξτε το Colibri).

Bb για την ώρα..! :*

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Posted in: Burger,Colibri,Italian,Pagrati,Pasta,Pizza,Restaurant,Salads

Pauuul? Wo ist der Paul?*

                           Last week, having been prompted by a specific TV show on some good places to visit in Athens, I decided to take my Mum (who is visiting me) and head to Paul, a little patisserie-boulangerie smack-bam in the centre of Athens, just across the road from Attica. To look at, it had said to me:  "Posh, expensivo, AVOID!", which is probably why I've subconsciously avoided it these past 3 years. Let me just say I've been kicking myself for missing out all this time!

                      



As I went in I was struck by how tiny this place was, yet how many people seemed to be working (and queuing there). It had an air of rusticity about it, like a little wooden French bakery in the middle of nowhere. That smell of wood immediately transported me back to England. So nostalgic! My mother (British, has been to France loads) was ecstatic and vowed to bring some other ex-pat friends of hers within the week. Baguettes upon baguettes were stacked on the wall and counter so high you could barely see the assistans' white hats. From the beige-y walls and wooden beams hung old-fashioned portraits and adverts, while a sign inside proclaimed "Pains Rustiques et de Fantaisie" (Rustic and Fantastic Breads). Indeed!

To the right as we walked in was a glass counter (ah yes, you know this is the good part!), in which could be found literally anything you could want from a French patisserie! Sandwiches (baguettes of course), with fillings ranging from salads to grilled chicken and sauce to salami, piled high one on top of the other, with a culmination of these amazing baked baguettes with chicken and mozzarella, caked in melted parmesan and bechamel, briochettes with savoury or sweet fillings, any kind of gorgeous quiche you could want, from the classic quiche loraine, to quiches with cream-sauce filling or vegetable stuffing. Salads, all sorts. Tartes with fruit toppings (although a friend said these weren't terribly good), cream, lemon or chocolate tourtes, colourful, chewy macarons, big and small, mini escargots aux raisins (=pastries with raisins baked in a swirl, like a snail, hence the name), pretzels, weird and wonderful dough shapes semi- or fully-covered in chocolate, biscuits, even mini syrupy dough balls that looked like upturned jelly moulds. And, of course, famous french pain au chocolat and any kind of crispy, lovely, classic aromatic croissant you'd expect (almond, plain, cream-filled, chocolate-filled etc.)! (Although, with regards to Croissants I think there is another, even better place in Athens, but that'll have to wait till another article. ;) )

                           Unfortunately, I am indecisive by nature. And amidst all those mouthwatering choices, smells and sights I was reduced to a babbling, quivering lump. I finally decided to get the Quiche aux Legumes (=Vegetable Quiche) (and had to shout it out 3 times before the assistant actually saw me over all the baguettes, let alone served me!) whereas my mother got a Salad Fermiere (=Farmer's Salad). The Quiche was aMAzing! It had soft potato, tomato, aubergine, courgettes, onion and basil, all in a delicious egg custard with a lovely thick crust. (Note: Ask to have it warmed up!) The Salad was equally tasty: normal iceberg lettuce, lollo rosso (red lettuce with a slightly nutty taste), batons of carrot and emmental cheese, topped with grilled chicken, walnuts, raisins and slices of apple. It came with a mini chunk of French Bread. Very interesting combinations!

Quiche aux Legumes

Salad fermiere

                                     We were quite impressed, especially by the fact that everything was made fresh on site (the smell "broke your nose" as the Greeks like to say!). No wonder there was a continuous line to the till. Although the customers (from business men on their lunchbreak, to ditsy "high-class" Kolonaki women complete with fried-died hair, teetering on ridiculously high heels) seemed to come in batches: one moment there was a row of 15 people that could barely fit through the door, the next we were alone. Weird!



                                     Anywho, to sum up, if you're in the area and fancy a spot of light lunch, this could very well be the choice for you! Definitely a change from your average Greek bakery.

In a nutshell:

Do you get your money's worth?: Well, the truth is it is a little pricey for a bakery. Expect to pay between 4-6 euros per person. But if you get a quiche or any of their "unusual" items, it is definitely worth it a mon opinion!
Is it worth it?: Sure, if you fancy that sort of thing and you're in the centre, there aren't very many other "light" options around really.
Will I go again?: You bet! I have my eye on that classic quiche lorraine...

See PAUL on larger map

*For anyone wondering what the hell I'm on about in the title, see: Youtube Advert about lucky octopus. I know it's silly, but everytime I hear the name Paul I've been brainwashed into saying "Wo ist der Paul??" or "Der Paul ist weg!!" Stupid, yes. Moving on.

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Posted in: Bakery,Centre of Athens,Desserts,French Food,Paul

Best pizza in Athens? Check!! / Η καλύτερη πίτσα στην Αθήνα!!

Για Ελληνικά κυλήστε απαλά και όμορφα το ποντίκι κάτω (κάτω απ'το χάρτη!)


                              Last night I finally got around to visiting Colibri, a pizza/burger/salad/general feel-good-(and then bad the next day)-food joint in Mets, the area behind Pagrati. Pretty central one could say. Anyway, I had heard from more than one source that this was the place to get a mean (and lean-priced) pizza. I am ecstatic to say: the rumours were indeed true.

                              When we arrived at around 21.30, Colibri was jam-packed, there were loads of people waiting and.... we hadn't reserved a table (BEEEEP! Error!!). It wasn't like there were very many tables to begin with, but especially at that day and hour it was hideously difficult to find somewhere to sit. At that point I was so hungry and disappointed that it was all I could do to simply collapse on a stool at the bar and stare longingly at the menu, the other diners and, mainly, their food, in that order. After dithering a while, we decided to order a pizza and play it by ear.
In the meantime (eh-hem, that is to say the next hour), two other groups of customers were seated and then thankfully we were too. Since we managed to find a table, we decided to make the order a little more rounded and hence got a salad, beer and soft-drink too. I made myself a shandy lager (lemonade and beer) to while away the hungry minutes.

 

Pizza Pesto alla Genovese

                               Finally the pizza arrived. We had ordered the Pesto alla Genovese, and let me say quite frankly that, if possible, it turned out to be more than worth the wait. We are talking amazing. The best pizza I've had in Athens, Crete, England, you name it. Beautiful, hard, slightly (and therefore tastily) charred thin crust that simply did not go limp in the hand when picked up, topped with melted mozzarella, authentic pesto sauce (that you could smell for miles, trust me, I knew it was coming before I saw it) and mini cherry tomatoes. After I wolfed down a couple of pieces, my brain actually started working and I could process the taste. The pesto gushed in every bite and the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes nicely balanced out that slightly bitter edge of basil. It was simply gorgeous. So much so in fact, we had nearly finished it before remembering the salad! It was, unfortunately, equally good (ie we had to eat it all of that too). Penne with garlic-oil, olives, tomato, green peppers and onion. The garlic-oil really made it in my opinion. Loved it, although I had to brush my teeth and rince my mouth out three times before the taste even began to recede!

Insalate di Pasta (sorry if I've misspelt it!)

                                        As we ate, we noticed that the tables around us had ordered hamburgers, other salads and pasta-dishes. All of them looked amazing and smelt even more mouth-watering, which, as we all know, is the better indicator. The atmosphere was light and jolly, but what I liked the most was the subtle lighting and the funky music that wasn't deafening. There was a canopy of leaves above us from the surrounding trees, making up a cool spot on a sweltering summer's eve (the first in a row of many for this year, as usual). All in all very pleasant.

                                       To make the meal even better, we were happily surprised when the bill came. All of the above came down to less than 10euros per person. Now, how can you not love that?

In a nutshell: 

• Do you get your money's worth?: Absolutely! The pizzas come in two sizes: Individual (which is more than enough for a light meal for two people) ranging from 5-7euros, and Large (two people are stuffed) ranging from 9-12euros. Salads around 4-6euros. Burgers beginning at 5 or 6euros if I remember correctly. Expect a total of 10-15euros per person.
• Is it worth it?: Hello?! Didn't you read the article? Definitely worth it. If you live nearby and can order so as to avoid the crowd, even better. If you go, bear in mind: 20.00-23.00=rush hour at weekends. So book in advance.
• Will I go again?: I can hardly wait. :) (see below)

See Colibri on larger size map 

Since I really could hardly wait,  here are some sneak pics from my next visit to Colibri (see Update on Colibri!!) 

                           

Χθες βράδυ κατάφερα επιτέλους να επισκεφτώ το Κολιμπρί (Colibri), ένα μέρος για πίτσα/burgers/σαλάτα/φαγητά-γενικότερα-που-σε-κάνουν-να-νιώθεις-φοβερά-εκείνη-τη-στιγμή-και-τύψεις-το-πρωί, στο Μετς, την περιοχή πίσω από το Παγκράτι. Κεντρικά δηλαδή. Είχα ακούσει ότι το συγκεκριμένο μαγαζί έκανε τις απίστευτες πίτσες σε απίστευτες τιμές. Μπορώ να πω, με μεγάλη μου χαρά, ότι αυτή τη φορά έστω οι φήμες απεδείχθησαν αληθείς.

Φτάσαμε κατά τις 21.30 και το μέρος ήταν τίγκα... Και εννοώ ΤΙΓΚΑ! Και η μπάρα μια απ’τα ίδια, γεμάτη από άλλες παρέες που επίσης περίμεναν. Εξ αρχής βέβαια δεν υπήρχαν και τα φοβερά πολλά τραπέζια, αλλά ειδικά τέτοια μέρα και ώρα.. σκούρα τα πράματα. Μ’έπιασε απογοήτευση, βάλε και την πείνα που μου έγδερνε το στομάχι, σωριάστηκα απλώς σ'ένα σκαμπό στην μπάρα, ένα απ'αυτά τα "ωραία" τα "τώρα θα πέσω, τώρα δε θα πέσω", και άρχισα να κοιτώ σαλιαρίζοντας μία το μενού, μία τους υπόλοιπους πελάτες, δηλαδή τις παραγγελίες τους. Μετά από πολλή συζήτηση αποφάσισαμε να παραγγείλουμε μια πίτσα και να το παίξουμε φλου.

Μέσα στην επόμενη ώρα κάθισαν δύο άλλες ξεβρασμένες στην μπάρα παρέες και εντέλει, ευτυχώς, κι εμείς. Μιας και καταφέραμε να βρούμε τραπέζι λοιπόν, αποφασίσαμε να κάνουμε στρογγυλέψουμε λίγο παραπάνω την παραγγελία μας και πήραμε μια σαλάτα έξτρα, μία μπύρα και ένα αναψυκτικό. Σαν απάντηση στους παραπονεμένους βρυχηθμούς της κοιλιάς μου έφτιαξα ένα shandy lager (sprite ή λεμονάδα με μπύρα) μέχρι να’ρθει το φαϊ.

Αρκετά αργότερα ήρθε η πίτσα. Μία Pesto alla Genovese και, όσο σοκαριστικό κι αν ακουστεί, ανταμοιφθήκαμε πλήρως για την όποια ταλαιπωρία και αναμονή. Μία pizza απερίγραπτη. Μία pizza απίστευτη. Σαφώς η καλύτερη που είχα φάει ποτέ σε Αθήνα, Κρήτη, Αγγλία. Πανέμορφη κρούστα, σκληρή και τραγανή, απαλά και νόστιμα καμένη. Σήκωνες ένα κομμάτι και δεν "λιγοθυμούσε" στα χέρια σου όπως οι άλλες γνωστές πίτσες. Από πάνω; Λιωμένη μοτσαρέλα, αυθεντικό πέστο*, που έσπαγε μύτες εξ αποστάσεως, και ντοματίνια. Αφού καταβρόχθισα δύο κομμάτια, πήρε μπρος επιτέλους το μυαλό μου και μπόρεσα να επεξεργαστώ λίγο παραπάνω τις γεύσεις που με κατακλύζανε. Το πέστο ξεχείλιζε με κάθε δαγκωνιά, το ελαφρώς πικρό του βασιλικού εξισορροπημένο πλήρως από τη γλύκα και οξύτητα των ντοματίνιων. Πανέμορφο. Τόσο πολύ μας συνεπήρε δε, που κοντέψαμε να ξεχάσουμε τη σαλάτα! Δυστυχώς... Ήταν εξ ίσου καλή. Επέβαλε να τη φάμε όλη. Πένες με σκορδόλαδο, ελιές, ντομάτα, πράσινες πιπεριές και κρεμμύδι. Το μεγάλο μπαμ της υπόθεσης το΄κανε μου φαίνεται το λάδι, το πλούσια αρωματισμένο με σκόρδο. Το λάτρεψα, έστω κι αν σκότωνα μετά κόσμο και κοσμάκη με την αναπνοή μου.!

Πάνω στη μάσα παρατηρήσαμε ότι τα γύρω τραπέζια είχαν παραγγείλει χάμπουργκερ, άλλες σαλάτες και μακαρονάδες. Όλα φαίνονταν υπέροχα και μύριζαν ακόμα καλύτερα, σού’τρεχαν διαρκώς τα σάλια. Η ατμόσφαιρα ανάλαφρη και ευχάριστη, αλλά αυτό που μου άρεσε κυρίως ήταν ο διακριτικός φωτισμός και η funky μουσική που δεν έσπαγε τύμπανα. Ήταν μια ευχάριστη αλλαγή. Από πάνω μας αγκαλιάζονταν δεντρόκλαδα με πυκνές φυλλωσιές, δημιουργώντας ένα δροσερό μέρος ιδανικό για τις αφόρητες νύχτες του αθηναϊκού καλοκαιριού.

Η βραδιά ολοκληρώθηκε με μία ακόμη ευχάριστη έκπληξη, όταν μας ήρθε ο λογαριασμός. Όλα τα παραπάνω ανέρχονταν σε λιγότερο από δέκα ευρώ το άτομο! Και ποιος λέει ότι δε βρίσκονται ευκαιρίες για φαγητό τη σήμερον ημέρα…

Συνοπτικά:

·         Τα Αξίζει τα Λεφτά του; Βεβαίως. Οι πίτσες διατίθενται σε δύο μεγέθη: Ατομική (η οποία υπεραρκεί ως ελαφρύ γεύμα για δύο άτομα) στα 5-7 ευρώ και Μεγάλη (δύο άτομα σκάνε) στα 9-12 ευρώ. Σαλάτες γύρω στα 4-6 ευρώ, ενώ τα μπέργκερ ξεκινάνε στα 5 ή 6 ευρώ αν θυμάμαι καλά. Σύνολο, εντέλει, γύρω στα 10-15 ευρώ το άτομο.

·         Αξίζει να πάει κανείς; Μα καλά, δεν το διαβάσατε το άρθρο;; Δε νομίζω ότι τίθεται ερώτηση. Αν σ’αρέσει η πίτσα πας. Αν μένει κανείς και κοντά, δηλαδή Παγκράτι και Μετς, μπορεί και να παραγγείλει για να αποφύγει τα πλήθη. Αλλά αν πάτε, να έχετε κατά νου: 20.00-23.00=φοβερή κίνηση τα Σαββατοκύριακα.

·         Θα ξαναπήγαινα; Φυσικά, και ανυπομονώ! (δείτε και πιο πάνω τις φώτο απ'την επόμενη επίσκεψή μου και διαβάστε περισσότερα εδώ).

Για την ακριβή τοποθεσία, δείτε παραπάνω και τον χάρτη!

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Posted in: Colibri,Pagrati,Pasta,Pizza,Restaurant,Salads,Street Food