Snacks for the Ferry

Back in Naxos town, we went in search of snacks for our ferry ride.

We found a cheese shop.

We liked the Graviera--the 2nd most popular cheese in Greece, after feta. It was firm and nutty.

This was another cheese that the sales clerk recommended. There was no English translation. I liked the Graviera better. It tasted more like hard Reggiano-Parmigiano. This cheese was a softer cheese and didn't have as much flavor.

We picked up a gyro pita on the way to the ferry. The gyro is a stack of meat that is turned in front of a heat source. As the exterior cooks, it is sliced off. This was a chicken gyro. I was surprised that I saw more chicken than lamb options in Greece.

Gyro pita filled with tomatoes, onion, tzatziki sauce and French fries. This was €2--a cheap and filling snack.

Amita--my favorite sour cherry juice. We tried other brands and this one tasted the best. It had a tamarind flavor.

2015 05

Around Naxos, Part 3

We didn't quite finish seeing the island of Naxos in 1 day. We had the car for 24 hours and we woke up early the next morning to see the southern part of the island, which had the beaches.

We drove southwest to Mikri Vigla then on to Alyko. It was surprising to see an old abandoned Russian hotel in Alyko.

From Alyko, we drove south to Pyrgaki and Agiasos, following the coast. Both were beautiful beaches.

Some of the roads were very poorly maintained and at times we weren't even sure we were on the right road. At one point, we came across a herd of goats wandering the road.

2015 05 29

Antomoma, Naxos

My favorite meal in all of Greece was at Antomoma in Naxos. This was located on the eastern edge of town.

Amuse bouche of ground chickpea crostini. This was a little coarser than hummus and no tahini flavor but this was good.

Green Salad with Dried Figs & Hazelnut Sauce--€7.50. I loved this. The dressing was absolutely delicious and I still crave this.

Kalogiros--A traditional dish with eggplant, beef, sour cheese and Naxos gruyere cheese--€9. There were chunks of tender beef and the eggplant was delicious.

Prawn Saganaki with Ouzo and Saffron--€9.50. This was my favorite dish in all of Greece. I loved the large prawns with heads intact. The heads had so much flavor and the tomato and cheese sauce was delicious.

Complimentary lemon curd for dessert.

We loved our dinner so much, we tried to go back for lunch the next day before our ferry departed. Unfortunately, they didn't open until 1 pm. If you're in Naxos, be sure to go to this restaurant. You won't regret it.



2015 05 28

Around Naxos, Part 2

Back to Naxos, Greece...

After lunch, we drove to Halki, a historic village in the middle of the island. The old villas were a reflection of its wealthy past as the island's former capital.

The town was empty and we walked around in peace.

From Halki, we drove northwest to Flerio, where we found 2 more kouros. We parked the car and followed the trails. This one measured 5.5 m and had a broken leg. 

Another one nearby was also 5.5 m long and had 2 broken legs. This one was a little more tricky to find. You had to walk through trails in the fields and pass gates. The trail was an easy walk though.

The marble quarries nearby supplied the material for the kouros. It's still being quarried today.

2015 05 28

Thursday Night Dinner

I liked the slow-cooked pork on the Thursday Night menu this week and went to Flavor Bistro on Thursday night as well.

Bruschetta Con Calamari--Topped with Crispy Local Calamari, Spicy Saffron Aioli & Sweet Basil Salsa, paired with 2013 The Hess Collection Chardonnay, Shirtail Creek Vineyard, Monterey. This chardonnay must not be too oaken because I actually liked it. The aioli is so good on this dish.

Ravioli Di Zucca--Homemade Butternut Ravioli, Crispy Sage Butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roasted Mushrooms & Walnut Gremolata, paired 2013 Mossback Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley. It's not much to look at but it is very tasty. It's a free-form homemade ravioli

Brasato Di Maiale--Country Style Slow Cooked Pork Garnished with Creamy Fontina Polenta, Peperonata & Garlic Candy, paired with 2012 Preston Farm & Winery Petite Sirah, Estate Bottled (Organic), Dry Creek Valley. The pork is fork tender and the polenta is cheesy and delicious.

Tiramisù E Tartufi Di Cioccolato--Espresso Lady Fingers Layered with Rum Flavored Mascarpone Cream Garnished with Homemade Chocolate Truffles, paired with 2010 Novy Family Wines 'Oley' Late Harvest Viognier, Russian River Valley 

2015 07 16

Wednesday Night Dinner

This week's Wednesday Night Dinner was pork chops and you know I love the pork chops at Flavor Bistro. All this for $18.95. The white wine was St. Francis Chardonnay--not a big fan of chardonnay. The red wine was a Scaia Corvina and I didn't like this either. The dinner was great though.

Farmhouse Soup--this one was a sweet potato soup.

Spice-Brined Grilled Pork Chops with Sun-Dried Fruit Compote--tender and flavorful. There was homemade flatbread. The Organic Green Salad was delicious and the Creamy Spinach with Homemade Sausage was great. The Blue Lake Beans were cooked perfectly. Carrots were also served but I don't like carrots so I didn't take any. Since it was served family style, I didn't feel badly that I didn't eat the carrots.

Whipped Potatoes--the potatoes were incredibly rich but why not make them even richer with the creamy spinach. Yum!!!

Chocolate Foldovers with Whipped Cream. This was dark chocolate between puff pastry. Another Yum!!!

2015 07 15

Piperade

I had purchased a Travelzoo deal for Piperade in SF. The deal was $79 for any 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts on the menu. It's a Basque restaurant, located at 1015 Battery Street. On a Saturday evening, there was plenty of street parking.

Piperade--Slow Cooked Onion, Pepper, Tomato, Garlic + Ventreche (French pancetta), Poached Egg--$16. This had a lot of flavor but the poached egg was cooked a little too long.

Twice Cooked Oxtail, Pickled Pepper Salpicon (medley)--$16. This was the best appetizer. The oxtail was tender and delicious.

Thinly Sliced Serrano Ham, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tomato Compote--$18. The ham and compote were nice but could easily have been purchased from a store. It would have been better to choose something that required preparation to showcase the chef's skills.

Four Cheese Plate, Membrillo, Spanish Fig Cake--$20. There was manchego, a sheep, a goat and a blue and the wait staff wasn't able to clarify further. There was only 1 slice of fig cake. It was nothing too special.

Blue Nose Sea Bass, Spinach, Fried Garlic Vinaigrette--$27. The fish was well cooked.

Braised Seafood + Shellfish Stew "Bizkaiko," Pepper Sauce--$29. This had a nice red pepper sauce. There was too much fish in the dish--I would have preferred more shellfish. Overall, I liked it though.

Roasted Rack of Lamb, Merguez, Fennel, Roasted Bread, Pecan, Cumin + Date Relish--$32. The lamb was well prepared and very flavorful. 

Baked Yogurt Cake, Roasted Apricots--$9. This was a cheesecake.

Gateau Basque + Poached Cherries--$9. This was my favorite. It was a marzipan cake but wasn't too dense.

Milk Chocolate + Hazelnut "Rocher"--$9. This was a mousse cake over a crunchy layer of rocher. This was my sister's favorite.

Orange Blossom Beignets--$9. I had read about this dessert on Yelp and everyone raved about the orange blossom fragrance. I thought this was just okay. It didn't have much flavor. 

2015 06 27