Cucina Greca e ricette
In Athens, as well as throughout Greece, eating out is a way of life.
Restaurants are more than places to have a bite before the evening entertainment; very often they are the entertainment. Whether in a local taverna or one of the most elegant restaurants, Greeks take their time over food. Breakfast is light; lunch is eaten in the mid-afternoon; and dinner usually doesn't start until 10 P.M.
Then the parade of Greek food begins: appetizers such as horiatiki (tomato, cucumber, olives and feta cheese salad), taramosalata (a fish roe spread), plaki (a bean dish), melitzanosalata (eggplant salad), dolmadakia (grape leaves stuffed with meat, rice and onions served with lemon sauce); then the entree with a choice of grilled meats (baby lamb or beef, veal or chicken) and a wide assortment of seafood such as octopus, squid, red snapper, lobster or youvetsi (a shrimp casserole).
Greek wines accompany all. Topping it all off are rich Greek pastries and thick, strong coffee. Sounds like you would probably by paying a lot but you will be presently surprised at the low cost of meals offered in most tavern as and restaurants. Most hotels offer an international a la carte menu. All food establishments must comply with stringent health regulations. There is a variety of restaurants to suit all tastes and pockets, from deluxe restaurants with international cuisine to small coffee shops serving light snacks. There are also fast food restaurants.
Typical Greek tavernas often present tasty local dishes and somewhat inexpensive checks. The warm climate allows for outdoor eating in most of these tavernas. Don't be afraid to enter the kitchen to choose your own meal, it is a custom. To help you enjoy delicious Greek meals, here is a list of most of the dishes and drinks offered: Mezedes (hors d'oeuvres) usually consisting of keftedes (meat balls), oktapodi (octopus), garides (shrimps), kalamaraki (squid), feta (white goat cheese), a dolmadakia (stuffed vine leaves), taramosalata (pate of a smoked fish roe), tzatziki (yogurt dip with cucumber and garlic), melitzanosalata (eggplant dip), loukanika (small sausages), tiropitakia (small cheese pies), bourekakia (small meat pies), spanakopita (spinach pies), fasolia (broad white beans).
Main dishes can consist of moussaka (layers of eggplant, minced meat and potatoes topped with cheese sauce and baked), youvetsi (a shrimp casserole), pastitsio (macaroni with minced meat and bechamel, baked), gemista (either tomatoes or green peppers a stuffed with mince meat or rice), dolmades (cabbage or vine leaves stuffed with minced meat or rice and served with an egg and lemon sauce), yiouvarlakia (stewed meat balls with rice), souzoukakia (meat balls with tomato sauce and garlic), giouvetsi (lamb or veal with pastry), fassolada (bean soup), gigantes (large dried beans with onions and tomato sauce), melitzanes (fried aubergines and courgettes), kokinisto (meat with tomato sauce), stifado (meat with onions), frikase (meat, onions, aherbs), kokoretsi (skewer of liver and kidneys), saganaki (fried cheese served with lemon), astako (lobster), kavouri (crab), stridia (oyster), midia (clam), barbounia (red mullet), lithrinia (bass), ksifias (swordfish), glossa (sole), marides (whitebait), kakavia (bouillabaisse), arni (Iamb), moschari (veal), katsikaki (kid), chirino (pork), kotopoulo (chicken), souvlakia (pieces of meat grilled on small skewers).
For drinks, besides the usually beverages, you can e have the Greek liquor ouzo or the popular wine retsina. Dessert can include pastes (very sweet cakes with cream), baklava (syrup cake), loukoumades (fritters with honey or syrup), kataifi (shredded what soaked in honey) and pagoto (ice cream). Keep in mind that service charges are included in the bill and it is up to the customer to add a tip, if he felt the service was excellent. Seize the opportunity to taste the famous Greek delicacies, while on tour between the historical monuments of Athens.
