A Night in Athens

Our summer visit to Greece concluded with a one night stay in Athens. When asked by our friends what we wanted to do, the answer was obvious: eat good Greek food! With a city as large as the capital, there is no shortage of options. Knowing our penchant for seafood, our friends decided to take us to Raki Meze, which loosely translates to “booze and small plates”.

The restaurant’s setting was charming with both indoor and veranda seating. In order to enjoy a variety of foods, our group agreed to order multiple dishes, which we shared family style. Following are some of the highlights from our meal.

Beet Salad

The beet salad was a big hit. It consisted of grated raw beets marinated in vinegar, topped with Greek yogurt and dill.

Fried Crayfish

Next were the fried crayfish (crawfish). These were fantastic! Resembling miniature shrimp, they are eaten whole and were served with a tzatziki dipping sauce.

Broiled Sardines

The restaurant was out of anchovies that particular evening, so we opted for the broiled sardines with a mint vinaigrette. What was particularly impressive with this dish was how well the sardines were prepared. Not a bone to be found!

Grilled Calamari

The grilled calamari was excellent, simply grilled, and served with a drizzle of vinegar and sprinkle of oregano.

Peppercorn Octopus

The most memorable dish of the evening was the stewed octopus, which was cooked with wine, onions, and whole peppercorns, better known in Greece as “stifado”. While I’ve always thought of pepper as an ingredient that simply adds spice to a dish, in this case the peppercorns added significant flavor, which complemented the octopus perfectly.

As the name of the restaurant implies, we accompanied all of the above with some Greek booze. It most definitely was a great way to end our trip!