Greek food is hearty, delicious, and has had centuries to evolve to its modern-day niche in Mediterranean cuisine. My recent trip to Athens I made sure to sample all the classic Greek staples, and enjoyed everything I tried.
First I had to have spanikopita, the spinach-filled pastry that may be my favorite Greek dish:
Then souvlaki, grilled meat (I chose chicken) served in a pita with vegetables and sauces, and often fries:
This souvlaki was from Boutique, a nice cafe with gourmet souvlaki that's lighter than the (often greasy) typical street food. Souvlaki is to me the quintessential Greek meal after a long day in the sun.
I also tried dakos, a traditional Cretan salad with tomatoes and feta over bread:
And for breakfast the freddo-cappuccino:
While Italians typically don't serve iced coffee - ask for a cold cappuccino and they'd look at you like you're crazy - with the hot climate in Greece, thankfully Greeks have adopted a whole variety of incredible iced coffees. "Freddo" means cold in Italian, so the Greek "freddo-cappuccino" literally means cold cappuccino, and reflects what I consider to be a brilliant culinary adaptation.
Of course the most beautiful place to eat in Greece is by the sea:
The last night we had an assortment of mezzes (small plates) with ouzo, the classic Greek liquor, to sample lots of different dishes: dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, and feta), tzatziki dip, and moussaka, a bubbling eggplant casserole baked traditionally in a clay pot. A fantastic culinary trip!
First I had to have spanikopita, the spinach-filled pastry that may be my favorite Greek dish:
Then souvlaki, grilled meat (I chose chicken) served in a pita with vegetables and sauces, and often fries:
This souvlaki was from Boutique, a nice cafe with gourmet souvlaki that's lighter than the (often greasy) typical street food. Souvlaki is to me the quintessential Greek meal after a long day in the sun.
I also tried dakos, a traditional Cretan salad with tomatoes and feta over bread:
And for breakfast the freddo-cappuccino:
While Italians typically don't serve iced coffee - ask for a cold cappuccino and they'd look at you like you're crazy - with the hot climate in Greece, thankfully Greeks have adopted a whole variety of incredible iced coffees. "Freddo" means cold in Italian, so the Greek "freddo-cappuccino" literally means cold cappuccino, and reflects what I consider to be a brilliant culinary adaptation.
Of course the most beautiful place to eat in Greece is by the sea:
The last night we had an assortment of mezzes (small plates) with ouzo, the classic Greek liquor, to sample lots of different dishes: dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), Greek salad (tomatoes, cucumber, and feta), tzatziki dip, and moussaka, a bubbling eggplant casserole baked traditionally in a clay pot. A fantastic culinary trip!
