We just finished an incredible two weeks in Greece – eating, beaching, swimming, dancing and overall indulging in such ridiculous languid pleasures that I feel guilty writing about it all here. The sun, the sea, the music, the company, the scenery, the food. Death by pure pleasure.
In addition to the beautiful Greek breakfasts that we had in Santorini, we gorged ourselves in seafood galore. Sardines, calamari, octopus and fresh fish. We spent most meals at local fish tavernas along the sea or along the caldera and we made it a point to stay completely away from the tourist restaurants.
Sampling restaurant/taverna food for two weeks straight was a fantastic learning experience in “eating out”. My best friend Mari and her boy, AKA “The Greeks”, taught us to use the Greek salad index. Whenever we looked over a menu deciding to eat at a place, they advised that we always check the price of a Greek salad. Local, down-to-earth, family-run places usually price a Greek salad at about 5 Euro. A place that prices a Greek salad at 10 Euros or more is catering to tourists. Stay away!
Using this index, we found some incredible gems. The kinds of places where the restauranteur, his wife, his kids, and the grandmas would all take part in serving us our meal. Usually, these places offer cold, sliced fruit and raki complementary after the meal. By 9pm, they are always packed full of people, the noise of screaming kids and clattering plates abuzz in the air. Magical.
It’s hard to believe that only three days ago, we were sitting in our swimsuits, having walked straight out of the sea and sat down to eat fresh fish on the outdoor terrace of a local fish taverna. These have been some of the best meals of my life. Dinner with good friends, over incredible food, watching the sun set in blaze of glory.
Just gorgeous.
