So About Greek Food...

Prior to traveling abroad, I didn't realize how much of impact it would have on my perspective of food. Not only the taste, but also the experience. It is still amazing to me how the style of food and ingredients change so dramatically depending on what part of the world you are eating in. Culture is a wonderful thing and experiencing these differences has enlightened both my life and my palate. 

With that being said, I still doubt that I qualify as a "foodie", but ever since having perfectly cooked duck in Paris, Florentine steak in Tuscany, or melt-in-your-mouth lamb shanks in Greece, I can't help but have a new appreciation for what I eat. On our most recent trip to Greece, we had so many new culinary experiences at different restaurants. Below were our favorites. I hope you enjoy!

Liondi: This touristy restaurant in central Athens is located right outside the perimeter of the Acropolis. If it wasn't for a TripAdvisor find, reinforced by a recommendation from our apartment host, we probably would have looked for something more "off the beaten path". It is neighbored by many other outdoor eateries that are commonly found near major attractions in European cities. They are usually known for these prime locations, but generally have what I would call "standard" quality food. This was not the case for Liondi. Having just set our bags down after landing in Athens, we went directly to lunch. We all ordered tall local lagers called "Mythos" (except for Kailah, who was toting that baby bump), which were especially refreshing in the 90 degree summer day. For food, we ordered family style, sharing everything. We had souvlaki, stuffed peppers, mushrooms, octopus, calamari and on and on. Everything was absolutely delicious. For classic Athenian fare, I would go back to touristy Liondi in a second. 

Aegean Restaurant: This was another TripAdvisor "find" backed by a local recommendation. Upon arriving at our caldera side hotel (Zenith Blue), we prodded our host for where we should eat. It just so happened that his recommendation was the place we had made reservations for. A five minute walk lead us to one of the best restaurant views in the world and absolutely the best lamb shank I have ever had. The air was warm, the sun was setting, the beer was cold and the food was fantastic. If you stay in Imerovigli, this place is a no-brainer. 

Candouni: I always try and ask the locals where we should eat and am definitely not afraid to cancel a reservation to switch gears and eat somewhere that is recommended to us. This is exactly what happened with Candouni. We were riding in our hotel shuttle after arriving in Santorini, when we slowed down and picked up a woman carrying four grocery bags. She was a friend of the driver and needed a lift. We got chatting with her and she told us about her friends restaurant that had great food and live music on Tuesdays. Since it was Monday, that was pretty much all I needed to give it a shot the following evening. When we got to the hotel, I asked the owner to make reservations for us the following night (Tuesday) and go figure, he too was a friend of the restaurant owner. It turned out to be an amazing experience. We sat outside in the warm evening air, with ivy covering the trellis overhead, and live Greek music being playing in the background. The service, meals and wine were absolutely superb. One specific detail that stood out to me was the Meze. In Greece, Meze is a group of small plates served before a meal. We ordered a house selection for the entire table and all of us got to sample the cheeses, dipping sauces, breads, olives and other small dishes. This was an amazing way to finish out a relaxing day on the beautiful island. 

Lets Eat: How did we discover this on our second to last day? This place was simple. They served fantastic gyros for $6. Chicken, or lamb, stuffed with tzatziki sauce, veggies and french fries. I could have eaten lunch here every day, but despite finding it in the waning hours of our trip, we still managed to go for two rounds at this little eatery. 

Oroscopo: We're walking around Athens on our last night of the trip in search of food. I had this restaurant that I found on TripAdvisor called Oroscopo in my mind, but I wasn't sure we'd find it. If we did find it, I doubted there would be a table open for six people. By the time we were in its vicinity (based on my phone's GPS), we were really starting to get hungry and I decided it was best to end the wild goose chase and sit down anywhere to eat. Then we came upon a square with several restaurants, so I told the ladies to walk to the right and see if they could find anything, and the two of us guys would check the left. That's when Oroscopo literally fell right into my lap. I asked the host if he had a table and as fate would have it, he did. To make a long story short, the food was amazing (as I'm sure you expected), the service went above and beyond and the value was tremendous. In addition to our meals, we were treated to fresh breads, delicious soups and decadent desserts, which were all completely "on the house". On top of that, after "the moms" and I drowned our second carafe of wine, the waiter offered to bring us a third free of charge. We thanked him, but waved the white flag, as we had struggled to finish the previous carafe. So what did he do? Marches right into the kitchen and comes back with six shot glasses, a bottle of limoncello and a bottle of a clear liquor! Needless to say, it was a joyous walk back to the hotel. If you visit Athens, go to Oroscopo - they will not disappoint!

Santorini

Our view from our terrace at Zenith Blue hotel in the town of Imerovigli, on the Greek island of Santorini

Santorini is a 360 degree, panoramic postcard. As you step out onto your balcony each morning and your eyes adjust to that bright Aegean sun, you literally have to pinch yourself to make sure what you are seeing is real. It's hard for me to compare it to anything. It has the jaw dropping depth of the Grand Canyon, but filled with glistening, deep blue, waters and is topped with bright white towns gazing down from the rim of the caldera. When you compare this beauty, with unbelievable Greek cuisine, it's honestly one of the most difficult places to leave. 

We stayed in a small town between Fira and Oia (the two largest areas) called Imerovigli. There are a few restaurants and stores, but it is mostly comprised of hotels and vacation rentals. Imerovigli provides an even more commanding view than Fira and greatly reduces the hustle and bustle found in either Fira or Oia. This makes it a nice getaway for leaving the throngs of tourists that pour onto the island every day when the ferries and cruise ships arrive. Our accommodation was a hotel called "Zenith Blue" and we would absolutely recommend our stay to other travelers. The rooms are all set into the side of the caldera, like caves, and each offer private terraces to relax and enjoy the views. The hotel also provides a quality rotating breakfast every morning (much like most European accommodations).

In comparison to Athens, we slowed our pace WAY down once we hit Santorini. For Kailah and I, most days would start with a 30 minute, downhill trek to Fira, stopping for espressos and smoothies along the way (and the occasional sweet crepe). We loved exploring Fira and Firastefani (the only town between) during this time of the day because the tourists hadn't arrived and we could enjoy the meandering lanes and various shops. The shops and food stalls contained anything you could think of; olive oil, crepes, ouzo, t-shirts, donkey soap, dresses, etc. Once our wallets were empty, we would then make the sweaty return journey back uphill to our hotel, for a quick shower and breakfast. By then, the rest of our crew had emerged from their morning ritual as well and were ready for a day of relaxing by the pool. 

Although our entire Santorini experience was outstanding, there is one in particular that really stood out for me. One afternoon, following a few hours by the pool, we had Santorini Sailing Center pick us up at our hotel and shuttle us over to the docks in Oia. Our destination was a 16 person catamaran, where we would spend 6 hours in the caldera, swimming in the Aegean sea, bathing in the volcanic hot springs, exploring the coastline and literally sailing into the sunset. All food and beverages (soda, water, beer and wine) were included in our rate. They say that there is nowhere on earth that offers a sunset that compares to a Santorini sunset (see what I did there?). Having been fortunate enough to watch that burning globe fall below the horizon from our catamaran, glass of Greek wine in hand, I would have to agree. 

More on cuisine coming soon!

Kyle

Journey through the Cyclades

While we had an amazing time exploring the Athenian streets and architecture of ancient Greece, we were ready for some relaxation in the sun. Our destination was the furthest island in the Cyclades archipelago, which goes by the name of Santorini. Most people know this gorgeous island by its famous, blue-topped, white washed churches and jaw dropping views. In addition, most visitors also find it interesting to learn that these beautiful panoramas were actually developed when this now crescent shaped island, was once a sizable volcano. In 1646 BC, the mountain erupted and collapsed, creating the ringed caldera that we are familiar with today. 

Our journey began in the port of Athens on a 7:25 AM Blue Star Delos Ferry, which would take about 7 hours of elapsed time to meet our destination. Sounds like a long, uncomfortable "ferry" ride, right? Fortunately for us, this was much more like a cruise ship than a ferry boat. In addition, we booked a stateroom for the ride down, so that we could get some rest, just in case our antics kept us up too late in Athens the night before. The stateroom came with 4 beds, a full bath (with shower) and access to the ships business lounge seats/service. Since we booked the entire room with our party, we got a reduced rate and only paid around $12 extra per person over economy. We had 6 of us travelling, so we grabbed a couple of economy seats and all sat together in business class, which made this a very comfortable ride. The crew had no issue with this fare discrepancy, since we had the state room. Be advised, these rooms need to be booked months in advance during high season. 

Throughout the day, we lounged around on padded chairs in front the of the ships floor-to-ceiling windows and ordered cappuccinos, espressos, danishes and sandwiches (which we were surprised to find weren't over priced). There were a couple of restaurants on board, in addition to the service provided at our seats. Even a boutique shop opened up a couple hours into the voyage. Between Piraeus Port (Athens) and Santorini, we stopped at the islands of Paros and Naxos (more on Naxos in a future post, as we stopped on the way back). It was a nice break in the relaxation to head out onto the open deck and watch the boat taxi into the different islands. There were some beautiful photo opportunities with each port, as the sun shone into the blue water and reflected off the white buildings. The ports lacked the ugliness we might find from an industrial port, as the majority of them are used for tourism nowadays. This is, of course, with the exception of the fisherman supplying the restaurants with fresh fare. Even after 7 hours, arriving into the "new" port of Santorini seemed to come too soon. But as we looked up the switch back roads to those fairy tale towns hanging out on the cliffs, we knew it it was time for our journey to continue. 

More on Santorini coming soon!